2 Kings 7:3

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

1Elisha answered, “Listen to the Lord’s word! This is what the Lord says: About this time tomorrow 24 cups of the best flour will sell for half an ounce of silver in the gateway to Samaria. And 48 cups of barley will sell for half an ounce of silver.” 2The servant on whose arm the king was leaning answered the man of God, “Could this happen even if the Lord poured rain through windows in the sky?” Elisha replied, “You will see it with your own eyes, but you won’t eat any of it.” Four men with skin diseases were at the entrance of the city gate. One of them asked, “Why are we sitting here waiting to die? 4If we go into the city, the famine is also there, and we’ll still die. But if we stay here, we’ll die. So let’s go to the Aramean camp. If they give us something to keep us alive, we’ll live. But if they kill us, we’ll die anyway.” 5So they started out at dusk to go into the Aramean camp. When they came to the edge of the camp, no one was there.

2 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 5:1Naaman, the commander of the Aramean king’s army, was respected and highly honored by his master. The Lord had given Aram a victory through Naaman. This man was a good soldier, but he had a skin disease.
• 2 Kings 8:4The king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God. He said, “Please tell me about all the great things Elisha has done.”
• Leviticus 13:46As long as they have the skin disease, they are unclean. They must live outside the camp.
• Numbers 5:2“Command the Israelites to send outside the camp anyone who has a serious skin disease or a discharge or anyone who is unclean from touching a dead body.
• Numbers 12:14The Lord replied to Moses, “If her own father had spit in her face, wouldn’t she be excluded from the community for seven days? She must be put in isolation outside the camp for seven days. Then she can be brought back.”
• 2 Kings 7:4If we go into the city, the famine is also there, and we’ll still die. But if we stay here, we’ll die. So let’s go to the Aramean camp. If they give us something to keep us alive, we’ll live. But if they kill us, we’ll die anyway.”
• Jeremiah 8:14Why are we just sitting here? Let’s get up! Let’s go into the fortified cities and die there. The Lord our God has condemned us to die. He has given us poison to drink because we have sinned against the Lord.
• Jeremiah 27:13Why should you and your people die in wars, famines, and plagues? The Lord has threatened the nations that don’t 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

• Leprosy
• Prophecy
• Sanitation

In the dictionaries

• Manner
• Samaria
• Benhadad
• Buying
• Jehoahaz
• Jehoram; Joram
• Kings, Books of
• Leper; Leprosy
• Elisha

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