2 Kings 7:6

God's power and sovereignty Protection and safety

⁴ If we say, ‘Let us go into the city,’ we will die there from the famine in the city; but if we sit here, we will also die. So come now, let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they let us live, we will live; if they kill us, we will die.”

⁵ So they arose at twilight and went to the camp of the Arameans. But when they came to the outskirts of the camp, there was not a man to be found.

For the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel must have hired the kings of the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us.”

⁷ Thus the Arameans had arisen and fled at twilight, abandoning their tents and horses and donkeys. The camp was intact, and they had run for their lives.

⁸ When the lepers reached the edge of the camp, they went into a tent to eat and drink. Then they carried off the silver, gold, and clothing, and went and hid them. On returning, they entered another tent, carried off some items from there, and hid them.

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: For the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel must have hired the kings of the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us.”
KJV: For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.
WEB: For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians to hear the sound of chariots and the sound of horses, even the noise of a great army; and they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us.”
ASV: For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.
DARBY: For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, a noise of a great host; and they said one to another, Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.
BLB: For the Lord had caused the army of Aram to hear the noise of chariot and the noise of horse, the noise of a great force. And they said one to another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to come against us.”

ÅB: For Herren hadde latt syrernes leir høre lyd av vogner og hester, lyden av en stor hær; da sa de til hverandre: Du skal se Israels konge har leid hetittenes konger og Egypts konger mot oss til å overfalle oss.
OTB: For Herren hadde fått arameernes leir til å høre lyden av vogner og lyden av hester— det vil si lyden av en stor hær—slik at de sa til hverandre, "Se, Israels konge har leid hetittenes konger og egypternes konger mot oss, for å komme over oss!"
B1930: For Herren hadde latt syrernes leir høre lyd av vogner og hester, lyden av en stor hær; da sa de til hverandre: Du skal se Israels konge har leid hetittenes konger og Egyptens konger mot oss til å overfalle oss.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

2 Samuel 5:24
As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because this will mean that the LORD has marched out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.”
Read in context
Isaiah 31:1
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD.
Read in context
1 Kings 10:29
A chariot could be imported from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. Likewise, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram.
Read in context
Revelation 9:9
They also had thoraxes like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the roar of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.
Read in context
2 Chronicles 12:2–3
In the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign, because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, Shishak king of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem
Read in context
Revelation 6:15–16
Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.
Read in context
Psalms 14:5
There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is in the company of the righteous.
Read in context
Job 15:21
Sounds of terror fill his ears; in his prosperity the destroyer attacks him.
Read in context