2 Kings 7:14

2 Kings 7:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.
• New International Version (NIV)So they selected two chariots with their horses, and the king sent them after the Aramean army. He commanded the drivers, “Go and find out what has happened.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)So they took two horsemen, and the king sent them after the army of the Syrians, saying, "Go and see."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore they took two chariots with horses; and the king sent them in the direction of the Syrian army, saying, “Go and see.”

Context of 2 Kings 7:14

12The 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.” 13One of his officers replied, “We had better send out scouts to check into this. Let them take five of the remaining horses. If something happens to them, it will be no worse than if they stay here and die with the rest of us.” So two chariots with horses were prepared, and the king sent scouts to see what had happened to the Aramean army. 15They went all the way to the Jordan River, following a trail of clothing and equipment that the Arameans had thrown away in their mad rush to escape. The scouts returned and told the king about it. 16Then the people of Samaria rushed out and plundered the Aramean camp. So it was true that six quarts of choice flour were sold that day for one piece of silver, and twelve quarts of barley grain were sold for one piece of silver, just as the Lord had promised.

2 Kings 7:14 word by word

וַיִּקְח֕וּ שְׁנֵ֖י רֶ֣כֶב סוּסִ֑ים וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ אַחֲרֵ֧י מַחֲנֵֽה־אֲרָ֛ם לֵאמֹ֖ר לְכ֥וּ וּרְאֽוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• They tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• therefore twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• chariotרֶ֫כֶבrekeb · chariotH7393
• horsesסוּסsûs sûs · horseH5483
• and the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• the hostמַחֲנֶהmachăneh · campH4264
• of the Syriansאֲרָם'ărâm · SyriaH758
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• and seeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200

Commentaries on 2 Kings 7:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14They took - two chariot horses - They had at first intended to send five; probably they found on examination that only two were effective. But if they sent two chariots, each would have two horses, and probably a single horse for crossing the country.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14Two chariot horses - Translate, “two horse-chariots.” They dispatched i. e. two war-chariots, with their proper complement of horses and men, to see whether the retreat was a reality or only a feint. The “horses” sent would be four or six, since chariots were drawn by either two or three horses.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. 13-17The abandoned items showed how quickly the Arameans fled, and the Israelites took goods from their camp. As Elisha predicted, food was now plentiful. Joram's skeptical officer was knocked down and trampled to death.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 7:14

• Armies
• Prophecy

In the dictionaries

• Chariot
• Jehoram
• Manner
• Samaria
• Benhadad
• Buying
• Jehoahaz
• Kings, Books of
• 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