2 Kings 1:11
in 2 Kings 1So 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!’”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And again 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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in 2 Kings 1
Commentary
6 notes on this verseNow if you consider well, dearly beloved, you will realize that not only the Jewish people fell through pride, but also those two captains perished from the same weakness. With great pride and arrogance but lacking any humility, the latter came to blessed Elijah and …
This site's exposition
another captain with his fifty men
on 2 Kings 1:11-12
A second captain comes with fifty men and a sharper order. Elijah gives the identical answer and the identical fire falls, so the king's second attempt changes nothing about the outcome. John Gill notes that Ahaziah, unmoved by the first judgment, simply sends another company to the same end.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
These wretched men are apt to censure the writings of the Old Testament saying, "How was it just for blessed Elijah to burn two captains with their soldiers by means of fire brought down from heaven?" How justly and mercifully this was done, dearly beloved, …
But the stubborn king did not fear the word of the prophet and said in his heart, "He lies." And so he did not pay attention to his warning, which exhorted him to get rid of the reason of his evils and to repent. He …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty,.... The king, not being at all terrified with the awful judgment upon the former, sends another: and he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, come down quickly; he flouts the prophet in the same manner as the former, and in the king's name commands him to come down, and that immediately; which the king added to his orders, or he himself, signifying he would not be trifled with, if he did not come down directly, he would force him.
Elijah relents not, but calls for another flash of lightning, which instantly lays this captain and his fifty dead upon the spot. Those that will sin like others must expect to suffer like them; The third captain humbled himself and cast himself upon the mercy of God and Elijah.
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּ֜שָׁב | vaiyashov | and he returned | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח | vaiyishlach | and he sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| אֵלָ֛יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| שַׂר־ | sar- | a commander of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים | chamishim | a fifty | H2572 → | 163 times |
| אַחֵ֖ר | ʾacher | another | H312 → | 166 times |
| וַחֲמִשָּׁ֑יו | vachamishav | and fifty [men] his | H2572 → | 163 times |
| וַיַּ֙עַן֙ | vaiyaan | and he answered | H6030 → | 331 times |
| וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר | vaydaber | and he spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֵלָ֔יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אִ֚ישׁ | ʾish | O man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| כֹּֽה־ | koh- | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֥ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| מְהֵרָ֥ה | meherah | quickly | H4120 → | |
| רֵֽדָה׃ | redah | come down ! | H3381 → | 381 times |
וַיָּ֜שָׁבand he returned
vaiyashovH7725 →1056 times
וַיִּשְׁלַ֥חand he sent
vaiyishlachH7971 →845 times
אֵלָ֛יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
שַׂר־a commander of
sar-H8269 →421 times
חֲמִשִּׁ֥יםa fifty
chamishimH2572 →163 times
אַחֵ֖רanother
ʾacherH312 →166 times
וַחֲמִשָּׁ֑יוand fifty [men] his
vachamishavH2572 →163 times
וַיַּ֙עַן֙and he answered
vaiyaanH6030 →331 times
וַיְדַבֵּ֣רand he spoke
vaydaberH1696 →1141 times
אֵלָ֔יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
אִ֚ישׁO man of
ʾishH376 →1663 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
כֹּֽה־thus
koh-H3541 →577 times
אָמַ֥רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
מְהֵרָ֥הquickly
meherahH4120 →
רֵֽדָה׃come down !
redahH3381 →381 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 29:12If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials will be wicked.
it leads to
- Proverbs 20:8
A king who sits on a throne to judge sifts out all evil with his eyes.
- Psalms 52:2–4
Your tongue devises destruction like a sharpened razor, O worker of deceit.
- Proverbs 20:8
Through
Isaiah 26:11O LORD, Your hand is upraised, but they do not see it. They will see Your zeal for Your people and be put to shame. The fire set for Your enemies will consume them!
it leads to
- Hebrews 10:27
but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries.
- Hebrews 10:27
Through
Numbers 16:41The next day the whole congregation of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the LORD’s people!”
it leads to
- Numbers 16:1–7
Now Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath son of Levi, along with some Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—conducted
- Psalms 106:25–48
They grumbled in their tents and did not listen to the voice of the LORD.
- Psalms 106:23
So He said He would destroy them— had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach to divert His wrath from destroying them.
- Numbers 14:2
All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness!
- Numbers 16:1–7
Through
1 Samuel 6:9but keep watching it. If it goes up the road to its homeland, toward Beth-shemesh, it is the LORD who has brought on us this great disaster. But if it does not, then we…
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 1:6
“I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,” he replied, “and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and the cavalry closing in on him.
- 2 Samuel 1:6
Where this verse is studied
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About 2 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 125.2; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 125.1; Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 1:1; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.