Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die? New Living Translation Now there were four men with leprosy sitting at the entrance of the city gates. “Why should we sit here waiting to die?” they asked each other. English Standard Version Now there were four men who were lepers at the entrance to the gate. And they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die? Berean Standard Bible Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate, and they said to one another, “Why just sit here until we die? King James Bible And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? New King James Version Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die? New American Standard Bible Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die? NASB 1995 Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why do we sit here until we die? NASB 1977 Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why do we sit here until we die? Legacy Standard Bible Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why do we sit here until we die? Amplified Bible Now four men who were lepers were at the entrance of the [city’s] gate; and they said to one another, “Why should we sit here until we die? Christian Standard Bible Now four men with a skin disease were at the entrance to the city gate. They said to each other, “Why just sit here until we die? Holman Christian Standard Bible Four men with a skin disease were at the entrance to the gate. They said to each other, “Why just sit here until we die? American Standard Version Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? Contemporary English Version About the same time, four men with leprosy were just outside the gate of Samaria. They said to each other, "Why should we sit here, waiting to die? English Revised Version Now there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? GOD'S WORD® Translation Four men with skin diseases were at the entrance of the city gate. One of them asked, "Why are we sitting here waiting to die? Good News Translation Four men who were suffering from a dreaded skin disease were outside the gates of Samaria, and they said to each other, "Why should we wait here until we die? International Standard Version Now there happened to be four lepers who were at that very moment at the entrance to the city gate. As they were talking with one another, they said, "Why are we sitting here waiting to die? Majority Standard Bible Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate, and they said to one another, ?Why just sit here until we die? NET Bible Now four men with a skin disease were sitting at the entrance of the city gate. They said to one another, "Why are we just sitting here waiting to die? New Heart English Bible Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate. And they said to one another, "Why do we sit here until we die? Webster's Bible Translation And there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? World English Bible Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate. They said to one another, “Why do we sit here until we die? Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd four men have been leprous at the opening of the gate, and they say to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we have died? Young's Literal Translation And four men have been leprous, at the opening of the gate, and they say one unto another, 'What -- we are sitting here till we have died; Smith's Literal Translation And there were four men being leprous at the entrance of the gate, and they will say a man to his neighbor, What, shall we sit here till our death? Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleNow there were four lepers, at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another: What mean we to stay here till we die? Catholic Public Domain Version Now there were four lepers beside the entrance of the gate. And they said one to another: “Should we choose to stay here until we die? New American Bible At the city gate four lepers were asking one another, “Why should we sit here until we die? New Revised Standard Version Now there were four leprous men outside the city gate, who said to one another, “Why should we sit here until we die? Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleNow there were four leprous men sitting at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, Why do we sit here until we die? Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And four men who were lepers were sitting outside of the wall, and they said, each man to his fellow: “Why are we sitting here until we die? OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said one to another: 'Why sit we here until we die? Brenton Septuagint Translation And there were four leprous men by the gate of the city: and one said to his neighbour, Why sit we here until we die? Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Siege Lifted…2But the officer on whose arm the king leaned answered the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” replied Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it.” 3Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate, and they said to one another, “Why just sit here until we die? 4If we say, ‘Let us go into the city,’ we will die there from the famine in the city; but if we sit here, we will also die. So come now, let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they let us live, we will live; if they kill us, we will die.”… Cross References Leviticus 13:45-46 A diseased person must wear torn clothes and let his hair hang loose, and he must cover his mouth and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’ / As long as he has the infection, he remains unclean. He must live alone in a place outside the camp. Luke 17:12-14 As He entered one of the villages, He was met by ten lepers. They stood at a distance / and raised their voices, shouting, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” / When Jesus saw them, He said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were on their way, they were cleansed. Numbers 5:2-3 “Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone with a skin disease, anyone who has a bodily discharge, and anyone who is defiled by a dead body. / You must send away male and female alike; send them outside the camp so they will not defile their camp, where I dwell among them.” Matthew 8:2-4 Suddenly a leper came and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” / Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. / Then Jesus instructed him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift prescribed by Moses, as a testimony to them.” Leviticus 14:2-3 “This is the law for the one afflicted with a skin disease on the day of his cleansing, when he is brought to the priest. / The priest is to go outside the camp to examine him, and if the skin disease of the afflicted person has healed, Mark 1:40-42 Then a leper came to Jesus, begging on his knees: “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” / Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” / And immediately the leprosy left him, and the man was cleansed. Luke 5:12-14 While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell facedown and begged Him, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” / Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him. / “Do not tell anyone,” Jesus instructed him. “But go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering Moses prescribed for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” Numbers 12:10-15 As the cloud lifted from above the Tent, suddenly Miriam became leprous, white as snow. Aaron turned toward her, saw that she was leprous, / and said to Moses, “My lord, please do not hold against us this sin we have so foolishly committed. / Please do not let her be like a stillborn infant whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb.” ... 2 Chronicles 26:20-21 When Azariah the chief priest and all the priests turned to him and saw his leprous forehead, they rushed him out. Indeed, he himself hurried to get out, because the LORD had afflicted him. / So King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He lived in isolation, leprous and cut off from the house of the LORD, while his son Jotham had charge of the royal palace and governed the people of the land. Matthew 10:8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. Isaiah 1:6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head, there is no soundness—only wounds and welts and festering sores neither cleansed nor bandaged nor soothed with oil. Luke 4:27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet. Yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.” Deuteronomy 24:8-9 In cases of infectious skin diseases, be careful to diligently follow everything the Levitical priests instruct you. Be careful to do as I have commanded them. / Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam on the journey after you came out of Egypt. Matthew 11:5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 2 Kings 5:1 Now Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man in his master’s sight and highly regarded, for through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. And he was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. Treasury of Scripture And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? four leprous 2 Kings 5:1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. 2 Kings 8:4 And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done. Leviticus 13:46 All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be. Why 2 Kings 7:4 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: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die. Jeremiah 8:14 Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for the LORD our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD. Jeremiah 27:13 Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? Jump to Previous City Die Died Doorway Entering Entrance Four Gate Leprous Opening Seated Sit WaitingJump to Next City Die Died Doorway Entering Entrance Four Gate Leprous Opening Seated Sit Waiting2 Kings 7 1. Elisha prophesies incredible plenty in Samaria3. four lepers, venturing on the host of the Syrians, bring tidings of their flight 12. The king, finding by spies the news to be true, spoils the tents of the Syrians. 17. The lord who would not believe the prophecy of plenty is trampled in the press Now there were four men with leprosy The mention of "four men with leprosy" immediately sets the stage for a narrative of desperation and faith. In ancient Israel, leprosy was not only a physical ailment but also a social and spiritual stigma. The Hebrew term for leprosy, "tzara'ath," encompassed various skin diseases, and those afflicted were considered unclean, often isolated from the community (Leviticus 13-14). These men, therefore, represent the marginalized and outcast, yet God often uses the least expected individuals to fulfill His purposes. Their condition symbolizes humanity's spiritual leprosy—sin—and the need for divine intervention. at the entrance of the gate and they said to one another Why just sit here until we die? At the entering in of the gate.--And so outside of the city. (Comp. Leviticus 13:46; Numbers 5:2-3.) Rashi says they were Gehazi and his sons (!) Why sit we?--Or, Why are we abiding? Nobody brought them food any longer, owing to the pressure of the famine. Verses 3-16. - The mode in which Elisha's prophecy of relief and deliverance was fulfilled is now set forth. Four lepers, excluded from the city, and on the point of perishing of hunger, felt that they could be no worse off, and might better their condition, if they deserted to the Syrians. They therefore drew off from the city at nightfall, and made for the Syrian camp. On arriving, they found it deserted. The entire host, seized with a sudden panic, had fled, about the time that they began their journey. The lepers' first thought was to enrich themselves by plunder, but after a while it occurred to them that, unless they hastened to carry the good news to Samaria, inquiry would be made, their proceedings would be found out, and they would be severely punished. So they returned to the capital, and reported what they had discovered. Jehoram, on receiving the news, feared that the Syrians had prepared a trap for him, and declined to move. He consented, however, to send out scouts to reconnoiter. The scouts found evident proof that the entire army had actually fled and was gone, whereupon there was a general raid upon the camp and its stores, which were so abundant that Elisha's prophecy was fulfilled ere the day ended. Verse 3. - And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate; or, at the entrance to the gate-house. Lepers were forbidden by the Law to reside within cities (Leviticus 13:46; Numbers 5:3). They were thrust out when the disease developed itself, and forced to dwell without the walls. No doubt their friends within the city ordinarily supplied them with food; and hence they congregated about the city gates. And they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? In the extreme scarcity, it is probable that no food was brought to them, the inmates of the city having barely enough wherewith to sustain themselves (2 Kings 6:25). Thus they were on the point of perishing.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Now there were fourוְאַרְבָּעָ֧ה (wə·’ar·bā·‘āh) Conjunctive waw | Number - masculine singular Strong's 702: Four men אֲנָשִׁ֛ים (’ă·nā·šîm) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person with leprosy מְצֹרָעִ֖ים (mə·ṣō·rā·‘îm) Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine plural Strong's 6879: To be struck with leprosy, to be leprous at the entrance פֶּ֣תַח (pe·ṯaḥ) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 6607: An opening, door, entrance way to the gate, הַשָּׁ֑עַר (haš·šā·‘ar) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 8179: An opening, door, gate and they said וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ (way·yō·mə·rū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 559: To utter, say to אֶל־ (’el-) Preposition Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to one אִ֣ישׁ (’îš) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person another, רֵעֵ֔הוּ (rê·‘ê·hū) Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 7453: Friend, companion, fellow “Why מָ֗ה (māh) Interrogative Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what just sit יֹשְׁבִ֥ים (yō·šə·ḇîm) Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry here פֹּ֖ה (pōh) Adverb Strong's 6311: This place, here until עַד־ (‘aḏ-) Preposition Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while we die? מָֽתְנוּ׃ (mā·ṯə·nū) Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural Strong's 4191: To die, to kill Links 2 Kings 7:3 NIV2 Kings 7:3 NLT 2 Kings 7:3 ESV 2 Kings 7:3 NASB 2 Kings 7:3 KJV 2 Kings 7:3 BibleApps.com 2 Kings 7:3 Biblia Paralela 2 Kings 7:3 Chinese Bible 2 Kings 7:3 French Bible 2 Kings 7:3 Catholic Bible OT History: 2 Kings 7:3 Now there were four leprous men at (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg) |
    |