2 Kings 1:12
in 2 Kings 1Again 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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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.
This site's exposition
the fire of God came
The narrator names the second fire the fire of God, marking its source outright. Caesarius of Arles preached on these two captains as men who perished through pride, coming to Elijah with arrogance and no humility. The third captain will come on his knees.
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 Awakening1 voice
And Elijah answered and said unto them,.... The same as he had to the first captain, and made the same request of fire from heaven; which accordingly came down, and destroyed this captain and his fifty also.
The words behind it
25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֣עַן | vaiyaan | and he answered | H6030 → | 331 times |
| אֵלִיָּה֮ | ʾeliyah | Elijah | H452 → | 71 times |
| וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר | vaydaber | and he spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֲלֵיהֶם֒ | ʾaleihem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| אִ֤ישׁ | ʾish | [am] [the] man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אָ֔נִי | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| תֵּ֤רֶד | tered | let it come down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| אֵשׁ֙ | ʾesh | fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם | hashamayim | the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
| וְתֹאכַ֥ל | vetokhal | and let it consume | H398 → | 810 times |
| אֹתְךָ֖ | ʾotekha | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| חֲמִשֶּׁ֑יךָ | chamisheikha | fifty [men] your | H2572 → | 163 times |
| וַתֵּ֤רֶד | vatered | and it came down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| אֵשׁ־ | ʾesh- | [the] fire of | H784 → | 378 times |
| אֱלֹהִים֙ | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם | hashamayim | the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
| וַתֹּ֥אכַל | vatokhal | and it consumed | H398 → | 810 times |
| אֹת֖וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| חֲמִשָּֽׁיו׃ | chamishav | fifty [men] his | H2572 → | 163 times |
וַיַּ֣עַןand he answered
vaiyaanH6030 →331 times
אֵלִיָּה֮Elijah
ʾeliyahH452 →71 times
וַיְדַבֵּ֣רand he spoke
vaydaberH1696 →1141 times
אֲלֵיהֶם֒to them
ʾaleihemH413 →5510 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
אִ֤ישׁ[am] [the] man of
ʾishH376 →1663 times
הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
אָ֔נִיI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
תֵּ֤רֶדlet it come down
teredH3381 →381 times
אֵשׁ֙fire
ʾeshH784 →378 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִםthe heavens
hashamayimH8064 →421 times
וְתֹאכַ֥לand let it consume
vetokhalH398 →810 times
אֹתְךָ֖<obj.> you
ʾotekhaH853 →10935 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
חֲמִשֶּׁ֑יךָfifty [men] your
chamisheikhaH2572 →163 times
וַתֵּ֤רֶדand it came down
vateredH3381 →381 times
אֵשׁ־[the] fire of
ʾesh-H784 →378 times
אֱלֹהִים֙God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִםthe heavens
hashamayimH8064 →421 times
וַתֹּ֥אכַלand it consumed
vatokhalH398 →810 times
אֹת֖וֹ<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
חֲמִשָּֽׁיו׃fifty [men] his
chamishavH2572 →163 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
On this chapter
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 125.2; 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) and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament.