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2 Kings 7:14

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does 2 Kings 7:14 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “They took therefore two chariots with horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

They took therefore two chariots with horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.
2 Kings 7:14 — American Standard Version

Context — 2 Kings 7

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
11And he called the porters; and they told it to the king`s household within.
12And 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 are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall take them alive, and get into the city.
13And 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.
14They took therefore two chariots with horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.
15And they went after them unto the Jordan: and, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king.
16And the people went out, and plundered the camp of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was [sold] for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of Jehovah.
17And the king appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“They took therefore two chariot horses, etc.] Not five, but two only, and those the best, that drew in the king’s chariot perhaps, and so were better fed, and fitter for this expedition: and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, go and see; whether they are fled or not.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Two chariot horses - Translate, “two horse-chariots.” They dispatched i. e. two war-chariots, with their proper complement of horses and men, to see whether the retreat was a reality or only a feint. The “horses” sent would be four or six, since chariots were drawn by either two or three horses. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Sources and verification