2 Kings 7 12

2 Kings 7:12 kjv

And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now show you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.

2 Kings 7:12 nkjv

So the king arose in the night and said to his servants, "Let me now tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, 'When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.' "

2 Kings 7:12 niv

The king got up in the night and said to his officers, "I will tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving; so they have left the camp to hide in the countryside, thinking, 'They will surely come out, and then we will take them alive and get into the city.'?"

2 Kings 7:12 esv

And the king rose in the night and said to his servants, "I will tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry. Therefore they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the open country, thinking, 'When they come out of the city, we shall take them alive and get into the city.'"

2 Kings 7:12 nlt

The king got out of bed in the middle of the night and told his officers, "I know what has happened. The Arameans know we are starving, so they have left their camp and have hidden in the fields. They are expecting us to leave the city, and then they will take us alive and capture the city."

2 Kings 7 verses

2 Kings 7 12 Meaning

King Jehoram, late at night, explains to his officials his cynical interpretation of the deserted Syrian camp. He asserts that the Arameans, keenly aware of Samaria's severe famine and hunger, have orchestrated a ruse: they have intentionally left their camp, not in retreat, but to conceal themselves in the surrounding fields. Their strategy, as the king surmises, is to ambush any famine-stricken Samarians who venture out of the city seeking food, capture them alive, and subsequently gain unhindered entry into the city.

2 Kings 7 12 Context

The city of Samaria, the capital of Israel, was enduring a severe and protracted siege by the Aramean army led by King Ben-Hadad. The famine within the city had reached horrific proportions, forcing its inhabitants into desperate acts, including cannibalism (2 Ki 6:25-29). Earlier, the prophet Elisha had prophesied that by the following day, the dire economic conditions would miraculously reverse, with food becoming abundant and cheap at the city gates (2 Ki 7:1). An officer of the king had openly mocked this prophecy (2 Ki 7:2). Amidst this despair, four lepers, resigned to their impending death, ventured outside the city gates to surrender to the Arameans, only to discover the enemy camp miraculously deserted (2 Ki 7:5-8). After satisfying their hunger and gathering spoils, they decided to report their discovery to the king (2 Ki 7:9-11). It is upon receiving this astonishing news that King Jehoram, in his fear and distrust, offers his immediate and calculated interpretation of events in verse 12, reflecting his profound skepticism and reliance on human cunning rather than divine intervention.

2 Kings 7 12 Word analysis

• And the king arose: In Hebrew, wayyāqām ha-meleḵ. The verb wayyāqām (and he arose/stood up) signifies an immediate and decisive action, driven by the urgency and gravity of the news received. Rising in the night underscores the king's anxiety and inability to rest, indicating the immense pressure he was under. It suggests he was either already awake in distress or quickly awakened.
• in the night: In Hebrew, ba-laylāh. This emphasizes the clandestine and urgent nature of the meeting. It also contributes to the perceived mystery and danger of the situation for the king, as many ambushes were executed under the cover of darkness. It reinforces the sense of desperation in the besieged city.
• and said unto his servants: ‘ăvāḏāyw refers to his personal staff and advisors, implying a meeting with his most trusted inner circle or council. This was a confidential discussion regarding military intelligence and strategy, underscoring the severity of the situation.
• I will now tell you: This phrase conveys the king's certainty and conviction in his theory. He presents his understanding as the definitive explanation, demonstrating his reliance on his own tactical judgment rather than considering supernatural explanations.
• what the Syrians have done to us: In Hebrew, ’Arām refers to Aram, or the Arameans, the consistent geopolitical adversary of Israel at this time. The king immediately assumes malevolent intent and strategic action by their long-standing foe, characteristic of deep-seated animosity and suspicion.
• They know that we be hungry: In Hebrew, yāḏĕʿû kî rĕʿēḇîm ʾănaḥnû. This is the logical lynchpin of the king's theory. He presumes the Arameans have perfect intelligence about Samaria's desperate state of famine. This premise allows him to project a specific, exploitative military strategy onto the enemy. His logic is flawed, as their awareness of the hunger doesn't guarantee the subsequent deceit he imagines.
• therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field: In Hebrew, nəḥbāʾîm baśśāḏeh. The tactic of feigning retreat or desertion and then hiding for an ambush (neḥbāʾîm, 'hiding themselves') was a recognized strategy in ancient Near Eastern warfare, as seen in biblical accounts like Joshua's defeat of Ai (Josh 8) or the tribal war in Judges 20. This detail adds a layer of military plausibility to the king's suspicion, making his flawed reasoning appear sound in human terms.
• saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive: In Hebrew, nitpĕśēm ḥayyîm. The phrase "catch them alive" suggests a deliberate intention for capture rather than outright slaughter. This could imply a desire for hostages, enslaved labor, or a humiliating subjugation, highlighting the king's deep-seated fear of personal and national degradation. This also reflects the king's detailed (though erroneous) projection of enemy intentions.
• and get into the city: In Hebrew, wənāḇôʾ hāʿîr. This is the ultimate objective of any siege: to breach the city and claim victory. The king assumes this hidden ploy is the Syrian method for achieving what direct assault could not, revealing his ongoing fear of an impending city fall.

Words-group analysis:

• "And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants": This highlights the deep unrest and urgency within the king's palace. His rising signifies an immediate, pressing matter requiring counsel with his trusted advisors, even in the middle of the night, driven by suspicion rather than relief.
• "I will now tell you what the Syrians have done to us": The king presents his theory as a definitive, insightful declaration. This phrase demonstrates his confidence in his own understanding of enemy tactics and intentions, overriding any hopeful interpretation of the deserted camp. It underscores his reliance on human cunning over any divine possibility.
• "They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field": This entire clause is the core of the king's misjudgment. He correctly identifies the city's desperation but falsely extrapolates the enemy's motivation and action. It reveals a worldview based purely on strategic advantage and human calculation, failing to consider divine intervention or the inexplicable.
• "saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city": This phrase attributes specific tactical thought and malicious intent to the Syrians. It’s the king projecting his own fears and strategic reasoning onto the enemy. This entire imagined scenario showcases his distrust, paranoia, and the limited scope of his strategic imagination when faced with a seemingly impossible reversal of fortune.

2 Kings 7 12 Bonus section

This verse perfectly encapsulates the clash between human perception and divine reality. The king's detailed, strategically plausible, yet entirely wrong, theory emphasizes how desperate circumstances can cloud judgment and foster a cynical reliance on known worldly patterns, even when God is acting outside them. It starkly contrasts with the simple, desperate faith of the four lepers (who merely walked out of the city in expectation of death, and thus stumbled upon deliverance), highlighting God's tendency to use unexpected and seemingly insignificant means to accomplish His great purposes, often through those who have nothing left to lose. The irony lies in the fact that the very desperation of the city, which the king believed the Syrians would exploit, was precisely what spurred the lepers to act, initiating the chain of events that would confirm Elisha's word and expose the king's disbelief.

2 Kings 7 12 Commentary

King Jehoram's response in 2 Kings 7:12 vividly illustrates the human tendency to trust in cynical reasoning and worldly experience rather than divine promises or extraordinary occurrences. Despite the prophet Elisha's clear prophecy of imminent deliverance and abundance, the king’s mind remains locked in fear and suspicion due to the protracted suffering of the siege. He interprets the lepers’ astonishing report of a deserted Aramean camp not as a miraculous intervention but as an elaborate military deception—a clever ambush tactic common in ancient warfare. His explanation reflects the despair, exhaustion, and cunning born of prolonged warfare and famine. This verse serves as a profound contrast to the true events that transpired: God had indeed driven the Arameans away, not with an army or clever human stratagem, but with an unheard-of sound, fulfilling Elisha’s prophecy. The king's reliance on human logic and his deep-seated skepticism prevent him from grasping the incredible reality of divine deliverance unfolding before him, highlighting the limits of human reason when God works beyond expectation.