The Second Book of the Kings, commonly called the Fourth Book of the Kings
2 Kings 7
Chapter VII · Vol. II, pp. 775–777
1 Elisha prophesieth incredible plenty in Samaria. 3 Four lepers, venturing into the host of the Syrians, bring tidings of their flight. 12 The king, finding by spies the news to be true, spoileth the tents of the Syrians. 17 The lord who would not believe the prophecy of plenty, having the charge of the gate, is trodden to death in the press.
1 Then Elisha asaid, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, bTo-morrow about this time cshall a measure1 of fine flour be sold for a shekel[≈ 11 g · 0.4 oz],2 and two measures of barley for a shekel[≈ 11 g · 0.4 oz], in the gate3 of Samaria.
a ch.6.33.
b Ps.46.1,5. ver.18,19. Is.58.8.
c ch.6.25.
1 A peck and pint.
2 For about 27½d.
3 It is still not unusual in the East for the wholesale market for country produce and cattle to be held (for a short time in the early morning) at the gates of towns. Manufactured goods and fruits are sold in the bazaars within the town.—I.
2 Then a lord, don whose hand the king leaned,4 answered the man of God, and said, Behold, eif the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be?5 And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt fnot eat thereof.
d ch.5.18.
4 Heb. a lord who belonged to the king, leaning upon his hand.
e Ge.7.11; 18.12,13. Mal.3.10. Ps.78.19-21.
5 An infidel he must have been, else he had remembered the manna in the wilderness, which came down from heaven without man's labour, and supplied, not merely a city, but a nation, for nearly forty years.—C.
3 And there were four leprous men gat the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?
4 If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there; and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: hif they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.
h Es.4.16. Lu.15.17-19.
5 And they rose up in the itwilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there.
i 1 Sa.30.17. ver.7,9. Ps.119.147.
6 For the LORD had made the host of the Syrians to khear 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,6 and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us
k 2 Sa.5.24. ch.19.7. Job 15.21. ver.7.
6 We learn from Jos.11.3,4, that the northern nations of Canaan had multitudes of horses and chariots in the days of Joshua, and from 1 Ki.10.29 we discover that an extensive transit trade in horses was carried on with them in the days of Solomon. It is farther evident from the text, that notwithstanding their expulsion from Palestine, they were still in great force on the borders, probably towards the south-east, as they are mentioned in conjunction with the Egyptians.—C.
7 Wherefore they arose and lfled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life.7
l Ps.53.5; 48.4-6. Pr.28.1. Job 15.21; 18.11.
7 Such panics, as they are called, have often occurred in armies. This is attributed directly to the Lord; but, if men saw aright, and acknowledged aright, all events, whether natural or supernatural, are alike under his guidance, and alike contribute to effect his purposes.—C.
8 And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and mhid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.
9 Then they nsaid one to another, We do not well: this day is a oday of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, psome mischief will come upon us:8 now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.
10 So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, qthere was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were.
q ver.6,7.
11 And he called the porters; and they told it to the king's house within.
12 And the king arose in the night, and said unto his rservants, I will now show 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.9
13 And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they are1 as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it; behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed,)2 and let us send and see.3
1 Heb. in it. They are as few and lean as ourselves.
2 There is considerable variety in the MSS. in recording this text, part of which is also wanting, both in the Septuagint and Syriac versions. But as we can discover no special difficulty in understanding the meaning of the text, so we can see little necessity in searching for a varied edition; and, unless where authority is paramount, are not disposed to receive emendations however plausible. Boothroyd translates it thus: 'Two of the five horses which remain—for, behold, they only remained of all the multitude that were in Israel unconsumed.' Dr. Clarke renders the last word 'fit for service.'—C.
3 The construction of this passage as it now stands is very difficult, and the meaning obscure. Many attempts appear to have been made both in ancient and modern times to modify the text; but they have not been successful. The various readings were probably occasioned by a desire to overcome the difficulty of interpretation. The sentence is somewhat prolix, but the meaning seems to be this: Let them take five horses of those that remain in the city. Behold, they are as all the rest of the Israelites which remain in it (i.e. their lot, even should they perish on the expedition, is no worse than that of those who are perishing in the city with famine); behold, they are as all the rest of Israel which perished (i.e. at the worst they shall but perish like the thousands that have perished already). The sending of the horses implies the sending of men with them; and to the men is the special reference made here. This explains the parallel drawn between them and the other Israelites.—P.
14 They took therefore two 4chariot 5horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.
4 Heb. chariots of horses.
5 We prefer the text here to the marginal translation, for certainly chariots would not suit the purpose of the spies so well as horses.—C.
15 And they went after them unto Jordan; and, lo, all the way was full of garments and svessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste: and the messengers returned, and told the king.
16 And the people went out, and tspoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel[≈ 11 g · 0.4 oz], and two measures of barley for a shekel[≈ 11 g · 0.4 oz], uaccording to the word of the LORD.
t Job 27.16,17. 2 Ch.20.25. Ps.68.12. Is.33.23.
u ver.1. Is.44.26. He.10.23. Nu.23.10. 1 Sa.15.29. 2 Ti.2.13. Tit.1.2.
17 And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.
18 And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, xsaying, Two measures of barley for a shekel[≈ 11 g · 0.4 oz], and a measure of fine flour for a shekel[≈ 11 g · 0.4 oz],6 shall be to-morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria:
x ver.1,2,16. Is.44.26.
6 About a peck of fine flour for 2s. 6d., and two pecks of barley for the same.—C.
19 And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
Notes
Reflections.—Remarkable relief is often near when there is no appearance of it. But sinners, and especially infidel courtiers, are bent to discredit and ridicule God's promises and purposes to their own ruin. Nothing more provokes God against men than an unbelieving contempt of his gifts and promises. But the terrors of God can soon make the stoutest to tremble, and to flee when no man pursueth, in order to work deliverance for his people. Hard necessity will compel men to the most dangerous adventures; and if God grant us relief, we ought to publish our mercies, that others may share with us in our comforts. But how terrible is their destruction who have contemned the promises of God! The means of deliverance to others prove ruinous to them. No human greatness or favour of kings can protect them from the arm of God; nay, nor even from being victims of popular rage. Stand in awe, my soul; always believe that it shall be unto thee as God hath said: for is there anything too hard for the Lord? In depths of distress cast thyself on his mercy. None perish that trust in him. Comfort others with the consolations wherewith thou art comforted of Christ. And God forbid that I should see the glories of redemption and yet never share thereof.
Measures in square brackets are modern equivalents added for this edition. They are not in the King James text or in Brown’s notes. They use common scholarly estimates: a cubit is about 45.7 cm (18 in), a shekel about 11.4 g (0.4 oz), an ephah about 22 litres. Money values give the worth of the silver or gold at spot prices on 28 October 2026, not what the sum would buy in the ancient world.