2 Kings 7:10

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

So they went and called out to the gatekeepers of the city, telling them, "We went to the Aramean camp and found no one there—not a single man—only tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents left just as they were."

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיָּבֹ֗אוּ וַֽיִּקְרְאוּ֮ אֶל־שֹׁעֵ֣ר הָעִיר֒ וַיַּגִּ֤ידוּ לָהֶם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר בָּ֚אנוּ אֶל־מַחֲנֵ֣ה אֲרָ֔ם וְהִנֵּ֥ה אֵֽין־שָׁ֛ם אִ֖ישׁ וְק֣וֹל אָדָ֑ם כִּ֣י אִם־הַסּ֤וּס אָסוּר֙ וְהַחֲמ֣וֹר אָס֔וּר וְאֹהָלִ֖ים כַּאֲשֶׁר־הֵֽמָּה

Transliteration

And wayyābōʾû and wayyiqrĕʾû to šōʿēr the-ʿîr, and wayyaggîdû to-them lēmōr, We-came to maḥănê ʾărām, and-behold ʾên-there ʾîš and-qôl ʾādām; but only the-sûs ʾāsûr and-the-ḥămôr ʾāsûr, and-ʾōhālîm as-ʾăšer-they.

Grammar Details

• *wayyābōʾû*: waw consecutive + qal imperfect 3rd masculine plural - and they came
• *wayyiqrĕʾû*: waw consecutive + qal imperfect 3rd masculine plural - and they called
• *šōʿēr*: qal participle masculine singular construct - gatekeeper of
• *ʿîr*: feminine singular noun with definite article - the city
• *wayyaggîdû*: waw consecutive + hiphil imperfect 3rd masculine plural - and they told
• *lēmōr*: qal infinitive construct - saying
• *maḥănê*: masculine singular construct - camp of
• *ʾărām*: proper noun - Aram/Syria
• *ʾên*: particle of negation - there is not
• *ʾîš*: masculine singular noun - man
• *qôl*: masculine singular construct - sound of
• *ʾādām*: masculine singular noun - man/human
• *sûs*: masculine singular noun with definite article - the horse
• *ʾāsûr*: qal passive participle masculine singular - tied/tethered
• *ḥămôr*: masculine singular noun with definite article - the donkey
• *ʾōhālîm*: masculine plural noun - tents
• *ʾăšer*: relative pronoun - as/which

Word Meanings

• *šōʿēr*: gatekeeper/doorkeeper/porter
• *ʾāsûr*: tied/tethered/bound
• *ʾōhālîm kaʾăšer-hēmmâ*: tents as they were/tents just as they were

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no one there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and donkeys tied, and the tents as they were.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  So they came{H935} and called{H7121} unto the porter{H7778} of the city;{H5892} and they told{H5046} them, saying,{H559} We came{H935} to the camp{H4264} of the Syrians,{H758} and, behold, there was no man{H376} there, neither voice{H6963} of man,{H120} but the horses{H5483} tied,{H631} and the asses{H2543} tied,{H631} and the tents{H168} as they were.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  So they came{H935}{(H8799)} and called{H7121}{(H8799)} unto the porter{H7778} of the city{H5892}: and they told{H5046}{(H8686)} them, saying{H559}{(H8800)}, We came{H935}{(H8804)} to the camp{H4264} of the Syrians{H758}, and, behold, there was no man{H376} there, neither voice{H6963} of man{H120}, but horses{H5483} tied{H631}{(H8803)}, and asses{H2543} tied{H631}{(H8803)}, and the tents{H168} as they were.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And whan they came, they cried at the porte of the cite, and tolde them, and sayde: We came to the tentes of the Sirians, and beholde, there is no ma there, nether yet eny mans voyce, but horses and asses bounde, and the bothes as they stonde.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  So they came, and called vnto the porters of the citie, and tolde them, saying, We came to the campe of the Aramites, and loe, there was no man there, neither voyce of man, but horses tyed and asses tyed: and the tents are as they were.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And so they came, and called vnto the porter of the citie, and told them, saying: We came to the pauillions of the Syrians, and see there was no man there, neither voyce of man, but horses & asses tyed, and the tentes were euen as they were wont to be.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, [there was] no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they [were].

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  So they came and called to the porter of the city; and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but the horses tied, and the donkeys tied, and the tents as they were.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And they come in, and call unto the gatekeeper of the city, and declare for themselves, saying, `We have come in unto the camp of Aram, and lo, there is not there a man, or sound of man, but the bound horse, and the bound ass, and tents as they `are'.'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  So they came and called unto the porter of the city; and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but the horses tied, and the asses tied, and the tents as they were.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  So they came and called unto the porter of the city; and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but the horses tied, and the asses tied, and the tents as they were.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  So they came in, and, crying out to the door-keepers of the town, they gave them the news, saying, We came to the tents of the Aramaeans, and there was no one there and no voice of man, only the horses and the asses in their places, and the tents as they were.

• World English Bible (2000)

  So they came and called to the porter of the city; and they told them, saying, "We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but the horses tied, and the donkeys tied, and the tents as they were."

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  So they went and called out to the gatekeepers of the city. They told them,“We entered the Syrian camp and there was no one there. We didn’t even hear a man’s voice. But the horses and donkeys are still tied up, and the tents remain up.”

Referenced Verses

• 2 Sam 18:26 : 26 Then the watchman saw another man running, and he called to the gatekeeper, 'Look, another man is running alone!' The king said, 'He too brings news.'
• 2 Kgs 7:6-7 : 6 For the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a great army, so they said to one another, "Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!" 7 So they got up and fled in the twilight, abandoning their tents, horses, and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives.
• 2 Kgs 7:11 : 11 The gatekeepers shouted the news, and it was reported inside the palace.
• Ps 127:1 : 1 Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stay awake in vain.
• Mark 13:34-35 : 34 It is like a man going on a journey, who leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their task, and tells the doorkeeper to stay alert. 35 Therefore, stay alert, because you do not know when the master of the house will come—whether in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or at dawn.