מלכים ב, פרק ז׳, פסוק י׳

Four lepers arrive at the city gates in the dead of night carrying dramatic news. The Aramean military camp that had been besieging the city is completely abandoned. They paint a highly unusual picture of a fully equipped military base left entirely intact, yet completely devoid of human presence.

Upon reaching the city, the lepers call out to share their discovery. The primary approach among commentators is that they addressed the collective body of guards at the gate. Alternatively, they may have shouted to one specific guard, whose reaction then roused the rest of the watchmen to gather and listen to the urgent report [רד״ק].

The lepers emphasize that they did not see a single person or hear a human voice. This detail explains how they mustered the courage to enter the enemy camp without fearing that soldiers might be sleeping in the tents or hiding nearby. They clarify that before stepping inside, they listened closely. Only after failing to detect even the faintest human sound did they conclude with certainty that the camp was empty [אהבת יהונתן, חומת אנך]. Despite their confidence, however, the king would later hesitate to trust their assessment [חומת אנך].

The men continue their report by detailing the strange state of the deserted camp. The horses and donkeys were found tied in their usual places by the feeding troughs [רד״ק]. Furthermore, the tents remained exactly as they always had been, fully stocked with equipment and belongings, because the fleeing Arameans had escaped without taking a single thing [רש״י, מצודת דוד].