2 Kings 7:12
10 So they went and called out to the gatekeepers of the city, saying, “We went to the Aramean camp and no one was there—not a trace—only tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents were intact.”
11 The gatekeepers shouted the news, and it was reported to the king’s household.
So the king got up in the night and said to his servants, “Let me tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving, so they have left the camp to hide in the field, thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we will take them alive and enter the city.’”
13 But one of his servants replied, “Please, have scouts take five of the horses that remain in the city. Their plight will be no worse than all the Israelites who are left here. You can see that all the Israelites here are doomed. So let us send them and find out.”
14 Then the scouts took two chariots with horses, and the king sent them after the Aramean army, saying, “Go and see.”
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- So the king got up in the night and said to his servants, “Let me tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving, so they have left the camp to hide in the field, thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we will take them alive and enter the city.’”
- KJV
- And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew 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.
- WEB
- The king arose in the night, and said to his servants, “I will now show 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 take them alive, and get into the city.’”
- ASV
- 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 are 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 take them alive, and get into the city.
- DARBY
- And the king rose up in the night and said to his servants, Let me tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry, and 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.
- BLB
- And the king arose in the night and said to his servants, “Let me declare, please, to you⁺ what Aram has done to us. They know that we [are] hungry; and 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 enter into the city.’”
- ÅB
- Da sto kongen opp om natten og sa til sine menn: Jeg skal si dere hva syrerne har gjort mot oss; de vet at vi lider hunger, derfor har de draget ut av leiren for å skjule seg på marken og tenker som så: Når de nå drar ut av byen, så griper vi dem levende, og så kan vi komme inn i byen.
- OTB
- Da sto kongen opp om natten og sa til sine tjenere, "Jeg vil nå fortelle dere hva arameerne har gjort mot oss. De vet at vi er sultne, så de har gått ut fra leiren for å gjemme seg i marken, og sier, 'Når de kommer ut av byen, vil vi fange dem levende og komme inn i byen.'"
- B1930
- Da stod kongen op om natten og sa til sine menn: Jeg skal si eder hvad syrerne har gjort mot oss; de vet at vi lider hunger, derfor har de draget ut av leiren for å skjule sig på marken og tenker som så: Når de nu drar ut av byen, så griper vi dem levende, og så kan vi komme inn i byen.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Joshua 8:4
with these orders: “Pay attention. You are to lie in ambush behind the city, not too far from it. All of you must be ready.
Read in context2 Kings 6:25–29
So there was a great famine in Samaria. Indeed, they besieged the city so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter cab of dove’s dung sold for five shekels of silver.
Read in context