2 Kings 7 8

2 Kings 7:8 kjv

And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.

2 Kings 7:8 nkjv

And when these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they went into one tent and ate and drank, and carried from it silver and gold and clothing, and went and hid them; then they came back and entered another tent, and carried some from there also, and went and hid it.

2 Kings 7:8 niv

The men who had leprosy reached the edge of the camp, entered one of the tents and ate and drank. Then they took silver, gold and clothes, and went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent and took some things from it and hid them also.

2 Kings 7:8 esv

And when these lepers came to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent and ate and drank, and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and went and hid them. Then they came back and entered another tent and carried off things from it and went and hid them.

2 Kings 7:8 nlt

When the men with leprosy arrived at the edge of the camp, they went into one tent after another, eating and drinking wine; and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and hid it.

2 Kings 7 verses

2 Kings 7 8 Meaning

This verse details the pivotal discovery made by the four lepers: the besieging Aramean army's camp had been miraculously and completely abandoned. They first found an abundance of food and drink, satisfying their immediate hunger, and then proceeded to collect valuable silver, gold, and clothes from a tent, hiding them away. Their subsequent entry into a second tent, where they gathered more spoils and hid them, confirmed the extent of the abandoned riches.

2 Kings 7 8 Context

Verse 8 is a critical moment in 2 Kings chapter 7, which begins with the city of Samaria under a crippling siege by the Arameans, led by King Ben-Hadad. The famine within the city walls was so severe that people resorted to cannibalism, a truly desperate situation for the Israelites (2 Kgs 6:25-29). Amidst this dire circumstance, the prophet Elisha boldly declared that by the next day, food would be plentiful and cheap, a prophecy met with scoffing disbelief by a royal officer. Outside the city gate, four lepers, condemned by their condition to live apart and facing imminent death by starvation, decided their only choice was to surrender to the Arameans—hoping for mercy or at least a quicker death than starving within the city. This desperate act led them to the discovery that begins to unfold in verse 8. The immediate historical context is one of a weakened Israelite kingdom, beset by its stronger Aramean neighbors, suffering deeply but on the cusp of an astounding divine reversal.

2 Kings 7 8 Word analysis

• And they (וְהֵם v’hēm): The emphatic pronoun "they" highlights the identity of these individuals—the lepers—who are the unexpected protagonists of this miraculous event, chosen despite their outcast status.
• the lepers (הַמְצֹרָעִים ham-məṣōrâ‘îm): The Hebrew metzora'im refers to those with a serious skin disease, typically leprosy. By Mosaic Law (Lev 13-14, Num 5:2-4), they were ceremonially unclean and had to live outside the city. Their desperation and outcast status ironically position them as the first recipients of God's abundant provision and the bearers of good news.
• came (בָּאוּ bā’û): Signifies a deliberate, albeit desperate, action. They did not stumble; they walked with a purpose born of impending death.
• to the edge of the camp of Aram (עַד-קְצֵה מַחֲנֵה אֲרָם ‘aḏ-qəṣēh maḥăneh ’ărām): Specifies their approach to the perimeter of the enemy camp. It suggests caution, as they are approaching what they believe to be an active military force, but also a willingness to go where no one else had dared.
• And they went (וַיָּבֹאוּ way-yāḇō’û): Repeated action, emphasizing their entry into the first tent.
• into one tent (אֶל-אֹהֶל אֶחָד ’el-’ōhel ’eḥāḏ): Their first, cautious exploration, indicating that they initially entered only one dwelling to see what was inside.
• and ate and drank (וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּוּ way-yōḵəlū wəyiš-tū): The immediate satisfaction of their most basic, life-threatening needs. This marks the transition from agonizing hunger to unimaginable plenty. It shows the concrete nature of the provision.
• and carried from there (וַיִּשְׂאוּ מִשָּׁם way-yiś’ū miš-šām): Implies physical exertion in transporting the items. It shows they recognized the value and volume of the spoils.
• silver and gold and clothes (כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב וּבְגָדִים ke-sep̄ wə-zāhāḇ ū-ḇəḡāḏîm): These are the valuable spoils of war, indicating not just basic provisions but substantial wealth. Clothing was also a significant asset in ancient times.
• and went and hid them (וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיִּטְמִנוּ way-yēləḵū way-yiṭ-mînū): This act reveals their initial human impulse for self-preservation and securing personal wealth, consistent with human nature to protect newfound prosperity, before considering the broader good (as they do in v. 9).
• and came back (וַיָּבֹאוּ עֹד way-yāḇō’ū ‘ōḏ): Signifies a return journey, perhaps to confirm their safety or to fetch more.
• and went into another tent (וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל-אֹהֶל אַחֵר way-yāḇō’ū ’el-’ōhel ’aḥēr): This repetition of action signifies a broader exploration, moving beyond the first tent, and solidifying their realization of the complete abandonment and wealth.
• and carried from there and hid (וַיִּשְׂאוּ מִשָּׁם וַיִּטְמִנוּ way-yiś’ū miš-šām way-yiṭ-mînū): Reinforces the pattern of accumulation and concealment, underscoring the vastness of the abandoned goods that they could repeat the action.

• The lepers came to the edge of the camp of Aram: This phrase sets up a stark contrast between the lowest, most despised members of Israelite society and the mighty, besieging enemy. It is precisely their desperate courage that propels them to this discovery.
• and they went into one tent, and ate and drank: This sequence captures the immediate, overwhelming relief after severe famine. Their first priority, quite naturally, was basic survival—a potent image of provision. The discovery of food also validates the quietness of the camp; if there were soldiers, they would not have left their food unguarded.
• and carried from there silver and gold and clothes, and went and hid them: This shows a rapid transition from satisfying hunger to accumulating wealth. The hiding of the items reflects their immediate, natural inclination toward securing personal benefit, a common human response to unexpected gain, but one they would later reassess (v. 9).
• and came back and went into another tent, and carried from there and hid: This repetition underscores the incredible abundance and confirms that the first discovery was not an anomaly. It signifies a systematic accumulation, demonstrating the complete, hasty abandonment by the Arameans.

2 Kings 7 8 Bonus section

• Divine Irony and Instruments: It is a powerful example of divine irony that God chose the most marginalized and ceremonially unclean members of society – lepers, forced to live outside the city – to be the first to receive the deliverance and to bring the news of salvation to the very people who had cast them out. This highlights God's preference for using the weak, despised, and insignificant to accomplish His great purposes, confounding human wisdom and pride (1 Cor 1:27-28).
• Proof of Yahweh's Sovereignty: The sudden and complete abandonment of an entire army camp, leaving behind all their provisions and valuables due to an unseen, divinely induced panic (implied by 2 Kgs 7:6), served as an undeniable testament to Yahweh's supreme power over all nations, armies, and even pagan deities. This was a direct blow to the prestige of Aram's gods, demonstrating that the God of Israel alone rules.
• Beyond Human Expectation: The scene vividly portrays God's provision not merely as adequate but as lavish. After experiencing unimaginable scarcity and starvation, Samaria (through the lepers' discovery) found themselves not just with food, but with gold, silver, and fine clothes. This generosity speaks to God's ability and willingness to provide far beyond human hopes and expectations, turning utter despair into overwhelming abundance.

2 Kings 7 8 Commentary

2 Kings 7:8 marks the critical turning point in the siege of Samaria. Four outcast lepers, driven by the desperation of starvation, venture into what they anticipate to be their death at the hands of the Arameans. Instead, they find an abandoned camp brimming with life-sustaining provisions and vast wealth. Their initial actions are profoundly human: they prioritize satisfying their immediate, overwhelming hunger and then securing valuable items for their personal benefit, hiding the spoils. This initial, private accumulation underscores the immense scale of the abundance and the utter chaos of the Aramean retreat, directly fulfilling Elisha's incredible prophecy. It sets the stage for a dramatic revelation of God's provision for all of Samaria, transforming despair into unimaginable prosperity through the least expected instruments.