2 Kings 7:10

KJV

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].

KJV (with Strong's)

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.

Complete Jewish Bible

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."

Berean Standard Bible

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.”

American Standard Version

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

### SUMMARY
Second Kings 7:10 narrates the pivotal moment when four desperate lepers, having ventured beyond Samaria's besieged walls, report their astonishing discovery to the city's gatekeeper: the entire Syrian siege camp has been miraculously abandoned. They found no human presence, only tethered animals and undisturbed tents, clear evidence of a sudden and panicked flight. This verse serves as the immediate and dramatic fulfillment of Elisha's prophecy, signaling God's unexpected and complete deliverance for a starving and desperate Israel.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse marks the crucial turning point in the narrative of [2 Kings 7](/2_kings/7 "2 Kings 7 - The Deliverance of Samaria"), following a period of extreme famine and despair in Samaria. It directly follows the prophet Elisha's seemingly impossible prophecy of abundant food within twenty-four hours, delivered amidst the king's profound hopelessness ([2 Kings 7:1](/2_kings/7-1 "2 Kings 7:1 - Elisha's Prophecy")). The preceding verses detail the desperate decision of four lepers, facing certain death by starvation, to surrender to the Syrian army ([2 Kings 7:3-5](/2_kings/7-3 "2 Kings 7:3-5 - The Lepers' Desperate Plan")). Their subsequent discovery of the deserted camp ([2 Kings 7:8](/2_kings/7-8 "2 Kings 7:8 - The Lepers Discover the Deserted Camp")) and their realization of the moral imperative to share this life-saving news with the city ([2 Kings 7:9](/2_kings/7-9 "2 Kings 7:9 - The Lepers' Realization")) directly sets the stage for their report in [2 Kings 7:10](/2_kings/7-10 "2 Kings 7:10 - The Lepers' Report"). This announcement initiates the city's deliverance and validates the divine authority of Elisha's prophetic word, shifting the narrative from utter despair to miraculous provision.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, was enduring a severe and prolonged siege by the Aramean (Syrian) army under King Ben-hadad. Sieges were a common and brutal form of ancient warfare, designed to cut off supplies and starve a city into submission. The famine within Samaria had reached horrific levels, leading to acts of cannibalism, as graphically depicted in [2 Kings 6:25-29](/2_kings/6-25 "2 Kings 6:25-29 - The Horrors of the Siege"). According to Mosaic Law, lepers were considered ritually unclean and were compelled to live outside the city gates, ostracized from society and unable to participate in communal life ([Leviticus 13:46](/leviticus/13-46 "Leviticus 13:46 - Law for Lepers")). Their decision to approach the Syrian camp was not an act of courage but one of utter desperation; they faced certain death by starvation if they remained outside Samaria and a slim chance of survival if they surrendered to the enemy. This dire context profoundly underscores the irony and magnitude of God's intervention, as He chose the most marginalized and hopeless individuals to be the unexpected bearers of salvation for the entire city.

* **Key Themes:** [2 Kings 7:10](/2_kings/7-10 "2 Kings 7:10 - The Lepers' Report") powerfully encapsulates several core themes. Foremost is **Divine Deliverance**, showcasing God's unparalleled power to rescue His people from seemingly impossible situations through extraordinary and often counter-intuitive means. It vividly illustrates **God's Sovereignty** over nations, armies, and even the laws of nature, demonstrating His ability to cause a massive, formidable army to flee in terror without a single battle, simply by creating a sound ([2 Kings 7:6-7](/2_kings/7-6 "2 Kings 7:6-7 - God Causes the Syrians to Flee")). The narrative also highlights the theme of **Unexpected Instruments**, as God deliberately chooses four outcast lepers, rather than the king's military or political advisors, to convey the news of salvation. Finally, it underscores the unfailing **Fulfillment of Prophecy**, as Elisha's bold declaration of abundant provision is immediately and spectacularly validated, reinforcing the absolute reliability and trustworthiness of God's spoken word.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Porter (Hebrew, _shôwʻêr'_):** This term (H7778) refers to the gatekeeper or janitor, the official responsible for guarding the city entrance, controlling access, and receiving reports. The lepers' immediate action to report to the porter highlights the urgency and official nature of their discovery. The porter serves as the crucial intermediary, the first point of contact between the desperate, starving city and the miraculous news waiting outside its walls, symbolizing the opening of a closed and hopeless situation.
* **Man (Hebrew, _ʼîysh'_):** The repetition of "no man there, neither voice of man" (H376 for 'man', H6963 for 'voice') is a powerful rhetorical device emphasizing the absolute desolation and supernatural emptiness of the camp. The term _ʼîysh_ denotes an individual human being. Its absence, coupled with the lack of any human sound, signifies a complete and total abandonment, not merely a strategic withdrawal. This detail highlights the panic and haste of the Syrian flight, orchestrated entirely by God's unseen hand.
* **Tied (Hebrew, _ʼâçar'_):** The description of "horses tied, and asses tied" (H631) is a crucial detail. This word means to yoke, hitch, or fasten. The fact that the animals were left tethered, rather than unhitched or released, implies an incredibly sudden and terror-stricken flight. The Syrians fled so quickly that they did not even take the time to untie their most valuable assets for transport and supplies, further emphasizing the supernatural terror that gripped them and the completeness of their rout.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"So they came and called unto the porter of the city:"** Having realized the immense significance of their discovery and their moral obligation to share the good news, the lepers return to the city gate. Their act of "calling unto the porter" signifies their attempt to communicate with the official channels of the city, despite their outcast status and the physical barrier of the gate. This is the crucial first step in bringing the news of deliverance to the beleaguered city of Samaria.
* **"and they told them, saying,"** This phrase indicates the direct and immediate communication of their astonishing findings. The lepers, once marginalized and unheard, now stand as the unexpected, eyewitness messengers of hope and salvation to a city on the brink of collapse. Their testimony is direct, urgent, and carries the weight of their desperate journey.
* **"We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, [there was] no man there, neither voice of man,"** This is the core of their report, a statement of profound surprise and supernatural reality. The interjection "behold" (Hebrew, _hinneh_) emphasizes the shocking and unexpected nature of their discovery. The absolute absence of human life or even a sound in what was previously a bustling and threatening enemy camp underscores the miraculous nature of the Syrian flight, orchestrated entirely by God's unseen hand, demonstrating His power to dismantle a formidable foe without human intervention.
* **"but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they [were]."** This final clause provides the concrete, irrefutable evidence of the Syrians' panicked flight. The undisturbed tents and the tethered animals confirm that the departure was not a planned retreat but a sudden, terror-induced abandonment of all their possessions, including their vital transport animals and supplies. This vivid detail powerfully portrays the completeness of God's intervention and the abundance of provision now available to the starving city, transforming scarcity into immediate surplus.

#### Literary Devices
The passage masterfully employs several literary devices to heighten its impact and convey its theological message. **Irony** is profoundly prominent, as the four lepers, the most marginalized, ritually unclean, and hopeless individuals in Israelite society, become the unexpected bearers of the most vital and life-saving news for the entire city. This stands in stark contrast to the king's despair and the city's utter hopelessness. There is also significant **Dramatic Irony**, as the reader is privy to the divine cause of the Syrian flight from [2 Kings 7:6-7](/2_kings/7-6 "2 Kings 7:6-7 - God's Supernatural Intervention"), yet the lepers and the city initially only grasp the inexplicable reality of the deserted camp. The vivid **Imagery** of "horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they [were]" paints a powerful and immediate picture of sudden, panicked abandonment, emphasizing the supernatural terror that gripped the Syrian army. This stark **Contrast** between the previously bustling, threatening enemy camp and its current silent, deserted state underscores the magnitude and completeness of God's miraculous intervention.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse powerfully illustrates God's sovereign power to deliver His people from overwhelming odds, often through the most unexpected means and instruments. It stands as a profound testament to divine intervention, where God's unseen hand accomplishes what human strength, military strategy, or political maneuvering never could. The lepers, outcast and desperate, become the unlikely heralds of good news, demonstrating God's consistent pattern of using the humble, the overlooked, and the weak to achieve His grand purposes and confound the wise. Their report not only confirms the physical reality of the abandoned camp but also the absolute reliability of God's prophetic word spoken through Elisha, reinforcing faith in His promises even when circumstances seem utterly dire. The abandoned camp, overflowing with provisions, symbolizes God's abundant and immediate provision, turning scarcity into surplus overnight for His faithful, though despairing, people.

* [Psalm 34:6](/psalm/34-6 "Psalm 34:6 - The Cry of the Afflicted")
* [Isaiah 55:8-9](/isaiah/55-8-9 "Isaiah 55:8-9 - God's Thoughts and Ways")
* [1 Corinthians 1:27-29](/1_corinthians/1-27-29 "1 Corinthians 1:27-27 - God Chooses the Foolish")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The account in 2 Kings 7:10 serves as a profound and enduring reminder that even in our deepest despair, most seemingly insurmountable challenges, or most desperate circumstances, God is capable of orchestrating sudden, complete, and miraculous deliverance. Just as the lepers, facing certain death, stumbled upon the unexpected and abundant provision of God, we are called to look beyond our immediate, limited circumstances and trust in His unfathomable ways and sovereign power. This narrative encourages us to cultivate an openness to God using unconventional means, unexpected people, and surprising turns of events to bring about His perfect will. Furthermore, it challenges us to consider our own response when we encounter "good news"—whether it's a spiritual truth, a personal breakthrough, or a profound blessing from God. Like the lepers, who realized they could not keep such life-changing information to themselves, believers are compelled by both gratitude and divine commission to share the hope, provision, and salvation found in God with a world that often feels besieged by its own forms of famine, despair, and spiritual emptiness.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **When have you experienced a "sudden deliverance" from God in a seemingly impossible situation, and what did that teach you about His character?**
* **How does the story of the lepers challenge your assumptions about who God chooses to use as His instruments to accomplish His purposes?**
* **What "good news" has God entrusted you with—whether a personal testimony or the Gospel message—that you might be hesitant to share, and what motivates you to overcome that hesitation?**
* **How does this account of God's abundant and unexpected provision encourage your trust in His faithfulness to meet your needs in your own life?**

### FAQ
**Why did the Syrians flee so suddenly, leaving everything behind?**

Answer: The biblical text in [2 Kings 7:6-7](/2_kings/7-6 "2 Kings 7:6-7 - God's Supernatural Intervention") explicitly states that "the Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host." This was not a natural sound but a supernatural, divinely orchestrated deception. God caused the Syrians to perceive the sound of a massive, approaching army, leading them to believe that the King of Israel had hired the powerful armies of the Hittites and the Egyptians to attack them. Overwhelmed by terror and convinced they were about to be ambushed by an overwhelming coalition, they fled for their lives in a panicked, headlong retreat, abandoning all their possessions, including their tethered animals, their gold, silver, and clothing, and the entire contents of their tents. Their flight was not a strategic withdrawal but a divinely induced rout, demonstrating God's power to dismantle a formidable enemy without a single sword being drawn by Israel.

**What is the significance of the lepers being the ones to discover the deserted camp?**

Answer: The fact that four lepers, the most marginalized, ritually unclean, and despised members of Israelite society who were forced to live outside the city gates ([Leviticus 13:46](/leviticus/13-46 "Leviticus 13:46 - Law for Lepers")), were the first to discover the deserted camp is profoundly significant. It powerfully highlights God's sovereign choice to use the humble, the outcast, and the unexpected to accomplish His purposes and bring salvation. It demonstrates that God's power is not limited by human status, societal perception, or perceived weakness. Their desperate act of seeking food led them to be the unwitting instruments of God's miraculous deliverance for the entire city. This underscores a recurring biblical theme that God often works through the weak, the foolish, and the lowly to confound the wise and mighty ([1 Corinthians 1:27-29](/1_corinthians/1-27-29 "1 Corinthians 1:27-29 - God Chooses the Foolish")), ensuring that the glory belongs to Him alone.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The narrative of 2 Kings 7:10, with its profound themes of divine deliverance, unexpected messengers, and abundant provision, finds its ultimate and most glorious Christ-centered fulfillment. Just as God supernaturally delivered Samaria from a physical siege and a devastating famine, Christ offers humanity ultimate deliverance from the spiritual siege of sin and death, providing not just sustenance but abundant and eternal spiritual life ([John 10:10](/john/10-10 "John 10:10 - Jesus Gives Abundant Life")). The lepers, outcasts of society, became the unlikely bearers of life-saving good news to a desperate city; similarly, Jesus Christ came not for the healthy or the self-righteous but for the sick, the lost, and the marginalized, proclaiming good news to the poor, liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind ([Luke 4:18](/luke/4-18 "Luke 4:18 - Jesus Proclaims His Mission")). He deliberately chose humble fishermen, tax collectors, and even former persecutors to spread the life-giving message of the Gospel, demonstrating that God's power is perfected in weakness and that His grace is sufficient ([2 Corinthians 12:9](/2_corinthians/12-9 "2 Corinthians 12:9 - God's Grace is Sufficient")). The deserted Syrian camp, overflowing with provisions, vividly foreshadows the lavish spiritual feast and eternal inheritance available through Christ, who is the true bread of life that came down from heaven ([John 6:35](/john/6-35 "John 6:35 - Jesus, the Bread of Life")) and the ultimate fulfillment of all God's promises, bringing an end to spiritual famine and ushering in an era of grace and truth. The lepers' imperative to share the good news they discovered ([2 Kings 7:9](/2_kings/7-9 "2 Kings 7:9 - The Lepers' Realization")) also powerfully prefigures the Great Commission, where believers are called to share the good news of Christ's salvation with all nations, making disciples and proclaiming His victory over sin and death ([Matthew 28:19-20](/matthew/28-19-20 "Matthew 28:19-20 - The Great Commission")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI 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.