2 Kings 7:12

12 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 they have 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.'"

2 Kings 7:12 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 7:12

And the king arose in the night
Upon the report made to him:

and he said unto his servants, I will now show you what the Syrians
have done to us;
taking it to be a stratagem of theirs to decoy them:

they know that we be hungry;
and would be glad to come out of the city to get some food:

therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the
field;
to make us believe that they have broke up the siege, and have deserted the camp, and are gone, when they only lie in ambush:

saying, when they come out of the city;
which they supposed they would do through hunger:

we shall catch them alive;
take them captive at once:

and get into the city;
being open to let them out, and receive them on their return.

2 Kings 7:12 In-Context

10 So they came and called unto the gatekeepers 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."

11 And he called the gatekeepers, and they told it to the king's house within.

12 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 they have 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.'"

13 And one of his servants answered and said, "Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city -- behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it; behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites who are consumed -- and let us send and see."

14 They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, "Go and see."