2 Kingschapter 1
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Elijah Destroys the Messengers of Ahaziah — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
A.Is it because there is no God in Israel?vv. 1-8
1 After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel. 2 Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers and instructed them: “Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this injury.” 3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are on your way to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’ 4 Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘You will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.’” So Elijah departed. 5 When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you returned?” 6 They replied, “A man came up to meet us and said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him that this is what the LORD says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending these men to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.’” 7 The king asked them, “What sort of man came up to meet you and spoke these words to you?” 8 “He was a hairy man,” they answered, “with a leather belt around his waist.” “It was Elijah the Tishbite,” said the king.
B.Two captains consumed; a third one kneelsvv. 9-15
9 Then King Ahaziah sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. So the captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down!’” 10 Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his fifty men. 11 So the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. And the captain said to Elijah, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down at once!’” 12 Again Elijah replied, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his fifty men. 13 So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. And the third captain went up, fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, “Man of God, may my life and the lives of these fifty servants please be precious in your sight. 14 Behold, fire has come down from heaven and consumed the first two captains of fifty, with all their men. But now may my life be precious in your sight.” 15 Then the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, “Go down with him. Do not be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king.
C.Thou shalt not come down from that bedvv. 16-18
16 And Elijah said to King Ahaziah, “This is what the LORD says: Is there really no God in Israel for you to inquire of His word? Is that why you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.” 17 So Ahaziah died according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken. And since he had no son, Jehoram succeeded him in the second year of the reign of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat over Judah. 18 As for the rest of the acts of Ahaziah, along with his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
Chapter summary
Ahaziah falls through the lattice of his upper chamber and sends to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether he will recover.
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Chapter summary
Ahaziah falls through the lattice of his upper chamber and sends to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether he will recover.
Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾Show less ▴
Ahaziah falls through the lattice of his upper chamber and sends to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether he will recover. Elijah meets the messengers on the road with the question that frames the whole book: 'Is it because there is no God in Israel, that ye go to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?' The king recognizes the hairy man with the leathern girdle and sends captains of fifty to fetch him; twice fire comes down, and the third captain kneels and begs and is spared. Elijah goes down and repeats the sentence in person, and Ahaziah dies. James and John will ask for this same fire, and be rebuked (Luke 9).
Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament.
Context
History · Jeremiah — 2 Kings overview
- A. 1–8 Is it because there is no God in Israel?
- B. 9–15 Two captains consumed; a third one kneels
- C. 16–18 Thou shalt not come down from that bed
Top cross-references8 chapters ▾
2 Kings 13 verses
- 2 Kings 1:2Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers and instructed them: “Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this injury.”
- 2 Kings 1:9Then King Ahaziah sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. So the captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down!’”
- 2 Kings 1:16And Elijah said to King Ahaziah, “This is what the LORD says: Is there really no God in Israel for you to inquire of His word? Is that why you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.”
- Read 2 Kings 1 →
2 Kings 82 verses
- 2 Kings 8:7Then Elisha came to Damascus while Ben-hadad king of Aram was sick, and the king was told, “The man of God has come here.”
- 2 Kings 8:20In the days of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against the hand of Judah and appointed their own king.
- Read 2 Kings 8 →
2 Samuel 81 verse
- 2 Samuel 8:2David also defeated the Moabites, made them lie down on the ground, and measured them off with a cord. He measured off with two lengths those to be put to death, and with one length those to be spared. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.
- Read 2 Samuel 8 →
Psalms 601 verse
- Psalms 60:8Moab is My washbasin; upon Edom I toss My sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
- Read Psalms 60 →
4 more chapters this one speaks with
Mark 31 verse
- Mark 3:22And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “By the prince of the demons He drives out demons.”
- Read Mark 3 →
1 Kings 171 verse
- 1 Kings 17:1Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was among the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As surely as the LORD lives—the God of Israel before whom I stand—there will be neither dew nor rain in these years except at my word!”
- Read 1 Kings 17 →
Jonah 21 verse
- Jonah 2:8Those who cling to worthless idols forsake His loving devotion.
- Read Jonah 2 →
Jeremiah 21 verse
- Jeremiah 2:11Has a nation ever changed its gods, though they are no gods at all? Yet My people have exchanged their Glory for useless idols.
- Read Jeremiah 2 →
Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.