Bible Dictionaries
Dove's Dung
Holman Bible Dictionary
An item sold as food for an incredible price (2 Kings 6:25 ) during the seige of Samaria. Some interpret dove's dung as bird droppings. 2 Kings 18:27 indicates that in time of seige persons could be reduced to eating their own excrement and drinking their own urine. Others have suggested that the dung was to be used as fuel or as a salt substitute. Others have suggested that Dove's Dung refers to a bulbous plant similar to a wild onion which was edible after boiling or roasting. Still others emend the text to read some type of bean pods (REB, NIV).
Copyright Statement
These dictionary topics are from the Holman Bible Dictionary, published by Broadman & Holman, 1991. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Broadman & Holman.
Bibliography Information
Butler, Trent C. Editor. Entry for 'Dove's Dung'. Holman Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/​dictionaries/​eng/​hbd/​d/doves-dung.html. 1991.