Commentary for II Kings 7:22

There were four men. Geichazi and his sons.¹See Maseches Sanhedrin 107b. ²These four were the only people suffering from tzora’as. Elisha had healed all other Bnei Yisroel suffering from tzora’as.—Malbim

The questions: Why does it say people who are metzoraim were outside the gate?

At the entrance of the gate. As it is stated, “He shall live alone; outside the camp shall be his habitation.”³Vayikra 13:46. This is proscribed by the Torah for people who suffer from tzora’as.

Four men: Our sages, may their memory be for a blessing, explained that these were Gehazi and his three sons, for Elisha cured other metzoraim, as we saw with regard to Na'aman, and as we saw in the words of the young woman who said to Na'aman's wife that Elisha would cure him. Certainly, she said this (only) because curing people was (Elisha's) practice. It is explained that this was Gehazi and his sons, who could not be cured. Thus it is said

They were metzoraim: That they remained metzoraim and were not cured. Since they were afflicted in Shomron, they sent them beyond the city wall, as is the law of metzora: send him out from walled cities, as it is written in the first chapter of the tractate Kelim.

Had caused the camp of Arom to hear. It seemed to them as though they were hearing.

We will be considered guilty. We will be held guilty by the throne.

As they were. As they were full at the beginning; they did not take out what was in them.

We are starving. And long to go out to the loot and to the food.⁴Their enemy figured that the Bnei Yisroel are desperately starving and will therefore leave the city without first investigating whether the enemy is waiting in ambush.—Metzudas Dovid

That are left in it [the city]. Within the city, that did not die of hunger.

Behold, they are like all the multitude of Yisroel that are left in [the city]. If they will say that they are in danger of being killed by the Aromeans, behold, [if they remain] in this city they are in danger like the rest of all the multitude of Yisroel that are left there, and if they die, they are like all the multitude of Yisroel that have perished from hunger.

In their haste. In their hurry to escape.

Upon whose hand he leaned. On the day before, when he came to Elisha’s house.⁵See above v. 2. Initially he scoffed at Elisha’s prophecy. The king assigned him to stand guard at the gate to prevent looting of the camp. This would have kept the price of grain higher than predicted by the prophet. However, he was trampled by the people at the gate and he died, to fulfill the prophecy of Elisha.—Malbim