And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress?
And he said, 'If the LORD doesn't help you, how can I help you? Do I have grain from the threshing floor or wine from the winepress to give you?'
The king is telling a desperate woman that he has no food to give her because God hasn't provided any - his storehouses are completely empty.
📚 Historical Context
During the siege of Samaria by the Aramean army in the 9th century BC, the city was gripped by a severe famine that drove its people to desperate measures, including cannibalism, as described in the biblical narrative. King Joram of Israel, when approached for help, expressed his inability to provide relief from earthly sources like the barnfloor or winepress, emphasizing the limits of human power. This moment underscores the broader theme in 2 Kings of Israel's dependence on God amid political and military crises.
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