2 Kings 7 9

2 Kings 7:9 kjv

Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.

2 Kings 7:9 nkjv

Then they said to one another, "We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent. If we wait until morning light, some punishment will come upon us. Now therefore, come, let us go and tell the king's household."

2 Kings 7:9 niv

Then they said to each other, "What we're doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let's go at once and report this to the royal palace."

2 Kings 7:9 esv

Then they said to one another, "We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come; let us go and tell the king's household."

2 Kings 7:9 nlt

Finally, they said to each other, "This is not right. This is a day of good news, and we aren't sharing it with anyone! If we wait until morning, some calamity will certainly fall upon us. Come on, let's go back and tell the people at the palace."

2 Kings 7 verses

2 Kings 7 9 Meaning

2 Kings 7:9 records the pivotal realization of the four lepers who had discovered the deserted Syrian camp, full of provisions. Having first satisfied their immediate hunger and plundered treasures for themselves, they acknowledge their grave moral failure in hoarding such vital good news while their city suffered extreme famine. They understand that their silence would not only be unjust but would also incur divine judgment. Therefore, they decide with urgency to inform the king’s household, and by extension the entire starving city, of the miraculous deliverance and abundant supply. This verse marks their shift from self-interest to selfless, urgent proclamation.

2 Kings 7 9 Context

2 Kings chapter 7 opens with the city of Samaria under a devastating siege by Ben-Hadad, king of Aram. The resulting famine was so severe that mothers were resorting to cannibalism to survive (2 Kgs 6:24-29). Amidst this dire situation, the prophet Elisha boldly declared that by the next day, food would be incredibly abundant at the city gate (2 Kgs 7:1). While the people, including a royal officer, scoffed, God had set in motion His plan of deliverance. Four lepers, outcasts situated at the city gate due to their ceremonial impurity, faced a desperate choice: stay and starve, or go into the Syrian camp and perhaps find mercy or death. They chose the latter, but upon reaching the camp, found it miraculously deserted, with all the enemy's provisions left behind, for the Lord had caused the Syrians to hear sounds of a vast army, leading them to flee in panic (2 Kgs 7:3-7). Initially, the lepers indulged themselves, eating, drinking, and hiding treasures (2 Kgs 7:8). Verse 9 captures their collective realization that withholding this incredible news from the suffering city would be a great wrong.

2 Kings 7 9 Word analysis

• "Then they said to one another": This phrase, wa-yōʾmərū ʾîš ʾel-ʾāḥîw (וַיֹּאמְרוּ אִישׁ אֶל־אָחִיו), indicates a collective, internal dialogue and agreement among the lepers. It suggests a moment of shared conviction and a moral awakening that transforms their individual self-interest into a communal responsibility.
• "We are not doing right": The Hebrew lōʾ-kēn ʾănaḥnū ʿōśîm (לֹא־כֵן אֲנַחְנוּ עֹשִׂים) translates literally to "not thus are we doing." This is a profound admission of ethical misconduct, a recognition that their actions (or inaction) fall short of what is just and proper in God's eyes. It signals a shift from purely physical survival and gain to a moral concern for their community.
• "This is a day of good news": The key phrase is yōm bĕśōrāh hūʾ (יוֹם בְּשֹׂרָה הוּא), which explicitly means "it is a day of glad tidings" or "good news." The noun bĕśōrāh (בְּשֹׂרָה) is highly significant, recurring in prophetic contexts for the announcement of joyous and vital information, often about deliverance. It connects the lepers' discovery to a divine message, prefiguring the ultimate "good news" of the Gospel.
• "If we are silent": The verb wəhiṯḥattarānū (וְהִתְחַתַּרְנוּ), from the root חתר (ḥāthar), literally means "to hide oneself" or "to conceal." Here, it specifically means to "keep quiet" or "be silent" about what they have found. This emphasizes the active concealment of information that is crucial for others' survival. It highlights the sin of omission.
• "and wait until the morning light": This implies a delay that is unconscionable. The "morning light" suggests that their secret would inevitably be exposed, and by then, their delay would be seen as willful neglect.
• "punishment will overtake us": The phrase ūmāṣāʾnū ʿāwōn (וּמָצָאנוּ עָווֹן) directly translates to "and we will find iniquity" or "guilt." ʿāwōn (עָווֹן) refers to moral guilt, wrongdoing, or the just punishment for sin. This demonstrates their fear of divine retribution or societal judgment for their failure to act responsibly with such momentous information. They understood the concept of accountability.
• "Come, let us go and tell": Lĕḵū wənābāʾ nagîḏāh (לְכוּ וְנַבָּא נַגִּידָה) is an immediate, urgent call to action. Nābāʾ (נָבָא) means "to prophesy" or "to announce" (though here it's "let us go" which implies a prophetic function, but primarily action-oriented). Naggîḏāh (נַגִּידָה) means "let us report" or "make known." It shows their immediate decision to cease their selfish behavior and act for the welfare of others.
• "the king's household": Directing their report to bêṯ hammeleḵ (בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ) signifies reporting to the highest authority, ensuring the news would be disseminated effectively and acted upon by the appropriate governing bodies to save the city. This indicates strategic thinking despite their outcast status.

2 Kings 7 9 Bonus section

The story of the lepers and their moral dilemma serves as a powerful illustration of a fundamental principle found throughout scripture: the obligation to share "good news." The besorah discovered by the lepers parallels the "Gospel" (also "good news") of salvation in the New Testament. Just as the lepers found physical life-saving provision, believers have found spiritual life-saving truth. Their recognition that silence would result in 'avon (guilt/punishment) speaks to the moral weight attached to disseminating truth. God often chooses the least likely and overlooked instruments to accomplish His greatest purposes, as demonstrated by these outcast lepers becoming the heralds of Samaria's deliverance. Their story challenges believers to actively share the blessings and truth they have received, reminding them that spiritual wealth is not for private hoarding but for widespread proclamation, lest they, too, incur spiritual "punishment" for withholding God's abundant grace.

2 Kings 7 9 Commentary

2 Kings 7:9 encapsulates a profound shift from selfish gain to urgent, communal responsibility. The lepers, societal outcasts, found themselves providentially blessed with an abundance that contrasted sharply with the famine-stricken city. Their initial hoarding mirrored human tendency towards self-preservation and greed. However, a moral awakening, perhaps divinely prompted, led them to recognize that to keep such life-saving news to themselves was not just poor judgment, but an actual sin or 'avon against God and their community. This realization that "this is a day of good news" is highly significant; it positions their discovery not merely as fortunate happenstance, but as a divine blessing intended for the wider populace. Their fear of divine retribution for silence underlines the biblical principle that knowing to do good and failing to do it is sin (Jam 4:17). The lepers, therefore, become unlikely evangelists, compelled by moral conviction to share their glad tidings. This act underscores God's sovereignty, as He uses the most despised in society to bring about salvation and provision for His people, echoing how His greatest "good news" would also come through seemingly humble means. This verse implicitly teaches that blessings are often meant to be shared, and withholding truth, especially saving truth, carries spiritual consequences.