13 And he sent H7971 again H7725 a captain H8269 of the third H7992 fifty H2572 with his fifty. H2572 And the third H7992 captain H8269 of fifty H2572 went up, H5927 and came H935 and fell H3766 on his knees H1290 before H5048 Elijah, H452 and besought H2603 him, and said H1696 unto him, O man H376 of God, H430 I pray thee, let my life, H5315 and the life H5315 of these fifty H2572 thy servants, H5650 be precious H3365 in thy sight. H5869
Why should ye be stricken H5221 any more? ye will revolt H5627 more and more: H3254 the whole head H7218 is sick, H2483 and the whole heart H3824 faint. H1742
And all these thy servants H5650 shall come down H3381 unto me, and bow down H7812 themselves unto me, saying, H559 Get thee out, H3318 and all the people H5971 that follow H7272 thee: and after H310 that I will go out. H3318 And he went out H3318 from Pharaoh H6547 in a great H2750 anger. H639
And Aaron H175 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Alas, H994 my lord, H113 I beseech thee, lay H7896 not the sin H2403 upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, H2973 and wherein we have sinned. H2398 Let her not be as one dead, H4994 H4191 of whom the flesh H1320 is half H2677 consumed H398 when he cometh out H3318 of his mother's H517 womb. H7358 And Moses H4872 cried H6817 unto the LORD, H3068 saying, H559 Heal H7495 her now, O God, H410 I beseech thee.
Then said H559 Saul, H7586 I have sinned: H2398 return, H7725 my son H1121 David: H1732 for I will no more do thee harm, H7489 because my soul H5315 was precious H3365 in thine eyes H5869 this day: H3117 behold, I have played the fool, H5528 and have erred H7686 exceedingly. H7235 H3966
And the king H4428 answered H6030 and said H559 unto the man H376 of God, H430 Intreat H2470 now the face H6440 of the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 and pray H6419 for me, that my hand H3027 may be restored me again. H7725 And the man H376 of God H430 besought H2470 H6440 the LORD, H3068 and the king's H4428 hand H3027 was restored him again, H7725 and became as it was before. H7223
He shall redeem H1350 their soul H5315 from deceit H8496 and violence: H2555 and precious H3365 shall their blood H1818 be in his sight. H5869
This is an evil H7451 among all things that are done H6213 under the sun, H8121 that there is one H259 event H4745 unto all: yea, also the heart H3820 of the sons H1121 of men H120 is full H4390 of evil, H7451 and madness H1947 is in their heart H3824 while they live, H2416 and after H310 that they go to the dead. H4191
The sons H1121 also of them that afflicted H6031 thee shall come H1980 bending H7817 unto thee; and all they that despised H5006 thee shall bow themselves down H7812 at the soles H3709 of thy feet; H7272 and they shall call H7121 thee, The city H5892 of the LORD, H3068 The Zion H6726 of the Holy One H6918 of Israel. H3478
Submit yourselves G5293 therefore G3767 to God. G2316 Resist G436 the devil, G1228 and G2532 he will flee G5343 from G575 you. G5216
Behold, G2400 I will make G1325 them of G1537 the synagogue G4864 of Satan, G4567 which G3588 say G3004 they G1438 are G1511 Jews, G2453 and G2532 are G1526 not, G3756 but G235 do lie; G5574 behold, G2400 I will make G4160 them G846 to G2443 come G2240 and G2532 worship G4352 before G1799 thy G4675 feet, G4228 and G2532 to know G1097 that G3754 I G1473 have loved G25 thee. G4571
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Kings 1
Commentary on 2 Kings 1 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 1
2Ki 1:1. Moab Rebels.
1. Then Moab rebelled—Subdued by David (2Sa 8:2), they had, in the partition of Israel and Judah, fallen to the share of the former kingdom. But they took advantage of the death of Ahab to shake off the yoke (see on 2Ki 3:6). The casualty that befell Ahaziah [2Ki 1:2] prevented his taking active measures for suppressing this revolt, which was accomplished as a providential judgment on the house of Ahab for all these crimes.
2Ki 1:2-8. Ahaziah's Judgment by Elijah.
2-8. Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber—This lattice was either a part of the wooden parapet, or fence, which surrounds the flat roofs of houses, and over which the king was carelessly leaning when it gave way; or it might be an opening like a skylight in the roof itself, done over with lattice-work, which, being slender or rotten, the king stepped on and slipped through. This latter supposition is most probably the true one, as Ahaziah did not fall either into the street or the court, but "in his upper chamber."
inquire of Baalzebub—Anxious to learn whether he should recover from the effects of this severe fall, he sent to consult Baalzebub, that is, the god of flies, who was considered the patron deity of medicine. A temple to that idol was erected at Ekron, which was resorted to far and wide, though it afterwards led to the destruction of the place (Zec 9:5; Am 1:8; Zep 2:4). "After visiting Ekron, 'the god of flies' is a name that gives me no surprise. The flies there swarmed, in fact so innumerably, that I could hardly get any food without these troublesome insects getting into it" [Van De Velde].
3. the angel of the Lord—not an angel, but the angel, who carried on all communications between the invisible God and His chosen people [Hengstenberg]. This angel commissioned Elijah to meet the king's messengers, to stop them peremptorily on the idolatrous errand, and convey by them to the king information of his approaching death. This consultation of an idol, being a breach of the fundamental law of the kingdom (Ex 20:3; De 5:7), was a daring and deliberate rejection of the national religion. The Lord, in making this announcement of his death, designed that he should see in that event a judgment for his idolatry.
4. Thou shalt not come down from that bed—On being taken up, he had probably been laid on the divan—a raised frame, about three feet broad, extended along the sides of a room, covered with cushions and mattresses—serving, in short, as a sofa by day and a bed by night, and ascended by steps.
Elijah departed—to his ordinary abode, which was then at Mount Carmel (2Ki 2:25; 1Ki 18:42).
5. the messengers turned back—They did not know the stranger; but his authoritative tone, commanding attitude, and affecting message determined them at once to return.
8. an hairy man—This was the description not of his person, as in the case of Esau, but of his dress, which consisted either of unwrought sheep or goatskins (Heb 11:37), or of camel's haircloth—the coarser manufacture of this material like our rough haircloth. The Dervishes and Bedouins are attired in this wild, uncouth manner, while their hair flows loose on the head, their shaggy cloak is thrown over their shoulders and tied in front on the breast, naked, except at the waist, round which is a skin girdle—a broad, rough leathern belt. Similar to this was the girdle of the prophets, as in keeping with their coarse garments and their stern, uncompromising office.
2Ki 1:9-16. Elijah Brings Fire from Heaven on Ahaziah's Messengers.
9. Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty—Any appearance of cruelty that there is in the fate of the two captains and their men will be removed, on a full consideration of the circumstances. God being the King of Israel, Ahaziah was bound to govern the kingdom according to the divine law; to apprehend the Lord's prophet, for discharging a commanded duty, was that of an impious and notorious rebel. The captains abetted the king in his rebellion; and they exceeded their military duty by contemptuous insults.
man of God—In using this term, they either spoke derisively, believing him to be no true prophet; or, if they regarded him as a true prophet, the summons to him to surrender himself bound to the king was a still more flagrant insult; the language of the second captain being worse than that of the first.
10. let fire come down—rather, "fire shall come down." Not to avenge a personal insult of Elijah, but an insult upon God in the person of His prophet; and the punishment was inflicted, not by the prophet, but by the direct hand of God.
15, 16. he arose, and went down with him—a marvellous instance of faith and obedience. Though he well knew how obnoxious his presence was to the king, yet, on receiving God's command, he goes unhesitatingly, and repeats, with his own lips, the unwelcome tidings conveyed by the messengers.
2Ki 1:17, 18. Ahaziah Dies, and Is Succeeded by Jehoram.
17. Jehoram—The brother of Ahaziah (see on 2Ki 3:1).