10 So they came and called to the porter of the city; and they told them, saying, "We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but the horses tied, and the donkeys tied, and the tents as they were."
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
They called unto the porter and told them - The word "porter" is used like our "guard" and the meaning here is, not that the lepers called to any particular individual, but that they roused the body of men who were keeping guard at one of the gates.
So they came and called to the porter of the city,.... The chief of those that had the care of the gate of it; for there were more than one, as follows:
and they told them; the porter, and the watchmen with him:
we came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man; not one to be seen or heard:
but horses tied, and asses tied; to their mangers; the latter, as well as the former, were used for war, not only to carry burdens, but to fight upon, as Aelianus (a) relates of some people; and especially when there was a want of horses, as Strabo (b); and both observe that this creature was sacrificed to Mars:
and the tents as they were; none of them struck, nor anything taken out of them.
(a) De Animal. l. 12. c. 34. (b) Geograph. l. 15. p. 500.
horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were--The uniform arrangement of encampments in the East is to place the tents in the center, while the cattle are picketed all around, as an outer wall of defense; and hence the lepers describe the cattle as the first objects they saw.
*More commentary available at chapter level.