2 Kings 1:8

8 They replied, "He was wearing clothes that were made out of hair. He had a leather belt around his waist." The king said, "That was Elijah from Tishbe."

2 Kings 1:8 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 1:8

And they answered him, he was an hairy man
Either the hair of his head and beard were grown very long, having been much neglected for a great while; or he had an hairy garment on, either of goats' hair, such as the Chinese wear F6, whose women spin it, see ( Exodus 35:26 ) and of which garments are made; or of camels' hair, such as John the Baptist wore, who came in his spirit and power, and imitated him in his dress, being also, as Elijah here, girt with a girdle of leather about his loins:
for more expeditious travelling, not for warmth, the climate being hot: and he said, it is Elijah the Tishbite;
for he had seen him formerly in his father's court in this dress.


FOOTNOTES:

F6 Semedo's History of China, part 1. ch. 3.

2 Kings 1:8 In-Context

6 "A man met us on our way there," they replied. "He said to us, 'Go back to the king who sent you. Tell him, "The LORD says, 'You are sending messengers to ask Baal-Zebub for advice. He is the god of Ekron. Are you going to that god because you think there is no God in Israel? You will never leave the bed you are lying on. You can be sure that you will die!' " ' "
7 The king asked them, "What kind of man came to see you? Who told you those things?"
8 They replied, "He was wearing clothes that were made out of hair. He had a leather belt around his waist." The king said, "That was Elijah from Tishbe."
9 Then Ahaziah sent a captain to Elijah. The captain had his company of 50 men with him. Elijah was sitting on top of a hill. The captain went up to him. He said to Elijah, "Man of God, the king says, 'Come down!' "
10 Elijah answered the captain, "If I'm really a man of God, may fire come down from heaven! May it burn you and your 50 men up!" Then fire came down from heaven. It burned up the captain and his men.
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