2 Kings 7:20 kjv
And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died.
2 Kings 7:20 nkjv
And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate, and he died.
2 Kings 7:20 niv
And that is exactly what happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died.
2 Kings 7:20 esv
And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate and he died.
2 Kings 7:20 nlt
And so it was, for the people trampled him to death at the gate!
2 Kings 7 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 23:19 | God is not a man, that he should lie... Has he said, and will he not do it? | God's word is certain and unchanging. |
| Isa 55:10-11 | "For as the rain... returns not thither but waters the earth... so shall my word be..." | God's word always achieves its purpose. |
| Ezek 12:25 | "For I will speak the word that I will speak, and it will be performed..." | Prophecy finds swift and sure fulfillment. |
| Lk 21:33 | "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." | Eternality and absolute certainty of God's words. |
| Mt 24:35 | "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." | Divine words are absolute and immutable truth. |
| Heb 4:12 | "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword..." | Power, efficacy, and penetrative nature of God's word. |
| Jude 1:5 | "...Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe." | Divine judgment on those who lack faith. |
| Num 14:11 | "How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me...?" | God's displeasure with persistent unbelief. |
| Deut 1:32 | "Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the LORD your God." | Israel's history of stubborn disbelief. |
| Jn 3:18 | "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already..." | Belief leads to salvation, unbelief to condemnation. |
| Mk 16:16 | "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." | Dire consequences for rejecting belief in Christ. |
| 2 Chr 36:16 | "But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words..." | Rejecting God's messengers incurs His wrath. |
| Prov 1:24-27 | "Because I have called and you refused to listen... I also will laugh at your calamity..." | Wisdom's warning against those who scorn. |
| Jer 20:8 | "For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout ‘Violence and destruction!’" | A prophet's message often met with scorn and resistance. |
| Acts 7:51-52 | "You stiff-necked people... Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?" | The persistent pattern of rejecting God's prophets. |
| 1 Thes 5:20 | "Do not despise prophecies..." | Exhortation to respect the prophetic word. |
| Ps 37:25 | "I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging for bread." | God's faithfulness in providing for His people. |
| Php 4:19 | "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." | God's unfailing provision for believers. |
| Rom 6:23 | "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." | Death as a consequence of spiritual rebellion/sin. |
| 1 Sam 15:29 | "And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind." | God's immutable character and promises. |
| Lam 3:37-38 | "Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both evil and good come?" | God's sovereignty over all events and outcomes. |
| Ps 115:3 | "Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases." | God's absolute control and authority. |
| Zec 8:16 | "These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in the gates judgments that are true..." | The gate as a significant place of justice and civic life. |
2 Kings 7 verses
2 Kings 7 20 Meaning
The verse describes the exact fulfillment of Elisha’s prophecy against the royal officer who scoffed at God's word concerning the immediate end of Samaria's severe famine. The officer, specifically assigned to control the surging crowd at the city gate as they rushed to plunder the abandoned Aramean camp, was violently trampled to death by the very people desperate for relief, thus witnessing the promised abundance but being unable to partake in it. This serves as a stark testament to the absolute certainty of God's word and the severe, fitting consequences of profound unbelief.
2 Kings 7 20 Context
2 Kings 7:20 is the dramatic culmination of a pivotal event in Samaria's history: its liberation from a suffocating Aramean siege and a subsequent, desperate famine. The city faced horrific starvation, even resorting to cannibalism, when Elisha the prophet declared that within 24 hours, abundance would replace scarcity. This incredible prophecy was met with profound skepticism by a royal officer, who contemptuously asked how such a thing could be possible even if the Lord were to open the floodgates of heaven. Elisha retorted that he would indeed witness it but would not partake in its blessing. The miraculous Aramean flight, the discovery of their abandoned camp by four lepers, and the subsequent frenzied rush of the Samarian populace through the city gates to plunder the supplies set the stage for the literal fulfillment of the prophecy against the officer. This verse seals his grim, final fate, proving the prophet's word unerringly true.
2 Kings 7 20 Word analysis
- And so it happened to him (וַיְהִי־ל֖וֹ - va-ye-hi-lo): This concise phrase, utilizing the simple verb "to be" (hayah) in the sequential imperfect, emphatically signifies "it came to pass for him" or "it was done unto him." It underscores the direct and inevitable fulfillment of Elisha's prophecy, highlighting divine sovereignty and the precision with which God's declared will materializes, often through human actions and unfolding circumstances.
- for the people trampled him (כֵּ֛ן הִכַּעֻהוּ֙ הָעָם֙ - ken hikkawuhu ha'am):
- "for" (ki): Acts as a causal conjunction, directly linking the officer's fate to the immediate preceding events, establishing the exact mechanism of prophecy's fulfillment.
- "the people" (ha'am): Refers to the collective mass of desperate, starving citizens of Samaria. Driven by a primal urge for survival and relief, their chaotic rush became the unwitting instrument of divine judgment against the unbelieving officer, showcasing human agency serving God's ultimate purpose.
- "trampled him" (hikkawuhu): Derived from the root ka'ah, meaning to tread down, to crush underfoot. This depicts a brutal, violent, and undignified death by overwhelming force, highlighting the complete helplessness of the officer in the face of the maddened crowd and the tragic irony of his fate.
- in the gate (בַּשָּׁ֑עַר - ba-sha'ar): The city gate was not merely an entrance, but the vital commercial, judicial, and social hub of ancient Near Eastern cities. It was a place of authority, where city leaders held court, commerce occurred, and public announcements were made. The officer's assignment to this strategic, highly trafficked location made him vulnerable. His death precisely at the gate, where he was positioned to control the rush, emphasizes the catastrophic breakdown of human order and the ultimate dominion of God over all circumstances.
- and he died (וַיָּמֹֽת - wa-ya-mot): A stark, simple, and conclusive statement. This final phrase leaves no ambiguity about the outcome of the events, serving as the definitive verification of Elisha's prophecy and sealing the ultimate consequence of the officer's skepticism.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him": This construction immediately establishes the direct link between prophecy and execution. It emphasizes that the fulfillment was not arbitrary, but directly linked to his involvement in the chaotic rush and the desperate actions of the very people whose fate he doubted God could improve. It shows a judgment orchestrated through human action, rather than overt divine intervention.
- "trampled him in the gate, and he died": This combination highlights the specific, violent means and ironic location of the officer's demise. Dying at the very gate he was supposed to manage and regulate, being overcome by the sheer force of those seeking the abundance he scorned, underlines the fitting justice of his end. His death here is not just an event, but a symbol of order succumbing to chaos, and disbelief leading to an inescapable, foretold fate.
2 Kings 7 20 Bonus section
The entire narrative of 2 Kings 7, culminating in verse 20, is a dramatic demonstration of Yahweh's unique sovereignty over life, death, famine, and plenty, serving as an implicit polemic against pagan deities like Baal, who were worshipped for rain and fertility but were powerless in Samaria's desperate siege. The specific means of the officer's death—trampled by the very populace God delivered—underscores that judgment for unbelief can be woven into the fabric of natural circumstances and the actions of humanity. His skepticism mirrors the Israelites' repeated failure to trust God in the wilderness, which likewise prevented many of them from entering the Promised Land, as extensively noted in Hebrews 3. The narrative is a profound theological lesson on the consequences of rejecting God's proclaimed truth and the crucial role of faith, or lack thereof, in experiencing divine promises.
2 Kings 7 20 Commentary
2 Kings 7:20 is a powerful concluding statement, succinctly revealing the unerring certainty of God's prophetic word and the grim, undeniable consequences of disbelieving it. The royal officer's tragic and ignominious death is not arbitrary, but a direct, poetic, and proportional judgment. He witnessed the fulfillment of God's provision—the abundance pouring into the city—yet his cynicism prevented him from enjoying its benefits. His end serves as a perpetual reminder that God's power and promises are absolute; to scoff at them is to invite dire consequences, regardless of one's earthly authority or position. It illustrates the solemn truth that God's plan unfolds irresistibly, and whether one finds life or judgment within that unfolding often hinges on the posture of their heart towards His word.