And he called the porters; and they told it to the king's house within.

2 KINGS 7:11KJV
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2 Kings 7:11 (KJV)

What does 2 Kings 7:11 mean?

2 Kings 7:11 describes how the city gatekeepers were called and informed about important news, and then these gatekeepers passed the message on to those inside the king’s palace. The verse shows the chain of communication as urgent news reached the king’s household.

The setting is Samaria during a siege, where some men discovered that the enemy camp had been abandoned. They reported this to the city gatekeepers, who then relayed the message to the king’s officials inside. This verse highlights how information was quickly passed through official channels in a time of crisis.

The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 7:11

  • "called" (קָרָא, qara): This word means to call out or summon. Here, it shows the urgency and public nature of the announcement at the city gate.
  • "porters" (שָׁעַר, shoaer): This word refers to gatekeepers or doorkeepers, officials responsible for controlling access to the city. Their role was crucial for security and communication.
  • "within" (פְּנִימָה, penimah): This word means "inside" or "within," indicating that the message was delivered to those inside the king’s palace, not just at the outer gate.

Why 2 Kings 7:11 matters

  • This verse clarifies how news was relayed in ancient cities, showing the importance of trusted officials like gatekeepers in times of emergency.
  • It connects to the larger story of deliverance in 2 Kings 7, where God’s intervention leads to the enemy’s sudden departure and the end of the siege.
  • The verse emphasizes the urgency and seriousness with which the news was treated, helping the reader understand the dramatic shift from despair to hope in the narrative.

Where else these words appear

“within” Hebrew H6441 · used in 13 verses

  • Leviticus 10:18 Behold, the blood of it was not brought in within the holy place: ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded.
  • 1 Kings 6:29 And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and without.
  • 2 Chronicles 29:18 Then they went in to Hezekiah the king, and said, We have cleansed all the house of the LORD, and the altar of burnt offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread table, with all the vessels thereof.

“porters” Hebrew H7778 · used in 37 verses

  • 2 Samuel 18:26 And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings.
  • 1 Chronicles 23:5 Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.
  • Ezra 7:7 And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.