2 Kings 7:6

6 siquidem Dominus sonitum audiri fecerat in castris Syriae curruum et equorum et exercitus plurimi dixeruntque ad invicem ecce mercede conduxit adversum nos rex Israhel reges Hettheorum et Aegyptiorum et venerunt super nos

2 Kings 7:6 Meaning and Commentary

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,
&c.] Or of many armies, as the Targum; either in the air by the ministry of angels; or the Lord so wrought upon their imagination, that they fancied they heard such noises; or he caused such noises in their ears:

and they said one to another, lo, the king of Israel hath hired against
us the kings of the Hittites;
one of the nations of the Canaanites, and may be here put for the whole of those that remained, and who lived upon the borders of the land of Israel; though Josephus ^F25 has it, the kings of the isles; that is, of Chittim, see ( Jeremiah 2:10 )

and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us;
Egypt being now divided into petty kingdoms; or else the governors of the several nomes or districts of it are here meant: for the king of Israel to hire these kings was very unlikely in his present circumstances; but those unreasonable things, in their panic, their imaginations suggested to them.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 9. c. 4.) sect. 5.

2 Kings 7:6 In-Context

4 sive ingredi voluerimus civitatem fame moriemur sive manserimus hic moriendum nobis est venite igitur et transfugiamus ad castra Syriae si pepercerint nobis vivemus si autem occidere voluerint nihilominus moriemur

5 surrexerunt igitur vesperi ut venirent ad castra Syriae cumque venissent ad principium castrorum Syriae nullum ibidem reppererunt

6 siquidem Dominus sonitum audiri fecerat in castris Syriae curruum et equorum et exercitus plurimi dixeruntque ad invicem ecce mercede conduxit adversum nos rex Israhel reges Hettheorum et Aegyptiorum et venerunt super nos

7 surrexerunt ergo et fugerunt in tenebris et dereliquerunt tentoria sua et equos et asinos in castris fugeruntque animas tantum suas salvare cupientes

8 igitur cum venissent leprosi illi ad principium castrorum ingressi sunt unum tabernaculum et comederunt et biberunt tuleruntque inde argentum et aurum et vestes et abierunt et absconderunt et rursum reversi sunt ad aliud tabernaculum et inde similiter auferentes absconderunt