2 Kings 7:12

KJV

¶ And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we [be] hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.

KJV (with Strong's)

And the king {H4428} arose {H6965} in the night {H3915}, and said {H559} unto his servants {H5650}, I will now shew {H5046} you what the Syrians {H758} have done {H6213} to us. They know {H3045} that we be hungry {H7457}; therefore are they gone out {H3318} of the camp {H4264} to hide {H2247} themselves in the field {H7704}, saying {H559}, When they come out {H3318} of the city {H5892}, we shall catch {H8610} them alive {H2416}, and get {H935} into the city {H5892}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Then the king got up in the night; he said to his servants, "I'll tell you what Aram has done to us. They know that we're hungry, so they've gone outside the camp and hidden in the countryside, saying, 'When they come out of the city, we'll take them alive and then get inside the city.'"

Berean Standard Bible

So the king got up in the night and said to his servants, “Let me tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving, so they have left the camp to hide in the field, thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we will take them alive and enter the city.’”

American Standard Version

And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now show you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall take them alive, and get into the city.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Second Kings 7:12 captures King Joram's immediate, fear-driven reaction to the news of the Aramean army's sudden abandonment of their siege camp outside Samaria. Plagued by the city's extreme famine and his own deep-seated suspicion, the king, rather than recognizing divine intervention, interprets the enemy's departure as a cunning military ruse. He surmises that the Arameans, aware of Samaria's desperate hunger, have merely hidden themselves in the fields, intending to ambush the starving Israelites who would inevitably rush out for provisions, thereby capturing them and seizing the city with ease.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is a crucial turning point within the broader narrative of the Aramean siege of Samaria, detailed in [2 Kings 6](/2_kings/6 "2 Kings 6 - Siege of Samaria and Elisha's Ministry") and [2 Kings 7](/2_kings/7 "2 Kings 7 - Deliverance of Samaria"). The preceding chapter graphically depicts the horrific famine, including instances of [cannibalism](/2_kings/6-29 "2 Kings 6:29 - The Horrors of Famine"). The narrative then shifts to the prophet Elisha's audacious prophecy in [2 Kings 7:1](/2_kings/7-1 "2 Kings 7:1 - Elisha's Prophecy of Abundance") that within 24 hours, food would be incredibly cheap and abundant. The miraculous fulfillment begins when four desperate lepers, venturing outside the city, discover the deserted Aramean camp, laden with provisions ([2 Kings 7:3-8](/2_kings/7-3 "2 Kings 7:3-8 - The Lepers Discover the Deserted Camp")). They realize that the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of a vast army, prompting their panicked flight ([2 Kings 7:6](/2_kings/7-6 "2 Kings 7:6 - The Lord Causes the Arameans to Flee")). Verse 12 immediately follows the lepers' report to the city gatekeepers, marking the king's initial, human-centric response to this astonishing news, contrasting sharply with the divine reality.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The setting is ancient Israel during a period of frequent conflict with its northern neighbor, Aram (Syria). Siege warfare was a brutal and common tactic of the era, designed to starve a city into submission. Such sieges often led to extreme deprivation, as vividly portrayed in [2 Kings 6:25](/2_kings/6-25 "2 Kings 6:25 - Dire Famine in Samaria"). Kings were military leaders, and their primary responsibility was the defense of their cities and people. Military deception, such as feigned retreats to draw out and ambush an enemy, was a well-known and effective tactic in ancient warfare. King Joram's suspicion, therefore, is rooted in the harsh realities of ancient military strategy and the psychological toll of prolonged suffering and starvation, making his interpretation, from a purely human perspective, entirely plausible.

* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully highlights several overarching themes. Firstly, it underscores the **contrast between human doubt and divine providence**. King Joram's inability to conceive of a genuine, miraculous deliverance stands in stark opposition to the Lord's unconventional and complete intervention. Secondly, it explores the **nature of fear and suspicion**, demonstrating how prolonged suffering and a history of conflict can cloud judgment, leading even positive news to be misinterpreted as a threat. The king's reasoning is a testament to the psychological impact of trauma. Thirdly, the passage implicitly emphasizes **God's unconventional methods of deliverance**. The Lord's chosen means—causing a sound to be heard, leading to a panicked, unpursued flight—defies conventional military logic, thereby magnifying His power and demonstrating that His ways are not man's ways, as seen in [Isaiah 55:8-9](/isaiah/55-8 "Isaiah 55:8-9 - God's Thoughts and Ways are Higher").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **arose (Hebrew, _qûm_):** This verb signifies a decisive and immediate action, often implying readiness or resolve. Here, it highlights King Joram's swift response to the news, driven by a sense of urgency and the need to assert control in a desperate situation. His rising "in the night" further emphasizes the critical nature of the moment and his sleepless anxiety.
* **hungry (Hebrew, _ra'eb_):** This word describes the extreme state of starvation within Samaria, a condition so severe it led to cannibalism. For King Joram, the city's pervasive hunger is not just a physical reality but the very leverage he believes the Arameans are exploiting. It underscores the desperation that would compel the Israelites to rush out, making them vulnerable to the imagined ambush.
* **hide themselves (Hebrew, _chaba'_):** This verb denotes concealment, often with an intent to ambush or deceive. The king's use of this word reveals his interpretation of the Arameans' actions: he doesn't see a retreat but a deliberate, strategic maneuver to draw out the starving Israelites. It paints a picture of a calculated trap, a classic military ruse designed to exploit the enemy's weakness.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants":** This opening clause establishes the immediate, urgent setting. The king's action of rising "in the night" conveys his deep anxiety and the pressing nature of the crisis. He immediately convenes his inner circle, indicating his need for counsel and his intention to address the situation decisively.
* **"I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us.":** Joram presents his interpretation as a shrewd insight, a revelation of the enemy's true, cunning intentions. He believes he has unraveled a sophisticated plot, demonstrating his military acumen and attempting to assert authority and understanding in a chaotic situation.
* **"They know that we [be] hungry;":** This is the core premise of Joram's suspicion. He correctly identifies Samaria's dire hunger but incorrectly assumes the Arameans are aware of it and are exploiting it as a strategic weakness. This highlights the psychological impact of the siege, where the city's suffering becomes a perceived vulnerability.
* **"therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.":** This final, lengthy clause details the king's imagined ruse. He envisions a feigned retreat, with the Arameans lying in wait in the fields. Their supposed objective is to ambush the starving Israelites rushing out for food, capture them, and then easily seize the now-defenseless city. This reveals Joram's complete inability to comprehend a genuine, miraculous deliverance, instead defaulting to a cynical, human-centric military explanation.

#### Literary Devices
The primary literary device at play in [2 Kings 7:12](/2_kings/7-12 "2 Kings 7:12 - King Joram's Suspicion") is **Dramatic Irony**. The audience, having just read [2 Kings 7:6-8](/2_kings/7-6 "2 Kings 7:6-8 - The Lord Causes the Arameans to Flee"), knows the true reason for the Arameans' flight: the Lord caused them to hear the sound of a great army, leading to a panicked, divinely orchestrated retreat. King Joram, however, is completely unaware of this divine intervention. His elaborate explanation of a military ruse, while logical from a human perspective, is tragically mistaken. This creates a powerful tension between the king's limited, fear-driven understanding and the expansive, miraculous reality of God's deliverance. The irony underscores the theme of human doubt versus divine providence, highlighting how human reasoning, even when seemingly astute, can fail to grasp the supernatural workings of God.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
King Joram's profound suspicion in [2 Kings 7:12](/2_kings/7-12 "2 Kings 7:12 - King Joram's Suspicion") serves as a poignant theological commentary on the human tendency to doubt divine provision, especially when it arrives in unexpected or unconventional ways. Faced with an astonishing turn of events—the sudden, inexplicable disappearance of a besieging army—the king's mind immediately defaults to a cynical, fear-driven explanation rooted in human cunning and military strategy. He cannot fathom a genuine, miraculous deliverance, instead seeing a trap. This highlights how our past traumas, present anxieties, and reliance on worldly logic can blind us to God's hand at work, even when His blessings are manifest. It underscores the spiritual battle between trusting in God's unseen power and relying on visible, often flawed, human understanding. The narrative implicitly critiques a faith that is too limited to embrace the truly miraculous.

* [Psalm 14:1](/psalm/14-1 "Psalm 14:1 - The Fool Says There Is No God")
* [Proverbs 3:5-6](/proverbs/3-5 "Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart")
* [Isaiah 55:8-9](/isaiah/55-8 "Isaiah 55:8-9 - God's Thoughts and Ways are Higher")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
King Joram's reaction in [2 Kings 7:12](/2_kings/7-12 "2 Kings 7:12 - King Joram's Suspicion") offers a profound mirror for our own lives. How often do we, like the king, allow our past hurts, our present anxieties, or our ingrained skepticism to prevent us from recognizing and embracing God's miraculous provision? When unexpected relief comes, or a seemingly impossible situation resolves itself, do we immediately suspect a "trap" or a hidden agenda, or do we have the faith to discern the hand of a loving, sovereign God at work? This passage challenges us to cultivate a posture of trust, even when circumstances defy our logical explanations or conventional expectations. It calls us to remember that God's ways are higher than our ways, and His deliverance often comes in forms we least anticipate, requiring us to look beyond the immediate appearances and embrace the unseen reality of His power and goodness.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of my life am I prone to King Joram's kind of suspicion, doubting God's provision or good intentions when circumstances are unexpected?**
* **How do past negative experiences or prolonged periods of difficulty influence my ability to trust God for a breakthrough?**
* **What practical steps can I take to cultivate a greater sense of trust in God's unconventional methods of deliverance?**

### FAQ
**Why was King Joram so suspicious of the Arameans' departure?**

Answer: King Joram's suspicion stemmed from several factors. Firstly, the city of Samaria was enduring an extreme famine, a desperate situation that had led to horrific acts like [cannibalism](/2_kings/6-29 "2 Kings 6:29 - The Horrors of Famine"). This prolonged suffering and dire need created a mindset of fear and distrust. Secondly, in ancient warfare, a feigned retreat was a known and effective military tactic to draw out a weakened enemy for ambush. From a purely human and military perspective, the king's reasoning was logical: the Arameans, knowing Israel's hunger, would exploit it to lure them out, capture them, and then easily seize the city. His suspicion highlights his reliance on human strategy and his inability to perceive or believe in divine intervention, despite the prophet Elisha's earlier prophecy of abundance in [2 Kings 7:1](/2_kings/7-1 "2 Kings 7:1 - Elisha's Prophecy of Abundance"). He simply could not fathom a genuine, miraculous deliverance.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
King Joram's suspicion in [2 Kings 7:12](/2_kings/7-12 "2 Kings 7:12 - King Joram's Suspicion") foreshadows the human tendency to misunderstand and reject God's ultimate, unconventional deliverance through Christ. Just as Joram could not conceive of a genuine, miraculous retreat by the Arameans, humanity often struggles to grasp the true nature of God's salvation. The cross, to human eyes, appeared to be a defeat, a trap, or a sign of weakness, much like Joram perceived the deserted camp as a ruse. Yet, it was precisely through this apparent defeat that God accomplished His greatest victory, as [1 Corinthians 1:18](/1_corinthians/1-18 "1 Corinthians 1:18 - The Message of the Cross") declares the "foolishness of the cross" is the power of God. Jesus, the true Lamb of God, was "caught alive" by His enemies, but His capture and death were not a victory for them, but the very means by which He disarmed the spiritual powers and triumphed over sin and death ([Colossians 2:15](/colossians/2-15 "Colossians 2:15 - Triumph Over Principalities and Powers")). The "city" that Christ sought to enter was not a physical one, but the hearts of humanity, liberating them from the siege of sin and offering abundant, eternal life—a spiritual feast far greater than the physical abundance found in the deserted Aramean camp ([John 6:35](/john/6-35 "John 6:35 - Jesus, the Bread of Life")).

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 Kings 6:25

And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was [sold] for fourscore [pieces] of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five [pieces] of silver.

2 Kings 6:29

So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.

Joshua 8:4

And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, [even] behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready: