2 kings 7:18 - It happened as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, “Two seahs of barley for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel, shall be tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria”;
Select Bible Verse
Filter Categories
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
R
S
T
U
V
W
What does "2 kings 7:18" mean?
This verse refers back to a prophecy made by the prophet Elisha in 2 Kings 7:1. Let's break down what it means:
Context: Samaria was under siege and suffering from a terrible famine. Food was incredibly scarce and expensive.
"The man of God": This refers to the prophet Elisha.
"Spoken to the king": Elisha had told the king of Israel (likely Jehoram) that the famine would end and food prices would plummet.
"Two seahs of barley for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel": This is the crux of the prophecy.
Seah: A dry measurement of grain. It's difficult to give an exact modern equivalent, but it was a fairly substantial amount of grain.
Shekel: A unit of currency.
The meaning: Elisha prophesied that, within 24 hours, the price of grain would fall dramatically. Previously, a shekel wouldn't buy nearly this much grain due to the famine. The prophecy essentially stated that an abundance of food would suddenly become available and affordable. Fine flour being as cheap as barley was particularly surprising, as fine flour was usually considered a more luxurious item.
"Shall be tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria": This specifies when and where the prophecy would come true. "Tomorrow about this time" means approximately the same time the following day. "The gate of Samaria" was the city's main entrance and marketplace, a central location for trade and commerce.
In summary:
The verse is a reminder of Elisha's bold prophecy to the king. He foretold a miraculous end to the devastating famine in Samaria, predicting that food prices would plummet drastically within 24 hours, specifically at the city gate, the following day. The verse sets the stage for the fulfillment of that prophecy, which happens in the subsequent verses of 2 Kings 7.
It's important to note that this prophecy was met with skepticism. One of the king's officers doubted Elisha's word, stating that even if God opened the windows of heaven, such a change was impossible. His disbelief led to a tragic consequence for him, as he would witness the abundance but not partake in it (as prophesied by Elisha).
2 kings 7:18 - It happened as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, “Two seahs of barley for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel, shall be tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria”;
What does "2 kings 7:18" mean?
This verse refers back to a prophecy made by the prophet Elisha in 2 Kings 7:1. Let's break down what it means:
Context: Samaria was under siege and suffering from a terrible famine. Food was incredibly scarce and expensive.
"The man of God": This refers to the prophet Elisha.
"Spoken to the king": Elisha had told the king of Israel (likely Jehoram) that the famine would end and food prices would plummet.
"Two seahs of barley for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel": This is the crux of the prophecy.
Seah: A dry measurement of grain. It's difficult to give an exact modern equivalent, but it was a fairly substantial amount of grain.
Shekel: A unit of currency.
The meaning: Elisha prophesied that, within 24 hours, the price of grain would fall dramatically. Previously, a shekel wouldn't buy nearly this much grain due to the famine. The prophecy essentially stated that an abundance of food would suddenly become available and affordable. Fine flour being as cheap as barley was particularly surprising, as fine flour was usually considered a more luxurious item.
"Shall be tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria": This specifies when and where the prophecy would come true. "Tomorrow about this time" means approximately the same time the following day. "The gate of Samaria" was the city's main entrance and marketplace, a central location for trade and commerce.
In summary:
The verse is a reminder of Elisha's bold prophecy to the king. He foretold a miraculous end to the devastating famine in Samaria, predicting that food prices would plummet drastically within 24 hours, specifically at the city gate, the following day. The verse sets the stage for the fulfillment of that prophecy, which happens in the subsequent verses of 2 Kings 7.
It's important to note that this prophecy was met with skepticism. One of the king's officers doubted Elisha's word, stating that even if God opened the windows of heaven, such a change was impossible. His disbelief led to a tragic consequence for him, as he would witness the abundance but not partake in it (as prophesied by Elisha).