And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be 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 catch them alive, and get into the city.

2 KINGS 7:12KJV
Know the Bible

2 Kings 7:12 (KJV)

What does 2 Kings 7:12 mean?

2 Kings 7:12 describes the king of Israel waking up at night and telling his servants that he suspects the Syrians have left their camp as a trick. The king believes the Syrians know the Israelites are starving and have hidden nearby, hoping to ambush anyone who leaves the city to look for food.

The king is speaking to his servants during a time when Samaria is under siege by the Syrians. He is suspicious of the sudden disappearance of the enemy army and thinks it is a trap. The verse shows the king's fear and caution, highlighting the desperate situation inside the city and his lack of trust in what seems like good news.

The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 7:12

  • "king" (מֶלֶךְ, melekh): This word refers specifically to the ruler of Israel at the time, emphasizing his authority and responsibility for the people’s safety.
  • "arose" (קוּם, qum): This word means to get up, often with urgency. Here, it shows the king’s immediate reaction and concern in the middle of the night.
  • "hide" (חָבָא, chava’): This word means to conceal oneself. The king imagines the Syrians are not gone but are hiding in the field, which reveals his suspicious mindset.
  • "catch" (תָּפַשׂ, tafas): This word means to seize or capture. The king fears the Syrians’ goal is to take the Israelites alive, not just defeat them in battle.

Why 2 Kings 7:12 matters

  • This verse clears up that the king’s first reaction to the empty camp is suspicion, not relief, which highlights how dire and tense the situation has become.
  • The king’s words show how fear and hunger can make people doubt even when deliverance is possible, setting up the dramatic contrast with the miraculous events that follow.
  • Understanding the king’s reasoning helps explain why the people inside the city are slow to believe the news of the Syrians’ retreat, connecting the verse to the larger story of God’s intervention.

Where else these words appear

“hide” Hebrew H2247 · used in 5 verses

  • Joshua 2:16 And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way.
  • 1 Kings 22:25 And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.
  • Isaiah 26:20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.

“hungry” Hebrew H7457 · used in 22 verses

  • 1 Samuel 2:5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.
  • Psalms 107:9 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
  • Isaiah 29:8 It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.

“catch” Hebrew H8610 · used in 60 verses

  • Genesis 4:21 And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.
  • 2 Kings 16:9 And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.
  • Jeremiah 50:16 Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.

“Syrians” Hebrew H758 · used in 117 verses

  • Genesis 10:22 The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.
  • 1 Kings 22:35 And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot.
  • 1 Chronicles 2:23 And he took Geshur, and Aram, with the towns of Jair, from them, with Kenath, and the towns thereof, even threescore cities. All these belonged to the sons of Machir the father of Gilead.