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.

2 KINGS 6:30KJV
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2 Kings 6:30 (KJV)

What does 2 Kings 6:30 mean?

2 Kings 6:30 describes the king of Israel’s deep distress when he hears a woman’s desperate words during a siege. In response, he tears his clothes in grief, and as he walks along the city wall, the people see that he is wearing sackcloth underneath, a sign of mourning and humility.

The scene takes place during a severe famine in Samaria, where the king (likely Jehoram) is confronted by the horror of his people’s suffering. The act of tearing his clothes and wearing sackcloth shows his personal anguish and the seriousness of the crisis. The verse highlights the king’s visible sorrow and the desperate situation facing the people.

The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 6:30

  • "rent" (קָרַע, qāraʿ): This word means to tear or rip apart, often used in the Bible to show intense grief or distress. The king’s action is a public sign of mourning.
  • "sackcloth" (שַׂק, saq): Sackcloth was a rough, uncomfortable fabric worn as a symbol of sorrow, repentance, or humility. The king wearing it under his clothes shows his hidden, ongoing grief.
  • "flesh" (בָּשָׂר, basar): This word means the body or skin. The verse notes the sackcloth was directly on the king’s flesh, emphasizing the depth of his mourning—it was not just for show.

Why 2 Kings 6:30 matters

  • The verse shows the king’s personal involvement in the suffering of his people, not just as a ruler but as someone deeply affected by the crisis.
  • The detail that the king wore sackcloth under his clothes suggests that his grief and repentance were not merely public gestures but something he carried privately.
  • This moment sets the stage for the king’s actions in the following verses, revealing the pressure and despair that drive his decisions during the siege.

Where else these words appear

“sackcloth” Hebrew H8242 · used in 46 verses

  • Genesis 37:34 And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
  • Esther 4:1 When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;
  • Isaiah 58:5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?

“rent” Hebrew H7167 · used in 60 verses

  • Genesis 37:29 And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
  • 1 Kings 11:11 Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.
  • 2 Chronicles 34:27 Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD.

“wall” Hebrew H2346 · used in 123 verses

  • Exodus 14:22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
  • Nehemiah 2:8 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
  • Isaiah 36:11 Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not to us in the Jews' language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.