Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 6:30
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.
30. and he passed by upon the wall ] The R.V. places these words in a parenthesis rendering (Now he was passing by upon the wall).
the people looked ] At such an appeal many would congregate beside the two persons concerned in the matter.
he had sackcloth within upon his flesh ] Cf. the action of his father Ahab (1Ki 21:27) when God threatened him with punishment after the murder of Naboth. But neither in one case nor the other does the sorrow appear to have worked any good result. ‘I find his sorrow, I find not his repentance. The worst man may grieve for his smart, only the good heart grieves for his offence’ (Bp Hall). The result of Jehoram’s anguish seems to have been only rage against Elisha.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Sackcloth – Jehoram hoped perhaps to avert Yahwehs anger, as his father had done 1Ki 21:29. But there was no spirit of self-humiliation, or of true pentitence in his heart 2Ki 5:7. See the next verse.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 30. He had sackcloth within upon his flesh.] The king was in deep mourning for the distresses of the people.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
If I do not this day take his head and life. This wretched and partial prince overlooks his own great and various sins, and, amongst others, his obstinate cleaving to the idolatry of the calves, and the whoredoms and witchcrafts of his mother Jezebel, 2Ki 9:22, and the wickedness of his people, which was the true and proper cause of this and all their calamities; and lays the blame of all upon Elisha; either supposing that he who had the spirit of Elijah resting upon him, had brought this famine by his prayers, as Elijah had formerly done, 1Ki 17:1; or because he had encouraged them to withstand the Syrians, by promising them help from God in due time; or because he would not, by his intercession to God and the working of a miracle, deliver them from these calamities, as he easily could have done. But he did not consider that the prophets could not work what miracles and when they pleased, but only as far as God saw fit, whose time was not yet come; otherwise it was Elishas interest as well as theirs to be freed from this distress.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
30. had sackcloth within upon hisfleshThe horrid recital of this domestic tragedy led the kingsoon after to rend his garment, in consequence of which it wasdiscovered that he wore a penitential shirt of haircloth. It is morethan doubtful, however, if he was truly humbled on account of his ownand the nation’s sins; otherwise he would not have vowed vengeance onthe prophet’s life. The true explanation seems to be, that Elishahaving counselled him not to surrender, with the promise, oncondition of deep humiliation, of being delivered, and he havingassumed the signs of contrition without receiving the expectedrelief, regarded Elisha who had proved false and faithless as thecause of all the protracted distress.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes,…. At the horror of the fact reported, and through grief that his people were brought into such distress through famine:
and he passed by upon the wall; returning to his palace:
and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth upon his flesh; which, in token of humiliation for averting the calamities he was under, he had put there before, and now was seen through the rending of his clothes.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(30) And he passed.Now he was passing. The people in the streets below would see him well as he passed along the rampart.
Looked.Saw.
He had sackcloth.Rather, the sackcloth was. The sackclothi.e., the well-known garb of penitence and woe (1Ki. 21:27). Jehoram had secretly assumed this ascetic garment in order to appease the wrath of Jehovah. That the king should wear sackcloth was a portent in the eyes of his subjects. The prophets wore it over the tunic as an official dress.
Within.Under his royal robes, upon his fleshi.e., next the skin. (Comp. Isa. 20:2-3.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
30. He rent his clothes The king was shocked and horror-stricken at the woman’s story of her grief.
Behold, sackcloth He had already put sackcloth on his flesh, but had hitherto kept this sign of humiliation concealed under his outer garment.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Ki 6:30 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.
Ver. 30. He rent his clothes. ] He said nothing to the case propounded, because it was horrid and hard to be judged. But this cruel mother should have died for a murderess.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
he rent his clothes: 2Ki 5:7, 2Ki 19:1, 1Ki 21:27, Isa 58:5-7
Reciprocal: Ecc 3:7 – time to rend Isa 15:3 – their streets Jer 48:37 – upon the loins Joe 2:13 – your garments
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ki 6:30. When the king heard the words of the woman, he rent his clothes Partly through grief for such a horrid fact, and partly through indignation at the prophet. And the people looked Who were in great numbers upon the wall, chiefly for the defence of the city. And behold, he had sackcloth upon his flesh Under his inner garments, in token of his sorrow for the miseries of his people, and lamenting that it was not in his power to help them.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
6:30 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 {p} upon his flesh.
(p) Thus hypocrites when they feel God’s judgments think to please him with outward ceremonies whom in prosperity they will not know.