2 Kings 7:13
New International Version
One of his officers answered, “Have some men take five of the horses that are left in the city. Their plight will be like that of all the Israelites left here—yes, they will only be like all these Israelites who are doomed. So let us send them to find out what happened.”

New Living Translation
One of his officers replied, “We had better send out scouts to check into this. Let them take five of the remaining horses. If something happens to them, it will be no worse than if they stay here and die with the rest of us.”

English Standard Version
And one of his servants said, “Let some men take five of the remaining horses, seeing that those who are left here will fare like the whole multitude of Israel who have already perished. Let us send and see.”

Berean Standard Bible
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.”

King James Bible
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 that are consumed:) and let us send and see.

New King James Version
And one of his servants answered and said, “Please, let several men take five of the remaining horses which are left in the city. Look, they may either become like all the multitude of Israel that are left in it; or indeed, I say, they may become like all the multitude of Israel left from those who are consumed; so let us send them and see.”

New American Standard Bible
One of his servants responded and said, “Please, have some men take five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city. Behold, they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israel who are left in it; behold, they will be like all the multitude of Israel who have already perished, so let us send them and see.”

NASB 1995
One of his servants said, “Please, let some men take five of the horses which remain, which are left in the city. Behold, they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israel who are left in it; behold, they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israel who have already perished, so let us send and see.”

NASB 1977
And one of his servants answered and said, “Please, let some men take five of the horses which remain, which are left in the city. Behold, they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israel who are left in it; behold, they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israel who have already perished, so let us send and see.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And one of his servants answered and said, “Please, let some men take five of the remaining horses, which remain in the city. Behold, they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israel who remain in it; behold, they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israel who have already come to an end, so let us send and see.”

Amplified Bible
One of his servants replied, “Please let some men take five of the horses which remain inside the city. Consider this: [if they are caught then at worst] they will be like all the people of Israel who are left in the city; [even if they are killed then] they will be like all the people of Israel who have already died. So let us send [them] and see [what happens].”

Christian Standard Bible
But one of his servants responded, “Please, let messengers take five of the horses that are left in the city. Their fate is like the entire Israelite community who will die, so let’s send them and see.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But one of his servants responded, “Please, let messengers take five of the horses that are left in the city. Their fate is like the entire Israelite community who will die, so let’s send them and see.”

American Standard Version
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, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are consumed); and let us send and see.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And one of his Servants answered and said: we should bring five of the horsemen who are left; if they are captured, they are to be considered as all the people of Israel that is finished, and we will send and we will see.”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And one of his servants answered and said, Let them now take five of the horses that were left, which were left here; behold, they are the number left to all the multitude of Israel; and we will send thither and see.

Contemporary English Version
One of his officers replied, "We have a few horses left--why don't we let some men take five of them and go to the Syrian camp and see what's happening? We're going to die anyway like those who have already died."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And one of his servants answered: Let us take the five horses that are remaining in the city (because there are no more in the whole multitude of Israel, for the rest are consumed,) and let us send and see.

English Revised Version
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, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are consumed:) and let us send and see.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
One of his officers replied, "Please let some men take five of the horses that are left here. Those men will be no worse off than the rest of the Israelites who are dying. Let's send them to take a look."

Good News Translation
One of his officials said, "The people here in the city are doomed anyway, like those that have already died. So let's send some men with five of the horses that are left, so that we can find out what has happened."

International Standard Version
One of his attendants suggested, "Please, let's take five of the remaining horses, since those who remain here will end up like the rest of Israel, which has already died, and we'll send them out to look."

JPS Tanakh 1917
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, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are consumed--and let us send and see.'

Literal Standard Version
And one of his servants answers and says, “Then please let them take five of the horses that are left, that have been left in it—behold, they [are] as all the multitude of Israel who have been left in it; behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel who have been consumed—and we send and see.”

Majority Standard Bible
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.”

New American Bible
One of his servants, however, suggested: “Let some of us take five of the horses remaining in the city—they are just like the whole throng of Israel that has reached its limit—and let us send scouts to investigate.”

NET Bible
One of his advisers replied, "Pick some men and have them take five of the horses that are left in the city. (Even if they are killed, their fate will be no different than that of all the Israelite people--we're all going to die!) Let's send them out so we can know for sure what's going on."

New Revised Standard Version
One of his servants said, “Let some men take five of the remaining horses, since those left here will suffer the fate of the whole multitude of Israel that have perished already; let us send and find out.”

New Heart English Bible
And one of his servants answered, "Please let some take five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city. Look, they are like the whole multitude of Israel who have already perished. Let us send and see."

Webster's Bible Translation
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 that are consumed:) and let us send and see.

World English Bible
One of his servants answered, “Please let some people take five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city. Behold, they are like all the multitude of Israel who are left in it. Behold, they are like all the multitude of Israel who are consumed. Let’s send and see.”

Young's Literal Translation
And one of his servants answereth and saith, 'Then let them take, I pray thee, five of the horses that are left, that have been left in it -- lo, they are as all the multitude of Israel who have been left in it; lo, they are as all the multitude of Israel who have been consumed -- and we send and see.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Siege Lifted
12So 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.’ ” 13But 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.” 14Then the scouts took two chariots with horses, and the king sent them after the Aramean army, saying, “Go and see.”…

Cross References
2 Kings 7:12
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.'"

2 Kings 7:14
Then the scouts took two chariots with horses, and the king sent them after the Aramean army, saying, "Go and see."


Treasury of Scripture

And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray you, 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 that are consumed:) and let us send and see.

one

2 Kings 5:13
And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?

in the city [heb] in it

2 Kings 7:4
If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.

2 Kings 6:33
And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer?

Jeremiah 14:18
If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! yea, both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know not.

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2 Kings 7
1. Elisha prophesies incredible plenty in Samaria
3. four lepers, venturing on the host of the Syrians, bring tidings of their flight
12. The king, finding by spies the news to be true, spoils the tents of the Syrians.
17. The lord who would not believe the prophecy of plenty is trampled in the press














(13) Let some take.--Literally, And (i.e., then) let them take. (Comp. 2Kings 2:9; 2Kings 4:41.)

Five.--Used as an indefinite small number, like our "half a dozen." (Comp. Leviticus 26:8; Isaiah 30:17.) The actual number taken was two pairs (2Kings 7:14). . . .

Verse 13. - And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain. One of Jehoram's "servants," i.e. of the officers attached to his person, suggested that a small body of horse (four or five) should be sent out to reconnoiter. The besieged had still some horses left, though apparently not many. Note the phrase, "five of the horses that remain." The majority had died of want, or been killed to furnish food to the garrison. (Behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it - i.e. in Samaria - behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed); i.e. they will run no more risk than the other troops who remain in the city, for these, too, "are consumed," i.e. are on the point of perishing. Supposing that they fall into the enemy's hands, it will go no harder with them than with the "multitude" which is on the point of starvation. And let us send and see. We can do nothing until we know whether the siege is really raised, or whether the pretended withdrawal is a mere ruse. We must send and have this matter made clear.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But one
אֶחָ֨ד (’e·ḥāḏ)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 259: United, one, first

of
מִן־ (min-)
Preposition
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

his servants
מֵעֲבָדָ֜יו (mê·‘ă·ḇā·ḏāw)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

replied,
וַיַּעַן֩ (way·ya·‘an)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6030: To answer, respond

“Please,
נָ֞א (nā)
Interjection
Strong's 4994: I pray', 'now', 'then'

have [scouts] take
וְיִקְחוּ־ (wə·yiq·ḥū-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3947: To take

five
חֲמִשָּׁ֣ה (ḥă·miš·šāh)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 2568: Five

of the horses
הַסּוּסִים֮ (has·sū·sîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5483: A swallow, swift (type of bird)

that
אֲשֶׁ֣ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

remain
הַֽנִּשְׁאָרִים֮ (han·niš·’ā·rîm)
Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 7604: To swell up, be, redundant

in the city.
בָהּ֒ (ḇāh)
Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew

Their plight
הִנָּ֗ם (hin·nām)
Interjection | third person masculine plural
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

will be no worse than all
כְּכָל־ (kə·ḵāl-)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the Israelites
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

who
אֲשֶׁ֣ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

are left
נִשְׁאֲרוּ־ (niš·’ă·rū-)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7604: To swell up, be, redundant

here.
בָ֔הּ (ḇāh)
Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew

You can see
הִנָּ֕ם (hin·nām)
Interjection | third person masculine plural
Strong's 2005: Lo! behold!

that
כְּכָל־ (kə·ḵāl-)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

all the Israelites
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

here
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

are doomed.
תָּ֑מּוּ (tām·mū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 8552: To be complete or finished

So let us send them
וְנִשְׁלְחָ֖ה (wə·niš·lə·ḥāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

and find out.�
וְנִרְאֶֽה׃ (wə·nir·’eh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural
Strong's 7200: To see


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OT History: 2 Kings 7:13 One of his servants answered Please let (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
2 Kings 7:12
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