The Aramean Siege of Samaria

Above:  Ruins of Samaria

Image in the Public Domain

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READING 1-2 SAMUEL, 1 KINGS, 2 KINGS 1-21, 1 CHRONICLES, AND 2 CHRONICLES 1-33

PART LXXXVI

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2 Kings 6:24:-7:20

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Put not your trust in princes,

in a son of man, in whom there is no help.

When his breath departs he returns to his earth;

on that very day his plans perish.

–Psalm 146:3-4, Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition (2002)

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King Jehoram/Joram of Israel (Reigned 851-842 B.C.E.)

King Ben-Hadad I of Aram (Reigned 880-842 B.C.E.)

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The Aramean siege of Samaria caused dire circumstances in the city.  People discussed cannibalism openly.  Food prices were high.  And King Jehoram/Joram of Israel, for a brief time, blamed the calamity on Elisha, whom he ordered executed.  Then the monarch changed his mind and assigned blame to God.  Elisha lived for a few more chapters of 2 Kings.

One may legitimately wonder how God delivered Samaria from the siege.  Did the deity deceive the Samarian army or did they perceive an invisible army from God?  The answer to that question may be interesting, but it is also irrelevant.  The germane answer is that God ended the siege.  “Who?” is the operative question in these stories.

Did God cause the siege of Samaria?  No.  Ben-Hadad I did.  God ended it.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

OCTOBER 30, 2020 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF HUGH O’FLAHERTY, “SCARLET PIMPERNEL OF THE VATICAN”

THE FEAST OF SAINTS MARCELLUS THE CENTURION AND CASSIAN OF TANGIERS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS, 298

THE FEAST OF SAINT OLEKSA ZARYTSKY, UKRAINIAN GREEK CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1963

THE FEAST OF WALTER JOHN MATHAMS, BRITISH BAPTIST THEN PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, AUTHOR, AND HYMN WRITER

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This is post #2350 of BLOGA THEOLOGICA.

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