Bible Commentaries

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

2 Kings 1

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Introduction

1  Moab rebels.
2  Ahaziah, sending to Baal-zebub, hath his judgment by Elijah.
5  Elijah twice brings fire from heaven upon them whom Ahaziah sent to apprehend him.
13  He pities the third captain, and, encouraged by an angel, tells the king of his death.
17  Jehoram succeeds Ahaziah.
Verse 1

Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.
Moab
Numbers 24:7, 2 Samuel 8:2, 1 Chronicles 18:2, Psalms 60:8
after the
3:4,5, 8:20,22
Verse 2

And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.
a lattice
The flat roofs of the eastern houses are generally surrounded by a parapet wall breast high; but instead of this, some terraces are guarded with balustrades only, or latticed work. Of the same kind, probably, was the lattice, or net, as the term shevacha seems to import, through which Ahaziah fell into the court. This incident proves the necessity of the law for the formation of battlements for roof, (De 22:8,) which God graciously dictated from Sinai, which furnishes a beautiful example of his paternal care and goodness; for the terrace was a place where many offices of the family were performed, and business frequently transacted.
Judges 5:28, Song of Solomon 2:9, Acts 20:9
was sick
1 Kings 22:34; *marg:; 2 Chronicles 21:14,15, Job 31:3
Baal-zebub
3,6,16, Matthew 10:25, 12:24-27, Mark 3:22, Luke 11:15
Beelzebub
god.
Judges 11:24, 1 Samuel 5:10, 1 Kings 11:33, Isaiah 37:12,19
whether
8:7-10, 1 Kings 14:3
Verse 3

But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?
angel
15, 1 Kings 19:5,7, Acts 8:26, 12:7-11
Elijah
8, 1 Kings 17:1
Arise
1 Kings 18:1
it
6,16, 5:8,15, 1 Samuel 17:46, 1 Kings 18:36, Psalms 76:1
ye go
Jeremiah 2:11-13, Jonah 2:8, Mark 3:22
Verse 4

Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed.
Thou shalt, etc
Heb. The bed whither thou art gone up, thou shalt not come down from it. but shalt.
Genesis 2:17, 3:4, Numbers 26:65, 1 Samuel 28:19, 1 Kings 14:12, Proverbs 11:19, 14:32, Ezekiel 18:4
Verse 6

And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
Thus saith
Isaiah 41:22,23
therefore
3,4, 1 Chronicles 10:13,14, Psalms 16:4
Verse 7

And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words?
What manner of man was he? Heb
What was the manner of the man?
Judges 8:18, 1 Samuel 28:14
Verse 8

And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.
an hairy man
That is, he wore a rough garment, either made of camels' hair, as that of John Baptist, or of a skin, dressed with the hair on. Sir J. Chardin informs us, in a MS. note on this place, cited by Mr. Harmer, that the eastern dervishes and fakeers are clothed just as Elijah was, with a hairy garment, girded with a leathern girdle.
Isaiah 20:2, Zechariah 13:4, Matthew 3:4, 11:8, Luke 1:17, Revelation 11:3
Verse 9

Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down.
sent unto
6:13,14, 1 Kings 18:4,10, 19:2, 22:8,26,27, Matthew 14:3
he sat
1 Kings 18:42, Luke 6:11,12
Thou man
Amos 7:12, Matthew 26:68, 27:29,41-43, Mark 15:29,32, Hebrews 11:36
Verse 10

And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
If I be a man
2:23,24, Numbers 16:28-30, 1 Kings 18:36-38, 22:28, 2 Chronicles 36:16, Psalms 105:15, Matthew 21:41, 23:34-37, Acts 5:3-10
let fire
Or, rather, as the original literally imports, and the LXX. render, [katabesetai pyr] fire shall come down; Elijah's words being simply declarative, and not imprecatory.
Numbers 11:1, 16:35, Job 1:16, Psalms 106:18, Luke 9:54, Hebrews 12:29, Revelation 11:5
consumed
Daniel 3:22,25, 6:24, Acts 12:19
Verse 11

Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.
Again
Numbers 16:41, 1 Samuel 6:9, Isaiah 26:11, Jeremiah 5:3, John 18:5-12, Acts 4:16,17
O man
1 Samuel 22:17-19, Proverbs 29:12, Isaiah 32:7, Matthew 2:16, Luke 22:63,64
Verse 12

And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
9,10
Verse 13

And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, 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 sent again
Job 15:25,26, Proverbs 27:22, Ecclesiastes 9:3, Isaiah 1:5
fell on
Heb. bowed.
Isaiah 66:2
besought
Exodus 11:8, Numbers 12:11-13, 1 Kings 13:6, Isaiah 60:14, Revelation 3:9
O man of God
Psalms 102:17, James 4:7
Verse 14

Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight.
Behold
10,11
let my life
1 Samuel 26:21,24, Psalms 49:8, 72:14, 116:15, Proverbs 6:26, Matthew 16:25,26, Acts 20:24
Verse 15

And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king.
be not afraid of him
Genesis 15:1, 1 Kings 18:15, Psalms 27:1, Isaiah 51:12, Jeremiah 1:17, 15:20, Ezekiel 2:6, Matthew 10:28, Hebrews 11:27
Verse 16

And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to enquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
Forasmuch
3,4,6, Exodus 4:22,23, 1 Kings 14:6-13, 21:18-24, 22:28
Baal-zebub
Literally, "the lord of flies;" or, as the LXX. render, [Baal mwean theon] Baal the fly god. See note on Ex 8:24.
on which thou are gone up
In the East there is usually at the end of each chamber a little gallery, raised three or four feet above the floor, with a balustrade in front, to which they go up by a few steps: here they place their beds; an allusion to which situation is involved in this declaration of Elijah's, and frequently referred to in the Sacred Scriptures: see Ge 49:4.
5:21, Psalms 132:3
Verse 17

So he died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram reigned in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son.
Jehoram
As it is said in ch. 3:1, that he began his reign in the eighteenth of Jehoshaphat, it is supposed that Jehoshaphat admitted his son Jehoram to reign with him eight or nine years before his death. "The second year that Jehoram was Prorex, and the eighteenth of Jehoshaphat."
in the second
3:1, 8:16,17, 1 Kings 22:51
Verse 18

Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
in the book
1 Kings 14:19, 22:39

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