2 Kings 7:6

Verse

For the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel must have hired the kings of the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us.”

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

Bible in Basic English

For the Lord had made the sound of carriages and horses, and the noise of a great army, come to the ears of the Aramaeans, so that they said to one another, Truly, the king of Israel has got the kings of the Hittites and of the Egyptians for a price to make an attack on us.

Douay-Rheims 1899

For the Lord had made them hear, in the camp of Syria, the noise of chariots, and of horses, and of a very great army, and they said one to another: Behold the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hethites, and of the Egyptians, and they are come upon us.

Free Bible Version

For the Lord had made the Arameans hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a large army approaching, so they said to each other, “The king of Israel has hired the kings of the Hittites and Egyptians to come and attack us.”

Geneva Bible 1599

For the Lord had caused the campe of the Aramites to heare a noyse of charets and a noise of horses, and a noise of a great armie, so that they sayde one to another, Beholde, the King of Israel hath hired against vs the Kings of the Hittites, and the Kings of the Egyptians to come vpon vs.

King James (Authorized) Version

Translation for Translators

What had happened was that Yahweh had caused the army of Syria to hear something that sounded like a large army marching with chariots and horses. So they said to each other, “Listen! The king of Israel has hired the kings of Egypt and the Heth people-group and their armies, and they have come to attack us!”

Unlocked Literal Bible

For the Lord had made the Aramean army hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses—the noise of another large army, and they said to each other, “The king of Israel has hired the kings of the Hittites and Egyptians to come against us.”

Noah Webster Bible

For the LORD had made the army of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great army: 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.

World English Bible

For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians to hear the sound of chariots and the sound of horses, even the noise of a great army; and they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us.”

Young's Literal Translation

seeing Jehovah hath caused the camp of Aram to hear a noise of chariot and a noise of horse — a noise of great force, and they say one unto another, 'Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of Egypt, to come against us.'

Context

The Syrians Flee

⁵So they arose at twilight and went to the camp of the Arameans. But when they came to the outskirts of the camp, there was not a man to be found.⁶For the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel must have hired the kings of the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us.”

Summary

In 2 Kings 7:6, four men afflicted with leprosy take a bold step of faith by deciding to surrender themselves to the Aramean army, hoping for mercy or death. However, upon their arrival at the enemy camp, they find it deserted, with provisions left behind. This miraculous turn of events not only saves the men from starvation but also leads to the liberation of the entire city of Samaria from the siege. It serves as a powerful reminder of God's faithfulness and provision, demonstrating that He can bring about deliverance in unexpected ways and use the weak and marginalized to accomplish His purposes.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

The Lord had made the - Syrians to hear a noise - This threw them into confusion; they imagined that they were about to be attacked by powerful auxiliaries, which the king of Israel had hired against them.