2 Kings 7:17
New International Version
Now the king had put the officer on whose arm he leaned in charge of the gate, and the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died, just as the man of God had foretold when the king came down to his house.

New Living Translation
The king appointed his officer to control the traffic at the gate, but he was knocked down and trampled to death as the people rushed out. So everything happened exactly as the man of God had predicted when the king came to his house.

English Standard Version
Now the king had appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. And the people trampled him in the gate, so that he died, as the man of God had said when the king came down to him.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.

New King James Version
Now the king had appointed the officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. But the people trampled him in the gate, and he died, just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him.

New American Standard Bible
Now the king appointed the royal officer on whose hand he leaned to be in charge of the gate; but the people trampled on him at the gate, and he died, just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him.

NASB 1995
Now the king appointed the royal officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate; but the people trampled on him at the gate, and he died just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him.

NASB 1977
Now the king appointed the royal officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate; but the people trampled on him at the gate, and he died just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now the king appointed the royal officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate; but the people trampled on him at the gate, and he died just as the man of God had spoken, who spoke when the king came down to him.

Amplified Bible
Now the king had appointed the royal officer on whose arm he leaned to be in charge of the [city] gate; and the [starving] people trampled him at the gate [as they struggled to get through for food], and he died, just as the man of God had foretold when the king came down to him.

Christian Standard Bible
The king had appointed the captain, his right-hand man, to be in charge of the city gate, but the people trampled him in the gate. He died, just as the man of God had predicted when the king had come to him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The king had appointed the captain, his right-hand man, to be in charge of the gate, but the people trampled him in the gateway. He died, just as the man of God had predicted when the king came to him.

American Standard Version
And 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.

Contemporary English Version
The king of Israel had put his chief officer in charge of the gate, but he died when the people trampled him as they rushed out of the city.

English Revised Version
And the king appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The king appointed the servant on whose arm he used to lean to be in charge of the gate. But the people trampled him to death in the gateway, as the man of God had predicted when the king came to him.

Good News Translation
It so happened that the king of Israel had put the city gate under the command of the officer who was his personal attendant. The officer was trampled to death there by the people and died, as Elisha had predicted when the king went to see him.

International Standard Version
Meanwhile, the king appointed the same royal attendant on whom he depended to take control of the city gate, but the people trampled him to death in the gate, just as the man of God had told the king when the king came down to him.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

NET Bible
Now the king had placed the officer who was his right-hand man at the city gate. When the people rushed out, they trampled him to death in the gate. This fulfilled the prophet's word which he had spoken when the king tried to arrest him.

New Heart English Bible
The king appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to be in charge of the gate: and the people trod on him in the gate, and he died as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the king appointed the lord 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 spoke when the king came down to him.

World English Bible
The king had appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to be in charge of the gate; and the people trampled over him in the gate, and he died as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the king has appointed the captain, by whose hand he is supported, over the gate, and the people tread him down in the gate, and he dies, as the man of God spoke, which he spoke in the coming down of the king to him,

Young's Literal Translation
And the king hath appointed the captain, by whose hand he is supported, over the gate, and the people tread him down in the gate, and he dieth, as the man of God spake, which he spake in the coming down of the king unto him,

Smith's Literal Translation
And the king appointed the third who leaned upon his hand over the gate: and the people will tread upon him in the gate: and he will die according to the word of the man of God who spake in the king's coming down to him.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the king appointed that lord on whose hand he leaned, to stand at the gate: and the people trod upon him in the entrance of the gate; and he died, as the man of God had said, when the king came down to him.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then the king stationed that leader, on whose hand he leaned, at the gate. And the crowd trampled him at the entrance of the gate. And he died, in accord with what the man of God had said when the king had descended to him.

New American Bible
The king had put in charge of the gate the officer upon whose arm he leaned; but the people trampled him to death at the gate, just as the man of God had predicted when the messenger came down to him.

New Revised Standard Version
Now the king had appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate; the people trampled him to death in the gate, just as the man of God had said when the king came down to him.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the king placed his aide in charge of the gate; and the people trod upon him at the gate and he died, as the prophet of God had said when he came down as a messenger to him.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the King placed at the gate the Mighty Man of the King leaning on his hands, and the people trampled him in the gate and he died, as the Prophet of God said when the Messenger came down to him.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And 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 spoke when the king came down to him.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the king appointed the officer on whose hand the king leaned to have charge over the gate: and the people trampled on him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spoke when the messenger came down to him.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Siege Lifted
16Then 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. 17Now 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. 18It 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.”…

Cross References
2 Kings 5:1-14
Now Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man in his master’s sight and highly regarded, for through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. And he was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. / At this time the Arameans had gone out in bands and had taken a young girl from the land of Israel, and she was serving Naaman’s wife. / She said to her mistress, “If only my master would go to the prophet who is in Samaria, he would cure him of his leprosy.” ...

2 Kings 6:24-33
Some time later, Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army and marched up to besiege Samaria. / So 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. / As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help me, my lord the king!” ...

2 Kings 9:1-13
Now Elisha the prophet summoned one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak under your belt, take this flask of oil, and go to Ramoth-gilead. / When you arrive, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go in, get him away from his companions, and take him to an inner room. / Then take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and declare, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run. Do not delay!” ...

2 Kings 4:42-44
Now a man from Baal-shalishah came to the man of God with a sack of twenty loaves of barley bread from the first ripe grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha. / But his servant asked, “How am I to set twenty loaves before a hundred men?” “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha, “for this is what the LORD says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’” / So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.

2 Kings 3:16-20
and he said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Dig this valley full of ditches.’ / For the LORD says, ‘You will not see wind or rain, but the valley will be filled with water, and you will drink—you and your cattle and your animals.’ / This is a simple matter in the sight of the LORD, and He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand. ...

2 Kings 2:23-25
From there, Elisha went up to Bethel, and as he was walking up the road, a group of boys came out of the city and jeered at him, chanting, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” / Then he turned around, looked at them, and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Suddenly two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. / And Elisha went on to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.

2 Kings 1:9-15
Then King Ahaziah sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. So the captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down!’” / Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his fifty men. / So the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. And the captain said to Elijah, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down at once!’” ...

2 Kings 13:14-19
When Elisha had fallen sick with the illness from which he would die, Jehoash king of Israel came down to him and wept over him, saying, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!” / Elisha told him, “Take a bow and some arrows.” So Jehoash took a bow and some arrows. / Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” So the king put his hand on the bow, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. ...

2 Kings 20:1-11
In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’” / Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying, / “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. ...

2 Kings 18:13-16
In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked and captured all the fortified cities of Judah. / So Hezekiah king of Judah sent word to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand from me.” And the king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. / Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace. ...

2 Kings 19:35-37
And that very night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies! / So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. / One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon reigned in his place.

2 Kings 8:1-6
Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, you and your household; go and live as a foreigner wherever you can. For the LORD has decreed that a seven-year famine will come to the land.” / So the woman had proceeded to do as the man of God had instructed. And she and her household lived as foreigners for seven years in the land of the Philistines. / At the end of seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she went to the king to appeal for her house and her land. ...

2 Kings 10:1-11
Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the officials of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying: / “When this letter arrives, since your master’s sons are with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weaponry, / select the best and most worthy son of your master, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.” ...

2 Kings 11:1-3
When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs. / But Jehosheba daughter of King Joram, the sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the sons of the king who were being murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah, and he was not killed. / And Joash remained hidden with his nurse in the house of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.

2 Kings 12:17-18
At that time Hazael king of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he decided to attack Jerusalem. / So King Joash of Judah took all the sacred objects dedicated by his fathers—Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, the kings of Judah—along with his own consecrated items and all the gold found in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the royal palace, and he sent them to Hazael king of Aram. So Hazael withdrew from Jerusalem.


Treasury of Scripture

And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people stepped on him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him.

the lord

2 Kings 7:2
Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

the people trode upon him

2 Kings 9:33
And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot.

Judges 20:43
Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.

Isaiah 25:10
For in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill.

Jump to Previous
Appointed Arm Captain Charge Control Crushed Death Died Doorway Feet Foretold Gate Gateway Hand Leaned Officer Royal Supported Trampled Trod Trode
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Appointed Arm Captain Charge Control Crushed Death Died Doorway Feet Foretold Gate Gateway Hand Leaned Officer Royal Supported Trampled Trod Trode
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














Now the king had appointed
This phrase indicates a deliberate action by the king, showcasing his authority and decision-making power. In the historical context of ancient Israel, a king's appointment was a significant act, often reflecting trust and responsibility. The Hebrew root for "appointed" (פָּקַד, paqad) can also mean to oversee or to charge with responsibility, emphasizing the officer's role in executing the king's command.

the officer on whose arm he leaned
This phrase suggests a position of trust and reliance. The officer was not just any servant but someone the king depended on, possibly for counsel or support. The imagery of leaning on someone's arm conveys intimacy and confidence. In the Hebrew context, this could imply a close advisor or a trusted aide, highlighting the officer's prominence in the king's court.

to be in charge of the gate
Gates in ancient cities were crucial for defense and commerce, serving as points of entry and exit. Being in charge of the gate was a position of significant responsibility, as it involved maintaining security and order. The Hebrew word for gate (שַׁעַר, sha'ar) often symbolizes authority and control, reflecting the officer's duty to manage the flow of people and goods.

but the people trampled him
This phrase depicts a chaotic and violent scene. The Hebrew root for "trampled" (רָמַס, ramas) conveys a sense of being crushed or overwhelmed. It illustrates the desperation and urgency of the people, who, in their rush, disregarded the officer's authority. This act of trampling signifies the breakdown of order and the fulfillment of divine prophecy.

in the gateway
The gateway was a strategic location, often bustling with activity. It was a place where justice was administered, and decisions were made. The officer's death in the gateway symbolizes the collapse of human plans and the futility of relying on earthly power when faced with divine intervention.

and he died
This phrase marks the culmination of the prophecy and the inevitable outcome of disbelief. The Hebrew word for died (מוּת, muth) is straightforward but profound, signifying the finality of life and the certainty of God's word. It serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of ignoring divine warnings.

just as the man of God had foretold
This highlights the accuracy and authority of prophetic words. The "man of God" refers to Elisha, whose prophecies were direct communications from God. The fulfillment of his words underscores the reliability of God's promises and the importance of heeding His messengers.

when the king came down to him
This phrase indicates a moment of confrontation and revelation. The king's descent to the man of God suggests a humbling experience, where earthly authority meets divine truth. It serves as a reminder that no matter one's status, all are subject to God's sovereign will.

(17) And the king appointed.--Rather, Now the king had appointed.

The lord.--The adjutant (2Kings 7:2).

To have the charge of the gate.--To maintain order as the famished crowd poured out of the city.

Trode upon him.--Trampled him down, as he was trying to discharge his duty. This probably happened, as Thenius suggests, when the crowd was returning from the Syrian camp, wild with excess of food and drink, after their long abstinence. Thus he "saw the plenty with his eyes, but did not eat thereof" (2Kings 7:2). Reuss thinks the charge of the gate is equivalent to the charge of the market, as the market was held on the space adjoining the gate.

Had said.--Spake.

Who spake.--This is probably a spurious repetition. It is wanting in some Hebrew MSS., and in the Syriac, Vulg., and Arabic versions. If retained in the text, we must render, "And he died, according to that which the man of God spake, which he spake when the king," &c. But perhaps the reading of one Hebrew MS. is correct: "And he died, according to the word of the man of God, which he spake," &c.

Verse 17. - And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate. Anticipating disorder, unless special care were taken, through the probable eagerness of the people to purchase the corn which was offered to them at so moderate a rate, Jehoram appointed the officer on whose arm he had leant when he visited the house of Elisha (see ver. 2), to have the charge of the gate, and preside over the sale. Probably there was no thought of the post being one of danger. And the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died. It has been questioned whether the death was accidental (Bahr), and suggested that the eager and famished people resisted his authority, and violently bore down his attempts to control them. But there is nothing in the text that is incompatible with an accidental death. Such deaths ate not uncommon in dense crowds of anxious and excited people. As the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him. The varieties of reading here do not affect the general sense. The writer's intention is to lay special stress on the fulfillment of Elisha's prophecy; and to emphasize the punishment that follows on a lack of faith. The concluding passage of the chapter is, as Bahr says, "a finger of warning to unbelievers."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Now the king
וְהַמֶּלֶךְ֩ (wə·ham·me·leḵ)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

had appointed
הִפְקִ֨יד (hip̄·qîḏ)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6485: To visit, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit

the officer
הַשָּׁלִ֜ישׁ (haš·šā·lîš)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7991: A triple, a triangle, a three-fold measure, a general of the third rank

on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

whose arm
יָדוֹ֙ (yā·ḏōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

he leaned
נִשְׁעָ֤ן (niš·‘ān)
Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 8172: To lean, support oneself

to be in charge of
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the gate,
הַשַּׁ֔עַר (haš·ša·‘ar)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8179: An opening, door, gate

but the people
הָעָ֛ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

trampled him
וַיִּרְמְסֻ֧הוּ (way·yir·mə·su·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7429: To tread upon

in the gateway,
בַּשַּׁ֖עַר (baš·ša·‘ar)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8179: An opening, door, gate

and he died,
וַיָּמֹ֑ת (way·yā·mōṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

just as
כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר (ka·’ă·šer)
Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

the man
אִ֣ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

of God
הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים (hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

had foretold
דִּבֶּר֙ (dib·ber)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

when the king
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

had come
בְּרֶ֥דֶת (bə·re·ḏeṯ)
Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend

to him.
אֵלָֽיו׃ (’ê·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to


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OT History: 2 Kings 7:17 The king appointed the captain on whose (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
2 Kings 7:16
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