4 Kings 7:4
If we will enter into the city, we shall die with the famine: and if we will remain here, we must also die: come, therefore, and let us run over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare us, we shall live: but if they kill us, we shall but die.
Open 4 Kings 7:4 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- sive ingredi voluerimus civitatem, fame moriemur : sive manserimus hic, moriendum nobis est : venite ergo, et transfugiamus ad castra Syriæ : si pepercerint nobis, vivemus : si autem occidere voluerint, nihilominus moriemur.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἐὰν εἴπωμεν Εἰσέλθωμεν εἰς τὴν πόλιν, καὶ ὁ λιμὸς ἐν τῇ πόλει καὶ ἀποθανούμεθα ἐκεῖ· καὶ ἐὰν καθίσωμεν ὧδε, καὶ ἀποθανούμεθα. καὶ νῦν δεῦτε καὶ ἐμπέσωμεν εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν Συρίας· ἐὰν ξωογονήσωσιν ἡμᾶς, καὶ ζησόμεθα· καὶ ἐὰν θανατώσωσιν ἡμᾶς, καὶ ἀποθανούμεθα.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- אִם אָמַרְנוּ֩ נָב֨וֹא הָעִ֜יר וְהָרָעָ֤ב בָּעִיר֙ וָמַ֣תְנוּ שָׁ֔ם וְאִם יָשַׁ֥בְנוּ פֹ֖ה וָמָ֑תְנוּ וְעַתָּ֗ה לְכוּ֙ וְנִפְּלָה֙ אֶל מַחֲנֵ֣ה אֲרָ֔ם אִם יְחַיֻּ֣נוּ נִֽחְיֶ֔ה וְאִם יְמִיתֻ֖נוּ וָמָֽתְנוּ
The Fathers on this verse
St Ambrose On the Duties of the Clergy, Chapter XX. After the terrible siege of Samaria was ended in accordance with Elisha's prophecy, he relates what regard the four lepers showed for what was virtuous
121. But there were four lepers at the gate of the city to whom life was a misery, and to die would be gain. And they said one to another: “Behold we sit here and die. If we enter into the city, we shall die with hunger; if we remain here, there are no means of living at hand for us. Let us go to the Syrian camp, either they will quickly kill us or grant us the means of safety.” So they went and entered into the camp, and behold, all was forsaken by the enemy. Entering the tents, first of all on finding food they satisfied their hunger, then they laid hold of as much gold and silver as they could. But whilst they were intent on the booty alone, they arranged to announce to the king that the Syrians had fled, for they thought this more virtuous than to withhold the information and keep for themselves the plunder gained by deceit.