2 Kings 1:9-18

9 So King Ahaziah sent a captain of 50 with his 50 [men] to Elijah. When the captain went up to him, he was sitting on top of the hill. He announced, "Man of God, the king declares, 'Come down!' "

10 Elijah responded to the captain of the 50, "If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50 [men]." Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his 50 [men].^[a]

11 So the king sent another captain of 50 with his 50 [men] to Elijah. He took in the situation^[b] and announced, "Man of God, this is what the king says: 'Come down immediately!' "

12 Elijah responded, "If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50 [men]." So a divine fire^[c] came down from heaven and consumed him and his 50 [men].

13 Then the king sent a third captain of 50 with his 50 [men]. The third captain of 50 went up and fell on his knees in front of Elijah and begged him, "Man of God, please let my life and the lives of these 50 servants of yours be precious in your sight.

14 Already fire has come down from heaven and consumed the first two captains of 50 with their fifties, but this time let my life be precious in your sight."

15 The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, "Go down with him. Don't be afraid of him." So he got up and went down with him to the king.

16 Then Elijah said to King Ahaziah, "This is what the Lord says: 'Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron-is it because there is no God in Israel for you to inquire of His will? You will not get up from your sickbed; you will certainly die.' "

17 Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken. Since he had no son, Joram^[d] became king in his place. [This happened] in the second year of Judah's King Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat.^[e][f]

18 The rest of the events of Ahaziah's [reign], along with his accomplishments, are written about in the Historical Record of Israel's Kings.^[g]

2 Kings 1:9-18 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.

Footnotes

• [a] 1 Kg 18:36-38
• [b] Lit He answered
• [c] Lit a fire of God
• [d] Lit Jehoram; 2 Kg 8:16
• [e] LXX omits in the second year . . . Jehoshaphat
• [f] 2 Kg 3:1
• [g] LXX adds 4 more vv. here, which essentially duplicate the information in 2 Kg 3:1-3.