The Meaning of 2 Kings 6:29 Explained

2 Kings 6:29

KJV: So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.

YLT: and we boil my son and eat him, and I say unto her on the next day, Give thy son, and we eat him; and she hideth her son.'

Darby: And we boiled my son, and ate him: and I said to her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him; and she has hidden her son.

ASV: So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him; and she hath hid her son.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

So we boiled  my son,  and did eat  him: and I said  unto her on the next  day,  Give  thy son,  that we may eat  him: and she hath hid  her son. 

What does 2 Kings 6:29 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 6:24-33 - The Dire Straits Of Those Who Forsake God
This siege was the result of Ahab's foolish and misplaced leniency. See 1 Kings 20:42. The children are often called to suffer for the misdeeds and follies of their parents. Let us bear this in mind. "No man liveth to himself." Conduct yourself so that none may be offended through long years after you have passed from earth.
Apparently Elisha had counseled the king not to surrender, with the further assurance of deliverance on condition of his repentance. Jehoram therefore assumed the signs of penitence and contrition without the reality; and when the promised deliverance was not forthcoming, he put the blame of Israel's calamities on the prophet, and vowed vengeance against his life. The elders were gathered with Elisha, perhaps for prayer, when Elisha apprised them of the advent of the king's messenger, with his announcement of the royal determination not to wait for God any longer. The trial of our patience is more precious than of gold, but how few of us can endure it! [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 6

1  Elisha, allowing the young prophets to enlarge dwellings, floats an axhead
8  He discloses the king of Syria's counsel
13  The army which was sent to Dothan to apprehend Elisha, is blinded
19  Being brought into Samaria, they are dismissed in peace
24  The famine in Samaria causes women to eat their own children
30  The king sends to slay Elisha

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 6:29 mean?

So we boiled - my son and ate him and I said to her on the day next Give your son that we may eat him but she has hidden her son
וַנְּבַשֵּׁ֥ל אֶת־ בְּנִ֖י וַנֹּֽאכְלֵ֑הוּ וָאֹמַ֨ר אֵלֶ֜יהָ בַּיּ֣וֹם הָאַחֵ֗ר תְּנִ֤י בְּנֵךְ֙ וְנֹ֣אכְלֶ֔נּוּ וַתַּחְבִּ֖א בְּנָֽהּ

וַנְּבַשֵּׁ֥ל  So  we  boiled 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, first person common plural
Root: בָּשַׁל  
Sense: to boil, cook, bake, roast, ripen, grow ripe.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
בְּנִ֖י  my  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וַנֹּֽאכְלֵ֑הוּ  and  ate  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common plural, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
וָאֹמַ֨ר  and  I  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלֶ֜יהָ  to  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
בַּיּ֣וֹם  on  the  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הָאַחֵ֗ר  next 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: אַחֵר  
Sense: another, other, following.
תְּנִ֤י  Give 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
בְּנֵךְ֙  your  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וְנֹ֣אכְלֶ֔נּוּ  that  we  may  eat  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common plural, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
וַתַּחְבִּ֖א  but  she  has  hidden 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: חָבָא  
Sense: to withdraw, hide.
בְּנָֽהּ  her  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.