2 Kings 7:3

The Syrians Flee

3 Now there were four men who were lepers^[a]¹at the entrance to the gate. And they said to one another, "Why are we sitting here until we die?

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2 Kings 7:3 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 7:3

And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate,
&c.] Of the city of Samaria; lepers, according to the law, being obliged to be without the city and camp, ( Leviticus 13:46 ) these might have a dwelling assigned them near the gate; or they might get as near to it as they could, partly to obtain relief from the city, and partly for fear of the Syrians; these, the Jews say ^F24, were Gehazi and his three sons, see ( 2 Kings 5:27 )

and they said one to another, why sit we here until we die?
being ready to perish with hunger.

FOOTNOTES:

F24 T. Bab. Sotah, fol. 47. 1. & Sanhedrin, fol. 107. 2.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

2 Kings 7:3 In-Context

1 But Elisha said, "Hear the word of the LORD: thus says the LORD, Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria."

2 Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, "If the LORD himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?" But he said, "You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it."

3 Now there were four men who were lepersat the entrance to the gate. And they said to one another, "Why are we sitting here until we die?

4 If we say, 'Let us enter the city,' the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare our lives we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die."

5 So they arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians. But when they came to the edge of the camp of the Syrians, behold, there was no one there.

Cross References 1

1. [Leviticus 13:46]

Footnotes 1

[a]. Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.