מלכים ב, פרק ז׳, פסוק ז׳

Under the cover of twilight, a wave of immense terror swept through the Aramean army, sparking a sudden and desperate retreat. Without waiting for the army they feared to arrive [ביאור שטיינזלץ], the soldiers fled, leaving their entire encampment completely intact, exactly as it was [מצודת דוד].

This hasty escape presents a curious detail: the fleeing soldiers abandoned their horses and donkeys, choosing instead to run on foot. Logically, riding these animals would have ensured a much faster getaway. One perspective attributes this to the sheer magnitude of their panic. The dread that gripped them was so paralyzing that they felt the enemy was already upon them, leaving no time to even hitch a horse or mount a donkey [רד״ק, חומת אנך, מלבי״ם].

Conversely, other views suggest that leaving the animals and wealth behind was a calculated tactical maneuver. By abandoning their horses and loot, the fleeing army hoped to distract their pursuers, assuming the Israelites would become too preoccupied with plundering the camp to give chase [מלבי״ם, אהבת יהונתן]. Additionally, fleeing on foot allowed for a stealthy escape, as the loud neighing of horses and braying of donkeys would have easily betrayed their path [אהבת יהונתן].

This abandonment may have also served as a psychological decoy. If the Israelites found the animals still tied in their places, they might suspect that the Arameans had not actually left, but were instead lying in wait inside the tents and caves. The fear of walking into an ambush would cause the Israelites to hesitate, granting the retreating soldiers precious time to escape [אהבת יהונתן]. In the end, the soldiers were driven by a singular, desperate urge to survive, willingly sacrificing all their wealth and property just to escape with their lives [רד״ק, מצודת דוד].