2 Kings 7:4

If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.

Cross-references

2 Kings 7:3 Parallel

2 Kings 7:3 introduces the four leprous men at the gate, setting up who makes the decision in verse 4.

2 Kings 7:13 Historical context

2 Kings 7:13 shows the king's servant suggesting reconnaissance after the lepers' discovery that the Syrians fled, continuing the narrative.

2 Kings 6:25 Historical context

2 Kings 6:25 describes the severe famine during the siege, showing the dire conditions that force the lepers to risk going to the Syrian camp.

Esther 4:16 Parallel

In Esther 4:16, Esther uses the same 'if I perish, I perish' logic — a risky move when death is certain either way.

In 1 Kings 20:31, Ben-hadad's servants advise a desperate surrender to the king of Israel, mirroring the lepers' last-resort decision to approach the enemy camp.

In Jeremiah 8:14, the people also decide to move because staying means death, but they expect to die, unlike the lepers who hope to live.

Jonah 3:9 Parallel

In Jonah 3:9, the king hopes for mercy — 'who knows?' — similar to the lepers' uncertain gamble for survival.

In Luke 15:17-19, the prodigal son reasons to go back and take a risk, like the lepers choosing action over passive doom.

In 2 Samuel 14:14, the wise woman speaks of certain death and God's means of rescue — similar to the lepers' logic of 'we'll die anyway, let's try this.'