2 Kings 6:30

When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes. And as he passed by on the wall, the people saw the sackcloth under his clothes next to his skin.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The king of Israel reacts to a woman’s report of cannibalism during a siege. He walks along the city wall while his subjects witness his public mourning.

The words — The Hebrew וַ/יִּקְרַ֣ע (va/i.yik.Ra') translates literally as "and he tore," describing the king's immediate physical action. The term כִ/שְׁמֹ֨עַ (khi/sh.Mo.a') means "when he heard," marking the exact moment the woman's words trigger his response.

The thread — Public garment tearing occurs in 1 Kings 21:27 when Ahab receives judgment, 2 Kings 5:7 at the reading of a hostile letter, and 2 Kings 19:1 when Hezekiah receives a threatening report. Each passage records a ruler confronting a crisis that exceeds human authority.

Why it lands — The text states that a king's visible distress follows a report of siege desperation. The passage requires the reader to acknowledge that political power does not guarantee stability or divine protection.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

King James Version

And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.

Cross-references

1 Kings 21:27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He lay down in sackcloth and walked around meekly.
2 Kings 5:7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and asked, “Am I God, killing and giving life, that this man expects me to cure a leper? Surely you can see that he is seeking a quarrel with me!”
2 Kings 19:1 On hearing this report, King Hezekiah tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and entered the house of the LORD.
Isaiah 58:5 Is this the fast I have chosen: a day for a man to deny himself, to bow his head like a reed, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast and a day acceptable to the LORD?