2 Kings 7:8

8 When these men with tzara'at reached the outskirts of the camp, they entered one of the tents, ate and drank; then took some silver, gold and clothing; and went and hid it. Next they returned and entered another tent, took stuff from there, and went and hid it.

2 Kings 7:8 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 7:8

And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp,
they went into one tent
The first they came to:

and did eat and drink;
which was the first thing they did, being hungry, and almost starved:

and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it;
in a place without the camp, where they thought it would be safe, and where they could come at it again:

and came again and entered into another tent, and carried thence also,
and went and hid it;
this, Josephus says ^F26, they did four times.

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 9. c. 4.) sect. 5.

2 Kings 7:8 In-Context

6 For ADONAI had caused the army of Aram to hear the sound of chariots and horses; it sounded like a huge army; and they said to each other, "The king of Isra'el must have hired the kings of the Hitti and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us."

7 So they jumped up and fled in the twilight, leaving their tents, horses, donkeys and the whole camp just as it was, and ran for their lives.

8 When these men with tzara'at reached the outskirts of the camp, they entered one of the tents, ate and drank; then took some silver, gold and clothing; and went and hid it. Next they returned and entered another tent, took stuff from there, and went and hid it.

9 But finally they said to each other, "What we are doing is wrong. At a time of good news like this, we shouldn't keep it to ourselves. If we wait even till morning, we will earn only punishment; so come on, let's go and tell the king's household."

10 So they came and shouted to the gatekeepers of the city and told them the news: "We went to the camp of Aram, and no one was there, no human voice - just the horses and donkeys tied up, and the tents left in place."