2 Kings 7:10

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, [there was] no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they [were].

So they came {H935} and called {H7121} unto the porter {H7778} of the city {H5892}: and they told {H5046} them, saying {H559}, We came {H935} to the camp {H4264} of the Syrians {H758}, and, behold, there was no man {H376} there, neither voice {H6963} of man {H120}, but horses {H5483} tied {H631}, and asses {H2543} tied {H631}, and the tents {H168} as they were.

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."

So they went and called out to the gatekeepers of the city, saying, “We went to the Aramean camp and no one was there—not a trace—only tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents were intact.”

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, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but the horses tied, and the asses tied, and the tents as they were.

Commentary

Context

This verse is a pivotal moment in the narrative of 2 Kings chapter 7, following a period of severe famine and siege in Samaria, the capital of Israel, by the Syrian army. The city was in a desperate state, with food scarcity so extreme that people resorted to unthinkable acts (2 Kings 6:25). The prophet Elisha had miraculously declared that within 24 hours, food would be plentiful. Our verse picks up with the four lepers, marginalized and facing certain death by starvation outside the city gates, deciding to risk approaching the Syrian camp (2 Kings 7:3-5).

Meaning of the Verse

Having ventured into the Syrian camp, the lepers found it utterly deserted. Verse 10 describes their astonished report back to the city's gatekeeper: "We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, [there was] no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they [were]." This discovery was the direct fulfillment of Elisha's prophecy and the result of God's miraculous intervention, as He caused the Syrians to hear a terrifying sound of chariots and horses, leading them to believe the King of Israel had hired the Hittite and Egyptian armies to attack them (2 Kings 7:6-7). The scene described by the lepers—abandoned animals and tents, but no human presence—emphasizes the suddenness and panic of the Syrian flight, leaving behind all their supplies and provisions.

Key Themes

  • Divine Deliverance: The verse vividly illustrates God's power to deliver His people from overwhelming odds without a single battle. His methods are often unexpected and profound.
  • Unexpected Instruments: God uses the most marginalized and overlooked individuals (the four lepers) to bring the good news of salvation and provision to a desperate city.
  • Fulfillment of Prophecy: The deserted camp directly confirms the word spoken by Elisha, reinforcing the reliability of God's prophetic declarations.
  • God's Provision: The abandoned camp, full of food and treasure, serves as a testament to God's abundant provision, turning scarcity into surplus overnight.

Linguistic Insights

The repeated phrase "no man there, neither voice of man" powerfully conveys the absolute desolation and silence of the once-bustling Syrian camp. This emphasizes the supernatural nature of their flight; it wasn't a strategic retreat but a panicked, complete abandonment. The presence of "horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they [were]" highlights the haste and terror that drove the Syrians away, leaving everything behind in their desperate escape.

Practical Application

This passage offers profound lessons for believers today:

  • Hope in Despair: Even in the direst circumstances, God can work a sudden and complete deliverance. We are reminded to look to God for solutions when all human hope seems lost.
  • God Uses the Unlikely: The story of the lepers reminds us that God often chooses the humble and unexpected to accomplish His purposes. Don't underestimate anyone's potential to be an instrument of God's grace.
  • Sharing Good News: Just as the lepers realized they couldn't keep such good news to themselves (2 Kings 7:9), believers are called to share the good news of God's salvation and provision with others.
  • Trusting God's Word: The immediate fulfillment of Elisha's prophecy encourages us to trust in God's promises, knowing that His word will always come to pass.
Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • 2 Samuel 18:26

    And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold [another] man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings.

  • Mark 13:34

    [For the Son of man is] as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

  • Mark 13:35

    Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:

  • 2 Kings 7:11

    And he called the porters; and they told [it] to the king's house within.

  • 2 Kings 7:6

    For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear 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, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.

  • 2 Kings 7:7

    Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it [was], and fled for their life.

  • Psalms 127:1

    ¶ A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh [but] in vain.
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