2 Kingschapter 7

A.Fine flour for a shekel tomorrow — and a captain who scoffsvv. 1-2

1 Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD! This is what the LORD says: ‘About this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria, a seah of fine flour will sell for a shekel, and two seahs of barley will sell for a shekel.’” 2 But the officer on whose arm the king leaned answered the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” replied Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it.”

B.Four lepers find an empty camp and stop hoardingvv. 3-11

3 Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate, and they said to one another, “Why just sit here until we die? 4 If we say, ‘Let us go into the city,’ we will die there from the famine in the city; but if we sit here, we will also die. So come now, let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they let us live, we will live; if they kill us, we will die.” 5 So 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. 6 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.” 7 Thus the Arameans had arisen and fled at twilight, abandoning their tents and horses and donkeys. The camp was intact, and they had run for their lives. 8 When the lepers reached the edge of the camp, they went into a tent to eat and drink. Then they carried off the silver, gold, and clothing, and went and hid them. On returning, they entered another tent, carried off some items from there, and hid them. 9 Finally, they said to one another, “We are not doing what is right. Today is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until morning light, our sin will overtake us. Now, therefore, let us go and tell the king’s household.” 10 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.” 11 The gatekeepers shouted the news, and it was reported to the king’s household.

C.The gate is trampled and the word comes truevv. 12-16

12 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.’” 13 But one of his servants replied, “Please, have scouts take five of the horses that remain in the city. Their plight will be no worse than all the Israelites who are left here. You can see that all the Israelites here are doomed. So let us send them and find out.” 14 Then the scouts took two chariots with horses, and the king sent them after the Aramean army, saying, “Go and see.” 15 And they tracked them as far as the Jordan, and indeed, the whole way was littered with the clothing and equipment the Arameans had thrown off in haste. So the scouts returned and told the king. 16 Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. It was then that a seah of fine flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley sold for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.

D.Thou shalt see it, but shalt not eat thereofvv. 17-20

17 Now the king had appointed the officer on whose arm he leaned to be in charge of the gate, but the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died, just as the man of God had foretold when the king had come to him. 18 It happened just as the man of God had told the king: “About this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria, two seahs of barley will sell for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour will sell for a shekel.” 19 And the officer had answered the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?” So Elisha had replied, “You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!” 20 And that is just what happened to him. The people trampled him in the gateway, and he died.

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Chapter summary

Elisha answers the famine with a price list for tomorrow: fine flour a shekel a measure, barley two measures a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.

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Elisha answers the famine with a price list for tomorrow: fine flour a shekel a measure, barley two measures a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. The captain on whose hand the king leans scoffs about windows in heaven, and is told he will see it and not eat of it. That night four lepers at the gate reason that they will die either way, walk into the Syrian camp at twilight, and find it empty. The Lord had made the host hear chariots. They eat and hide spoil, then stop themselves: 'this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace.' Every word comes true, and the scoffing captain is trodden down in the gate.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament.

Context

History · Jeremiah — 2 Kings overview

A. 1–2 Fine flour for a shekel tomorrow — and a captain who scoffs
B. 3–11 Four lepers find an empty camp and stop hoarding
C. 12–16 The gate is trampled and the word comes true
D. 17–20 Thou shalt see it, but shalt not eat thereof

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

2 Kings 74 verses
- 2 Kings 7:1Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD! This is what the LORD says: ‘About this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria, a seah of fine flour will sell for a shekel, and two seahs of barley will sell for a shekel.’”
- 2 Kings 7:2But the officer on whose arm the king leaned answered the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” replied Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it.”
- 2 Kings 7:4If we say, ‘Let us go into the city,’ we will die there from the famine in the city; but if we sit here, we will also die. So come now, let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they let us live, we will live; if they kill us, we will die.”
- 2 Kings 7:6For 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.”
- Read 2 Kings 7 →
2 Kings 63 verses
- 2 Kings 6:25So there was a great famine in Samaria. Indeed, they besieged the city so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter cab of dove’s dung sold for five shekels of silver.
- 2 Kings 6:32Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door to keep him out. Is not the sound of his master’s footsteps behind him?”
- 2 Kings 6:33While Elisha was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, “This calamity is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?”
- Read 2 Kings 6 →
Genesis 182 verses
- Genesis 18:12So she laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?”
- Genesis 18:14Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.”
- Read Genesis 18 →
Isaiah 332 verses
- Isaiah 33:4Your spoil, O nations, is gathered as by locusts; like a swarm of locusts men sweep over it.
- Isaiah 33:23Your ropes are slack; they cannot secure the mast or spread the sail. Then an abundance of spoils will be divided, and even the lame will carry off plunder.
- Read Isaiah 33 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Jeremiah 141 verse
- Jeremiah 14:18If I go out to the country, I see those slain by the sword; if I enter the city, I see those ravaged by famine! For both prophet and priest travel to a land they do not know.’”
- Read Jeremiah 14 →
Joshua 31 verse
- Joshua 3:5Then Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”
- Read Joshua 3 →
Exodus 161 verse
- Exodus 16:12“I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.’”
- Read Exodus 16 →
Ezekiel 371 verse
- Ezekiel 37:4And He said to me, “Prophesy concerning these bones and tell them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!
- Read Ezekiel 37 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.