2 Kings 7:8

8 Therefore when those leprous men had come to the beginning of the castles, or tents, they entered into one tabernacle, and ate, and drank; and they took from thence silver, and gold, and clothes; and went, and hid it; and again they turned again to another tabernacle, and in like manner they took away from thence, and hid. (And so when those lepers had come to the beginning of the tents, or of the camp, they went into one tent, and ate, and drank; and they took from there silver, and gold, and clothes; and went, and hid it; and then they turned to another tent, and in like manner they took away from there, and hid it all.)

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.


FOOTNOTES:

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

2 Kings 7:8 In-Context

6 Forsooth the Lord had made a sound of chariots, and of horses, and of a full much host to be heard in the tents of Syria; and they said together, Lo! the king of Israel hath hired by meed against us the kings of Hittites, and of Egyptians; and they came suddenly upon us. (For the Lord had made the sound of chariots, and of horses, and of a very large army to be heard among the tents, or in the camp, of the Syrians; and they had said together, Lo! the king of Israel hath hired for money the kings of the Hittites, and of the Egyptians, to come against us; and they have suddenly come upon us!)
7 Therefore they rose up, and fled in darkness, and left their tents, and their horses, and mules, and asses, in the castles (with the tents); and they fled, coveting to save their lives only. (And so they rose up, and fled away in the darkness, and left their tents, and their horses, and mules, and donkeys, with the tents, or in the camp; and they fled, desiring only to save their own lives.)
8 Therefore when those leprous men had come to the beginning of the castles, or tents, they entered into one tabernacle, and ate, and drank; and they took from thence silver, and gold, and clothes; and went, and hid it; and again they turned again to another tabernacle, and in like manner they took away from thence, and hid. (And so when those lepers had come to the beginning of the tents, or of the camp, they went into one tent, and ate, and drank; and they took from there silver, and gold, and clothes; and went, and hid it; and then they turned to another tent, and in like manner they took away from there, and hid it all.)
9 And they said together, We do not rightfully, for this is a day of good message; if we hold it still, and do not tell till the morrowtide, we shall be reproved of trespassing (if we keep it quiet, and do not tell anyone until the morning, we shall be blamed for not reporting it); come ye, go we, and tell it in the king's hall.
10 And when they had come to the gate of the city, they told to them, and said, We went to the castles of Syria (We went to the tents, or the camp, of the Syrians), and we found not any man there, but (all the) horses and asses tied (up), and [the] tents fastened (in place).
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.