2 Kings 7 · Verse 1

2 Kings 7:1

Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.
2 Kings 7:1, King James Version

2 Kings 7:1 in other translations

BSBThen Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD! This is what the LORD says: ‘About this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria, a seah of fine flour will sell for a shekel, and two seahs of barley will sell for a shekel.’”
WEBElisha said, “Hear the LORD’s word. The LORD says, ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.’”
ASVAnd Elisha said, Hear ye the word of Jehovah: thus saith Jehovah, To-morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.
YLTAnd Elisha saith, ‘Hear ye a word of Jehovah: thus said Jehovah, About this time to-morrow, a measure of fine flour is at a shekel, and two measures of barley at a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.'
DARBYAnd Elisha said, Hear the word of Jehovah. Thus saith Jehovah: To-morrow about this time shall the measure of fine flour be at a shekel, and two measures of barley at a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.
BBEThen Elisha said, Give ear to the word of the Lord: the Lord says, Tomorrow, about this time, a measure of good meal will be offered for the price of a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the market-place of Samaria.
WebsterThen Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To-morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.

What does 2 Kings 7:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2Ki 7:1-16. Elisha Prophesies Incredible Plenty in Samaria. 1. Hear ye the word of the Lord--This prediction, though uttered first to the assembled elders, was intimated to the king's messengers, who reported it to Jehoram (2Ki 7:18). To-morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, &c.--This may be estimated at a peck of fine flour for 2s. 6d., and two pecks of barley at the same price. in the gate of Samaria--Vegetables, cattle, all sorts of country produce, are still sold every morning at the gates of towns in the East.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

Elisha foretells abundant relief to the besieged inhabitants of Samaria, 2Kgs 7:1. One of the lords questions the possibility of it; and is assured that he shall see it on the morrow, but not taste of it, 2Kgs 7:2. Four lepers, perishing with hunger, go to the camp of the Syrians to seek relief and find it totally deserted, 2Kgs 7:3-5. How the Syrians were alarmed, and fled, 2Kgs 7:6, 2Kgs 7:7. The lepers begin to take the spoil, but at last resolve to carry the good news to the city, 2Kgs 7:8-11. The king, suspecting some treachery, sends some horsemen to scour the country, and see whether the Syrians are not somewhere concealed; they return, and confirm the report that the Syrians are totally fled, 2Kgs 7:12-15. The people go out and spoil the camp, in consequence of which provisions become as plentiful as Elisha had foretold, 2Kgs 7:16. The unbelieving lord, having the charge of the gate committed to him, is trodden to death by the crowd, 2Kgs 7:17-20. Verse 1 To-morrow about this time - This was in reply to the desponding language of the king, and to vindicate himself from the charge of being author of this calamity. See the end of the preceding chapter, 2Kgs 6:33 (note). A measure of fine flour - for a shekel - A seah of fine flour: the seah was about two gallons and a half; the shekel, two shillings and four-pence at the lowest computation. A wide difference between this and the price of the ass's head mentioned above.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Kings 7:1-2
Man's extremity is God's opportunity of making his own power to be glorious: his time to appear for his people is when their strength is gone. Unbelief is a sin by which men greatly dishonour and displease God, and deprive themselves of the favours he designed for them. Such will be the portion of those that believe not the promise of eternal life; they shall see it at a distance, but shall never taste of it. But no temporal deliverances and mercies will in the end profit sinners, unless they are led to repentance by the goodness of God.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

2 Kings 7:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
אֱלִישָׁ֔ע'e.li.Sha'ElishaH477
שִׁמְע֖וּshim.'UhearH8085
דְּבַר\־de.var-[the] word ofH1697
יְהוָ֑הYah.wehYahwehH3068
כֹּ֣ה\׀kohthusH3541
אָמַ֣ר'a.Marhe saysH559
יְהוָ֗הYah.wehYahwehH3068
כָּעֵ֤ת\׀ka.'Etabout <the> this timeH6256
מָחָר֙ma.ChartomorrowH4279
סְאָֽה\־se.'ah-a seah ofH5429
סֹ֣לֶתSo.letfine flourH5560
בְּשֶׁ֗קֶלbe.She.kelfor a shekelH8255
וְסָאתַ֧יִםve.sa.Ta.yimand two seahsH5429
שְׂעֹרִ֛יםse.'o.Rimbarley<s>H8184
בְּשֶׁ֖קֶלbe.She.kelfor a shekelH8255
בְּשַׁ֥עַרbe.Sha.'arat [the] gate ofH8179
שֹׁמְרֽוֹן\׃sho.me.RonSamariaH8111

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Kings 7:1

  • Joshua 3:5

    And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you.

  • Exodus 16:12

    I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God.

  • Ezekiel 37:4

    Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.

  • 1 Samuel 11:9

    And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabesh–gilead, To morrow, by that time the sun be hot, ye shall have help. And the messengers came and shewed it to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.

  • Exodus 14:13

    And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

  • Exodus 9:5-6

    And the Lord appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the Lord shall do this thing in the land. And the Lord did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one.

  • Psalms 46:5

    God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

  • Exodus 8:23

    And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.

  • 2 Kings 20:16

    And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord.

  • 2 Kings 6:25

    And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.

  • 2 Kings 4:42

    And there came a man from Baal–shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.

  • Revelation 6:6

    And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 Elisha prophesies incredible plenty in Samaria.
3 Four lepers, venturing on the host of the Syrians, bring tidings of their flight.
12 The king, finding by spies the news to be true, spoils the tents of the Syrians.
17 The lord who would not believe the prophecy of plenty, having the charge of the gate, is trodden to death in the press.

Elisha said. See on ch.
6:33; 20:16; 1Ki 22:19; Isa 1:10; Eze 37:4
To-morrow.
18,19; Ex 8:23; 9:5,6; 14:13; 16:12; Jos 3:5; 1Sa 11:9; Ps 46:5
a measure of fine flour.A {seah} of flour: the {seah} was about two gallons and a half; the shekel 2s. 4d. at the lowest computation: a wide difference between this and the price of the ass's head.
6:25; Re 6:6
of barley.
4:42; Joh 6:9
in the gate of Samaria.From this it appears that the gates were not only used as courts of judicature, but as market-places. So Mr. Morier observes: "In our rides we usually went out of the town at the {Derwazeh Shah Abdul Azeem,} or the gate leading to the village of Shah Abdul Azeem, where a market was held every morning, particularly of horses, mules, asses, and camels. At about sun-rise, the owners of the animals assemble and exhibit them for sale. But besides, here were sellers of all sorts of goods, in temporary shops and tents: and this, perhaps, will explain the custom alluded to in 2 Ki 7:18."

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Kings 7:1

    Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.

  • 2 Kings 7:2

    Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

Read all of 2 Kings 7

2 Kings 7:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		DIJO entonces Eliseo: Oid palabra de Jehová: Así dijo Jehová: Mañana á estas horas valdrá el seah de flor de harina un siclo, y dos seah de cebada un siclo, á la puerta de Samaria.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Élisée dit: Écoutez la parole de l’ Éternel. Ainsi dit l’ Éternel: Demain à cette heure-ci, la mesure de fleur de farine sera à un sicle, et les deux mesures d’orge à un sicle, à la porte de Samarie.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Da sprach Elisa: Höret das Wort Jehovas! So spricht Jehova: Morgen um diese Zeit wird ein Maß Feinmehl einen Sekel gelten, und zwei Maß Gerste einen Sekel im Tore von Samaria.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dixit autem Eliseus: Audite verbum Domini: Hæc dicit Dominus: In tempore hoc cras modius similæ uno statere erit, et duo modii hordei statere uno, in porta Samariæ.