4 Kings 7:9
Then they said one to another: We do not well: for this is a day of good tidings. If we hold our peace, and do not tell it till the morning, we shall be charged with a crime: come, let us go and tell it in the king's court.
Open 4 Kings 7:9 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Dixeruntque ad invicem : Non recte facimus : hæc enim dies boni nuntii est. Si tacuerimus et noluerimus nuntiare usque mane, sceleris arguemur : venite, eamus, et nuntiemus in aula regis.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ εἶπεν ἀνὴρ πρὸς τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ Οὐχ οὕτως ἡμεῖς ποιοῦμεν· ἡ ἡμέρα αὕτη ἡμέρα εὐαγγελίας ἐστίν, καὶ ἡμεῖς σιωπῶμεν· καὶ μένομεν ἕως φωτὸς τοῦ πρωί, καὶ εὑρήσομεν ἀνομίαν. καὶ νῦν δεῦρο καὶ εἰσέλθωμεν καὶ ἀναγγείλωμεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ βασιλέως.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיֹּאמְרוּ֩ אִ֨ישׁ אֶל רֵעֵ֜הוּ לֹֽא כֵ֣ן אֲנַ֣חְנוּ עֹשִׂ֗ים הַיּ֤וֹם הַזֶּה֙ יוֹם בְּשֹׂרָ֣ה ה֔וּא וַאֲנַ֣חְנוּ מַחְשִׁ֗ים וְחִכִּ֛ינוּ עַד א֥וֹר הַבֹּ֖קֶר וּמְצָאָ֣נוּ עָו֑וֹן וְעַתָּה֙ לְכ֣וּ וְנָבֹ֔אָה וְנַגִּ֖ידָה בֵּ֥ית הַמֶּֽלֶךְ
Haydock's commentary
Crime, and punished. Hebrew, "iniquity shall find us." Citizens are bound to give notice of what may tend to the common good. (Calmet)
Court. Not in person, but by means of others. (Menochius)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
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.