2 Kings 1:13

13 Once more the king sent an officer with fifty men. He went up the hill, fell on his knees in front of Elijah, and pleaded, "Man of God, be merciful to me and my men. Spare our lives!

2 Kings 1:13 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 1:13

And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty,
&c.] Which was most daring and insolent, and showed him to be dreadfully hardened, to persist in his messages after such rebuffs: and the third captain of fifty went up; instead of calling to the prophet at the bottom of the hill as the other did, he went up to the top of it: and came and fell on his knees before Elijah:
in reverence of him as a prophet of the Lord, and under a dread of the power he was possessed of, of calling for fire from heaven on him and his men, as the former instances showed: and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee,
let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious
in thy sight:
he owns their lives lay at his mercy; he begs they might be spared, since it was not in contempt of him, and through ill will to him as the prophet of the Lord, but in obedience to the king's command, that they were come to him.

2 Kings 1:13 In-Context

11 The king sent another officer with fifty men, who went up and said to Elijah, "Man of God, the king orders you to come down at once!"

12 "If I am a man of God," Elijah answered, "may fire come down from heaven and kill you and your men!" At once the fire of God came down and killed the officer and his men.

13 Once more the king sent an officer with fifty men. He went up the hill, fell on his knees in front of Elijah, and pleaded, "Man of God, be merciful to me and my men. Spare our lives!

14 The two other officers and their men were killed by fire from heaven; but please be merciful to me!"

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