The Siege and Famine of Samaria

During the era of the Divided Monarchy, Ben-hadad king of Aram gathered his entire army and laid siege to Samaria (2 Kings 6:24). The resulting famine was so severe that an ass's head sold for eighty shekels of silver and a small measure of dove's dung for five shekels. As the king of Israel passed by on the wall, a woman cried out to him regarding a pact she made with another woman to eat their sons (2 Kings 6:26-29). Upon hearing this, the king tore his clothes, revealing sackcloth against his skin, and swore an oath to take the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat that day.

Elisha sat in his house with the elders when the king's messenger arrived, followed by the king himself. Elisha declared a word from the Lord, stating that by the following day, a measure of fine flour and two measures of barley would sell for a shekel at the gate of Samaria (2 Kings 7:1). An officer who assisted the king expressed doubt, questioning if such a thing could happen even if the Lord made windows in heaven. Elisha told the officer he would see it with his eyes but not eat of it. Meanwhile, four leprous men at the city gate decided to surrender to the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, they found no one there.

The text states the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a great army, leading them to believe the king of Israel had hired the kings of the Hittites and Egyptians (2 Kings 7:6). The Arameans fled in the twilight, leaving their tents, horses, and donkeys. The leprous men entered the camp, ate, drank, and carried away silver, gold, and clothing before reporting the news to the city gatekeepers. The king of Israel initially suspected an Aramean ambush, but after sending scouts to investigate, he found the road to the Jordan littered with garments and equipment (2 Kings 7:15). The people of Samaria went out and plundered the camp, and the prices of grain fell exactly as Elisha had prophesied.