KJV ORIGINAL
And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress?
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
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 BOTTOM LINE
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
This occurs during a severe famine in Samaria while the city was under siege by the Syrian army. The king of Israel was confronted by a woman with a horrific story about cannibalism due to starvation. The barnfloor (threshing floor) and winepress were where grain and wine were processed and stored - both were empty during this crisis.
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