English Standard Version
2 Kings 7:12
12And the king rose in the night and said to his servants, "I will tell 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 open country, thinking, 'When they come out of the city, we shall take them alive and get into the city.'"
2 Kings 7:12 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)The king got up in the night and said to his officers, “I will tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving; so they have left the camp to hide in the countryside, thinking, ‘They will surely come out, and then we will take them alive and get into the city.’ ”
- New King James Version (NKJV)So the king arose in the night and said to his servants, “Let me now tell 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 catch them alive, and get into the city.’ ”
- New Living Translation (NLT)The king got out of bed in the middle of the night and told his officers, “I know what has happened. The Arameans know we are starving, so they have left their camp and have hidden in the fields. They are expecting us to leave the city, and then they will take us alive and capture the city.”
Context of 2 Kings 7:12
10So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city and told them, "We came to the camp of the Syrians, and behold, there was no one to be seen or heard there, nothing but the horses tied and the donkeys tied and the tents as they were." 11Then the gatekeepers called out, and it was told within the king's household. And the king rose in the night and said to his servants, "I will tell 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 open country, thinking, 'When they come out of the city, we shall take them alive and get into the city.'" 13And one of his servants said, "Let some men take five of the remaining horses, seeing that those who are left here will fare like the whole multitude of Israel who have already perished. Let us send and see." 14So they took two horsemen, and the king sent them after the army of the Syrians, saying, "Go and see."
Read all of 2 Kings 72 Kings 7:12 word by word
וַיָּ֨קָם הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ לַ֗יְלָה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־עֲבָדָ֔יו אַגִּֽידָה־נָּ֣א לָכֶ֔ם אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־עָ֥שׂוּ לָ֖נוּ אֲרָ֑ם יָדְע֞וּ כִּי־רְעֵבִ֣ים אֲנַ֗חְנוּ וַיֵּצְא֤וּ מִן־הַֽמַּחֲנֶה֙ לְהֵחָבֵ֤ה בַשָּׂדֶה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כִּֽי־יֵצְא֤וּ מִן־הָעִיר֙ וְנִתְפְּשֵׂ֣ם חַיִּ֔ים וְאֶל־הָעִ֖יר נָבֹֽא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- aroseקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
- in the nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto his servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- I will now shewנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
- you what the Syriansאֲרָם'ărâm · SyriaH758
- have doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- to us. They knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- hungryרָעֵבrâ‛êb · hungryH7457
- therefore are they gone outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- of the campמַחֲנֶהmachăneh · campH4264
- to hideחָבָהchâbâh · to hideH2247
- themselves in the fieldשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
- of the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- we shall catchתָּפַשׂtâphaώ · to captureH8610
- them aliveחַיchay · aliveH2416
- and getבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
Commentaries on 2 Kings 7:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12The king arose in the night - This king had made a noble defense; he seems to have shared in all the sufferings of the besieged, and to have been ever at his post. Even in vile Ahab there were some good things! They know that we be hungry - This was a very natural conclusion; the Syrians by the closest blockade could not induce them to give up the city, but knowing that they were in a starving condition, they might make use of such a stratagem as that…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12His servants - i. e., “high officers of the household,” not mere domestics. I will shew you what the Syrians have done - Jehoram sees in the deserted camp a stratagem like that connected with the taking of Ai Joshua 8:3-19. The suspicion was a very natural one, since the Israelites knew of no reason why the Syrians should have raised the siege.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-20Verses 12-20 Here see the wants of Israel supplied in a way they little thought of, which should encourage us to depend upon the power and goodness of God in our greatest straits. God's promise may be safely relied on, for no word of his shall fall to the ground. The nobleman that questioned the truth of Elisha's word, saw the plenty, to silence and shame his unbelief, and therein saw his own folly; but he did not eat of the plenty he saw. Justly do those…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10-12Joram thought the Arameans might have set a trap to ambush the Israelites. Joshua used a similar tactic to capture the city of Ai (Joshua 8:3–23).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 12-1512-15. the king ... said unto his servants, I will now show you what the Syrians have done--Similar stratagems have been so often resorted to in the ancient and modern wars of the East that there is no wonder Jehoram's suspicions were awakened. But the scouts, whom he despatched, soon found unmistakable signs of the panic that had struck the enemy and led to a most precipitate flight. 2Ki 7:17-20. The Unbelieving Lord Trodden to Death.Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 7:12
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries