An ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver] I suppose we are to take the ass's head literally; and if the head sold for so much, what must other parts sell for which were much to be preferred? The famine must be great that could oblige them to eat any part of an animal that was proscribed by the law; and it must be still greater that could oblige them to purchase so mean a part of this unclean animal at so high a price. The piece of silver was probably the drachm, worth about seven pence three farthings of our money; the whole amounting to about two pounds nine shillings.

And the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung] The cab was about a quart or three pints. Dove's dung, µynwyrj chiriyonim. Whether this means pigeon's dung literally, or a kind of pulse, has been variously disputed by learned men. After having written much upon the subject, illustrated with quotations from east, west, north, and south, I choose to spare my reader the trouble of wading through them, and shall content myself with asserting that it is probable a sort of pease are meant, which the Arabs to this day call by this name. "The garvancos, cicer, or chick pea," says Dr. Shaw, "has been taken for the pigeon's dung, mentioned in the siege of Samaria; and as the cicer is pointed at one end, and acquires an ash colour in parching, the first of which circumstances answers to the figure, the second to the usual colour of dove's dung, the supposition is by no means to be disregarded." I should not omit saying that dove's dung is of great value in the East, for its power in producing cucumbers, melons, &c., which has induced many learned men to take the words literally. Bochart has exhausted this subject, and concludes that a kind of pulse is meant. Most learned men are of his opinion.

John Gill's Bible Commentary

Josephus says f83 , for salt, and so Procopious Gazaeus, and Theodoret; others, for dunging the lands, which is the use of it in Persia for melons; neither of which are probable; most certainly it was for food; but as doves’ dung must be not only disagreeable, but scarce affording any nourishment, something else must be meant; some have thought that the grains found in their crops, or in their excrements, undigested, and picked out, are meant; and others, their crops or craws themselves, or entrails; but Bochart is of opinion, that a sort of pulse is meant, as lentiles or vetches, much the same with the kali or parched corn used in Israel, (see 1 Samuel 17:17 Samuel 17:28) and a recent traveller observes, that the leblebby of the Arabs is very probably the kali, or parched pulse, of the Scriptures, and has been taken for the pigeons’ dung mentioned at the siege of Samaria; and indeed as the “cicer” (a sort of peas or pulse) is pointed at one end, and acquires an ash colour by parching, the first of which circumstances answers to the figure, the other to the usual colour of pigeons’ dung, the supposition is by no means to be disregarded: a “cab” was a measure with the Jews, which held the quantity of twenty four egg shells; according to Godwin f87 , it answered to our quart, so that a fourth part was half a pint; and half a pint of these lentiles, or vetches, or parched pulse, was sold for eleven or twelve shillings.

Matthew Henry Commentary

Original Hebrew