2 Kings 7 10

2 Kings 7:10 kjv

So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were.

2 Kings 7:10 nkjv

So they went and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and told them, saying, "We went to the Syrian camp, and surprisingly no one was there, not a human sound?only horses and donkeys tied, and the tents intact."

2 Kings 7:10 niv

So they went and called out to the city gatekeepers and told them, "We went into the Aramean camp and no one was there?not a sound of anyone?only tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents left just as they were."

2 Kings 7:10 esv

So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city and told them, "We came to the camp of the Syrians, and behold, there was no one to be seen or heard there, nothing but the horses tied and the donkeys tied and the tents as they were."

2 Kings 7:10 nlt

So they went back to the city and told the gatekeepers what had happened. "We went out to the Aramean camp," they said, "and no one was there! The horses and donkeys were tethered and the tents were all in order, but there wasn't a single person around!"

2 Kings 7 verses

2 Kings 7 10 Meaning

This verse describes the four lepers' decisive action to report their discovery to the starving city of Samaria. They found the besieging Aramean army camp utterly deserted, without any human presence or sound, indicating a miraculous, abrupt departure, as only their animals and tents remained as evidence of a swift and fear-driven flight. This communication became the pivotal moment for the city's deliverance from famine and siege.

2 Kings 7 10 Context

Chapter 7 of 2 Kings opens with Samaria suffering a devastating Aramean siege, leading to extreme famine where people resort to cannibalism. In this dire situation, the prophet Elisha boldly proclaims that within twenty-four hours, food will be so abundant that two seahs of barley will sell for a shekel and a seah of fine flour for a shekel at the city gate, an unbelievable prophecy met with scoffing by a royal officer. Amidst this despair, four lepers, condemned to die outside the city walls whether by starvation or the enemy, decide to surrender to the Arameans. Instead of finding captivity or death, they discover the entire Aramean camp deserted, due to the Lord causing the Arameans to hear a terrifying sound of chariots and horses, convincing them that the king of Israel had hired Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack them. Overcome with panic, they fled in the dead of night, leaving everything behind. Verse 10 details the lepers' crucial act of returning to the city to share this astonishing news.

2 Kings 7 10 Word analysis

• So they came: (וַיָּבֹא֙וּ, vayavó'u from בּוֹא, bo, "to come, to go"). This marks the immediate and decisive action of the lepers after their discovery. They do not linger or hoard; they realize the implication of their finding for the suffering city. Their personal hunger gives way to a communal concern, an unusual act for societal outcasts.
• and called to the gatekeepers: (וַיִּקְרְאוּ֙ אֶל־שֹׁעֲרֵ֣י הָעִ֔יר, vayikre'u el-sho'arei ha'ir). "Gatekeepers" (שֹׁעֲרֵי, sho'arei): These were essential city officials responsible for security, regulating entry/exit, and gathering news from outside. This direct address shows the lepers knew the official protocol for communicating critical information to the city leadership, despite being ritually unclean and normally excluded.
• and told them, saying: (וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ לָהֶם֮ לֵאמֹ֗ר, vayagídu lahem lemor). This phrase emphasizes the direct and immediate nature of their communication, providing a factual report of their observations.
• We came to the camp of the Arameans: (בָּ֤אנוּ אֶל־מַחֲנֵה֙ אֲרָ֔ם, bánu el-machaneh Aram). The "we" highlights their shared experience and eyewitness testimony. "Camp of the Arameans" (מַחֲנֵה אֲרָם, machaneh Aram): The full, fearsome enemy encampment that had suffocated Samaria. This is the place of terror now revealed as a place of deliverance.
• and behold: (וְהִנֵּה֙, vehinneh). This interjection draws attention to a surprising and unexpected discovery. It emphasizes the profound shock and wonder of finding the camp utterly deserted. It marks a moment of dramatic revelation.
• there was no one there: (אֵין־שָׁם אִ֑ישׁ, ein-sham ish). A concise yet powerful statement confirming the complete absence of any person. The enemy army had vanished.
• no human sound whatever: (וְלֹא֙ ק֣וֹל אָדָ֔ם, veló qol adam). This deepens the silence and absence, implying an uncanny stillness in what should have been a bustling military encampment. It underscores the divine cause of the enemy's flight – it was so sudden and complete that no one remained to make a sound.
• but horses tied and donkeys tied: (כִּ֣י אִם־הַסּוּסִ֣ים אֲסוּרִ֗ים וְהַֽחֲמֹרִים֙ אֲסוּרִ֔ים, ki im-hasusím asurim veha chamorim asurim). This detail signifies the hasty and panicked retreat. Soldiers fleeing for their lives would abandon even their essential transport, which implies profound fear and urgency caused by a supernatural terror from God. "Tied" (אֲסוּרִים, asurim) implies they were ready for use, not just abandoned equipment, further emphasizing the suddenness of the flight.
• and tents left as they were: (וְהָאֹהָלִ֖ים כַּאֲשֶׁר־הֵֽמָּה, veha'ohalím ka'asher-hemah). The tents standing untouched indicate the lack of time to pack up. Everything was left precisely as it was during the regular encampment, suggesting immediate, unorganized flight due to overwhelming fear, corroborating divine intervention (2 Kgs 7:6).

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city and told them, saying": This entire phrase depicts the lepers acting as messengers of salvation. Their return and willingness to communicate the good news highlights a sense of responsibility beyond their personal gain (initially satisfying hunger). It demonstrates faith in action – believing what they saw and recognizing its profound significance for their people. It's a striking moment where the marginalized become essential conduits of truth and hope to the established but despairing society.
• "We came to the camp of the Arameans, and behold, there was no one there, no human sound whatever": This sequence of statements serves as the core of their report, emphasizing eyewitness credibility and the astonishing emptiness. The use of "behold" creates a sense of immediate, breathtaking revelation, while the progression from "no one there" to "no human sound whatever" escalates the profundity of the discovery, pointing to an inexplicable, unnatural desertion. It clearly points to divine intervention, as a natural army withdrawal would involve ordered departure and residual presence.
• "but horses tied and donkeys tied and tents left as they were": This specific description provides the concrete evidence of a panicked and chaotic flight. These were not abandoned because of thorough packing; rather, valuable assets like transportation and shelter were left precisely "as they were," meaning utterly untouched since their occupants had fled in terror. This details solidifies the report as factual, indicating not just absence, but a specific kind of absence—a flight born of supernatural dread.

2 Kings 7 10 Bonus section

• Divine Irony: The most marginalized in society (lepers) became the bearers of the most vital good news to the desperate capital. Their ritual uncleanness prevented them from entering the city freely, yet they carried the message of deliverance.
• Contrast in Faith: The lepers, having nothing to lose, acted on an impulse of desperation and were met with God's miraculous provision. This stands in stark contrast to the disbelief of the king and the high official within the city, illustrating that faith often flourishes where human strength and hope are utterly exhausted.
• Evidence of Supernatural Intervention: The description of abandoned tied animals and tents standing untouched ("as they were") is crucial. It underscores that this was not an orderly retreat, but a terror-driven flight induced directly by God, making the fulfillment of Elisha's prophecy all the more astounding and clearly divine.

2 Kings 7 10 Commentary

This verse encapsulates the pivotal moment where the extraordinary discovery of God's miraculous intervention, found by society's outcasts, is reported to those within the beleaguered city. It highlights divine providence working through unlikely messengers to bring about salvation. The lepers' report, a firsthand account of the Aramean camp's complete desertion and the clear signs of a frantic, panicked flight (abandoned horses, donkeys, and tents), serves to confirm the truth of Elisha's earlier, seemingly impossible prophecy. This simple report sparks the turning point from despondency to deliverance for Samaria. It teaches that God can use anyone, even the most marginalized, to reveal His mighty hand and fulfill His promises, often in ways that defy human expectation and logic. This narrative affirms God's power to rout enemies not by direct combat from His people, but by inflicting fear and confusion (a "great sound" leading to panic) that causes them to flee.