2 Kings 7:14

They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(14) Two chariot horses.—Literally, two chariots (of) horses, i.e., teams for two chariots, or two pairs of horses. The chariots and their drivers are implied, not mentioned. Two chariots were sent, so that if attacked they might make a better resistance; or perhaps in order that, if one were captured by the enemy, the other might escape with the news.

Benson Commentary

2 Kings 7:14-16. They took therefore two chariot horses — It is probable the king would venture no more than two horsemen, whom he thought sufficient: and these took two of his own horses to make the discovery. They went after them unto Jordan — Finding the camp empty, as the lepers had related, they followed them as far as this river. All the way was full of garments, &c., cast away in their haste — Hebrew, בחפזם, bechaphezam, in their fear, trepidation, or consternation, wherewith God had struck them. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, &c. —

They found such store of provisions in the tents of the Syrians, that it made this sudden change in the price of corn, according to Elisha’s prediction.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

7:12-20 Here see the wants of Israel supplied in a way they little thought of, which should encourage us to depend upon the power and goodness of God in our greatest straits. God's promise may be safely relied on, for no word of his shall fall to the ground. The nobleman that questioned the truth of Elisha's word, saw the plenty, to silence and shame his unbelief, and therein saw his own folly; but he did not eat of the plenty he saw. Justly do those find the world's promises fail them, who think that the promises of God will disappoint them. Learn how deeply God resents distrust of his power, providence, and promise: how uncertain life is, and the enjoyments of it: how certain God's threatenings are, and how sure to come on the guilty. May God help us to inquire whether we are exposed to his threatenings, or interested in his promises.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

12-15. the king … said unto his servants, I will now show you what the Syrians have done—Similar stratagems have been so often resorted to in the ancient and modern wars of the East that there is no wonder Jehoram's suspicions were awakened. But the scouts, whom he despatched, soon found unmistakable signs of the panic that had struck the enemy and led to a most precipitate flight.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Two chariot horses, or, two chariots of horses; or rather, two chariot horses, as divers render the words, i.e. horses which belonged to the king’s chariots. For single horses seem much more proper for this service than chariots and horses. And whereas it was moved by the king’s servant, that all the five horses should be sent, it seems it was thought by the king and others that two were sufficient for that purpose.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

They took therefore two chariot horses,.... 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.

Geneva Study Bible

They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

14. two chariot horses] R.V. two chariots with horses. Each chariot had its pair of horses, so that there were four horses, and probably two or three people in each chariot. If anything happened to one chariot, the other might come to the rescue, or, at all events, have a chance of escaping to the city.

after the host of the Syrians] The spies were not content with searching the camp. For the king’s misgivings had no doubt communicated themselves to the messengers. So they went on the way where scattered property of all kinds shewed that the Syrians had taken their flight.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 14. - They took therefore two chariot horses; literally, two chariots of horses; i.e. two chariots, with the accustomed number of horses, which (with the Israelites) was two, though with the Assyrians and Egyptians it was frequently three. The employment of chariots instead of horsemen is remarkable, and seems to indicate that with the Israelites, as with the Egyptians, the chariot force was regarded as superior to the cavalry for practical purposes. And the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see. The advice of the king's "servant" was taken; a couple of chariots were sent out to reconnoiter. 2 Kings 7:14

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The king imagined that the unexpected departure of the Syrians was only a ruse, namely, that they had left the camp and hidden themselves in the field, to entice the besieged out of the fortress, and then fall upon them and press into the city. בּהשּׂדה according to later usage for בּשּׂדה (vid., Ewald, 244, a). In order to make sure of the correctness or incorrectness of this conjecture, one of the king's servants (counsellors) gave this advice: "Let them take (the Vav before יקחוּ as in 2 Kings 4:41) five of the horses left in the city, that we may send and see how the matter stands." The words, "Behold they (the five horses) are as the whole multitude of Israel that are left in it (the city); behold they are as the whole multitude of Israel that are gone," have this meaning: The five horsemen (for horses stand for horsemen, as it is self-evident that it was men on horseback and not the horses themselves that were to be sent out as spies) can but share the fate of the rest of the people of Samaria, whether they return unhurt to meet death by starvation with the people that still remain, or fall into the hands of the enemy and are put to death, in which case they will only suffer the lot of those who have already perished. Five horses is an approximative small number, and is therefore not at variance with the following statement, that two pair of horses were sent out with chariots and men. The Chethb ההמון is not to be altered, since there are other instances in which the first noun is written with the article, though in the construct state (vid., Ewald, 290, e.); and the Keri is only conformed to the following כּכל־המון. 2 Kings 7:14, 2 Kings 7:15. They then sent out two chariots with horses, who pursued the flying enemy to the Jordan, and found the whole of the road full of traces of the hurried flight, consisting of clothes and vessels that had been thrown away. The Chethb בּהחפזם is the only correct reading, since it is only in the Niphal that חפז has the meaning to fly in great haste (cf. 1 Samuel 23:26; Psalm 48:6; Psalm 104:7).