2 Kings 1:2-12

2 And Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber which was in Samaria, and became ill. So he sent messengers and said to them, "Go, 1inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, 2whether I will recover from this sickness."
3 But the angel of the LORD said to 3Elijah the Tishbite, "Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and say to them, 'Is it because * there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of 4Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?'
4 "Now therefore thus says the LORD, '[a]5You shall not come down from the bed where * you have gone up, but you shall surely die.' " Then Elijah departed.
5 When the messengers returned to him he said to them, "[b]Why have you returned?"
6 They said to him, "A man came up to meet us and said to us, 'Go, return to the king who sent you and say to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Is it because * there is no God in Israel that you are sending 6to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore [c]you shall not come down from the bed where * you have gone up, but shall surely die.' ""'
7 He said to them, "What kind of man was he who came up to meet you and spoke these words to you?"
8 They [d]answered him, "7He was a hairy man with a leather girdle [e]bound about his loins." And he said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite."
9 Then the king 8sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him, and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. And he said to him, "O man of God, the king says, 'Come down.' "
10 Elijah replied to the captain of fifty, "If I am a man of God, 9let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." 10Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
11 So he again sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he said to him, "O man of God, thus says the king, 'Come down quickly.' "
12 Elijah replied to them, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

2 Kings 1:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS

\\COMMONLY CALLED THE FOURTH BOOK OF THE KINGS\\

This, and the preceding book, are properly but one book divided into two parts, because of the size of it, as the book of Samuel; it is a continuation of the history of the kings of Israel and Judah; and for a further account of it the reader is referred to the title of the preceding book.

\\INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 1\\

This chapter begins with the rebellion of Moab against Israel, 2Ki 1:1, relates a fall of the king of Israel in his house, which brought on him a sickness, about which he sent messengers to inquire of the god of Ekron, who were stopped by Elijah, and bid to return, as they did; and upon the king's examination of them about the cause of their return, he perceived it was Elijah that forbad them, 2Ki 1:2-8, upon which the king sent to him two captains, with fifty men each, one after another, to bring him to him, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 2Ki 1:9-12, but a third with fifty men sent to him were spared, and he is bid to go along with them with a message to the king, as he did, 2Ki 1:13-16 and the chapter is closed with the death of Ahaziah, 2Ki 1:17,18.

Cross References 10

  • 1. 2 Kin 1:3, 6, 16; Matthew 10:25; Mark 3:22
  • 2. 2 Kings 8:7-10
  • 3. 1 Kings 17:1; 1 Kings 21:17
  • 4. 2 Kings 1:2
  • 5. 2 Kings 1:6, 16
  • 6. 2 Kings 1:2
  • 7. Zechariah 13:4; Matthew 3:4; Mark 1:6
  • 8. 2 Kings 6:13, 14
  • 9. 1 Kings 18:36-38; Luke 9:54
  • 10. Job 1:16

Footnotes 5

  • [a]. Lit "The bed where you went up, you shall not come down from it"
  • [b]. Lit "What is this that you have returned?"
  • [c]. V 4, note 1
  • [d]. Lit "said"
  • [e]. Or "girt"
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