Amplified Bible
2 Kings 7:3
3Now four men who were lepers were at the entrance of the [city’s] gate; and they said to one another, “Why should we sit here until we die?
2 Kings 7:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?
- New International Version (NIV)Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die?
- English Standard Version (ESV)Now there were four men who were lepers at the entrance to the gate. And they said to one another, "Why are we sitting here until we die?
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die?
Context of 2 Kings 7:3
1Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord, ‘Tomorrow about this time a measure of finely-milled flour will sell for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’ ” 2Then the royal officer on whose arm the king leaned answered the man of God and said, “If the Lord should make windows in heaven [for the rain], could this thing take place?” Elisha said, “Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but [because you doubt] you will not eat of it.” Now four men who were lepers were at the entrance of the [city’s] gate; and they said to one another, “Why should we sit here until we die? 4If we say, ‘We will enter the city’—then the famine is in the city and we will die there; and if we sit still here, we will also die. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Arameans (Syrians). If they let us live, we will live; and if they kill us, we will only die.” 5So they got up at twilight to go to the Aramean camp. But when they came to the edge of the camp, there was no one there.
Read all of 2 Kings 72 Kings 7:3 word by word
וְאַרְבָּעָ֧ה אֲנָשִׁ֛ים הָי֥וּ מְצֹרָעִ֖ים פֶּ֣תַח הַשָּׁ֑עַר וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵ֔הוּ מָ֗ה אֲנַ֛חְנוּ יֹשְׁבִ֥ים פֹּ֖ה עַד־מָֽתְנוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And there were fourאַרְבַּע'arba‛ 'arbâ‛âh · fourH702
- leprousצָרַעtsâra‛ · be leprousH6879
- menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- at the entering inפֶּ֫תַחpethach · entranceH6607
- of the gateשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
- and they saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- oneאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- to anotherרֵעַrêa‛ rêya‛ · neighborH7453
- Why sitיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- we here until we dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
Cross-references for 2 Kings 7:3
- 2 Kings 5:1Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram (Syria), was considered a great man by his king, and was highly respected because through Naaman the Lord had given victory to Aram (Syria). He was also a man of courage, but he was a leper.
- 2 Kings 8:4Now the king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me all the great things that Elisha has done.”
- Leviticus 13:46He shall remain [ceremonially] unclean as long as the disease is on him; he is unclean. He shall live alone; he shall live outside the camp.
- Numbers 5:2“Command the Israelites to send away from the camp every leper and everyone who has a discharge, and whoever is defiled [that is, ceremonially unclean] by [coming in contact with] the dead.
- Numbers 12:14But the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be shut up outside the camp for seven days, and afterward she may return.”
- 2 Kings 7:4If we say, ‘We will enter the city’—then the famine is in the city and we will die there; and if we sit still here, we will also die. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Arameans (Syrians). If they let us live, we will live; and if they kill us, we will only die.”
- Jeremiah 8:14Why are we sitting still [the people wonder]? Assemble yourselves, and let us enter the fortified cities And let us die there, For the Lord our God has decreed our ruin And given us bitter and poisonous water to drink, Because we have sinned against the Lord.
- Jeremiah 27:13Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, by famine and by virulent disease, as the Lord has spoken to any nation which will not serve the king of Babylon?
Commentaries on 2 Kings 7:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3There were four leprous men - The Gemara in Sota, R. Sol. Jarchi, and others, say that these four lepers were Gehazi and his three sons. At the entering in of the gate - They were not permitted to mingle in civil society.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3The position of the lepers is in accordance with the Law of Moses (marginal references); and shows that the Law was still observed to some extent in the kingdom of Israel.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 3-11Verses 3-11 God can, when he pleases, make the stoutest heart to tremble; and as for those who will not fear God, he can make them fear at the shaking of a leaf. Providence ordered it, that the lepers came as soon as the Syrians were fled. Their consciences told them that mischief would befall them, if they took care of themselves only. Natural humanity, and fear of punishment, are powerful checks on the selfishness of the ungodly. These feelings tend to…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3These four men were outcasts due to their illness and stayed outside the city gates (Leviticus 13:45–46; see Luke 17:11–13).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. there were four leprous men--The account of the sudden raising of the siege and the unexpected supply given to the famishing inhabitants of Samaria, is introduced by a narrative of the visit and discovery, by these poor creatures, of the extraordinary flight of the Syrians. leprous men at the entering in of the gate--living, perhaps, in some lazar house there (Le 13:4-6; Nu 5:3).Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 7:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Kings 7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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