2 Kings 1:13
in 2 Kings 1So 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And again he sent the captain of a 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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in 2 Kings 1
Commentary
7 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
fell on his knees before Elijah
on 2 Kings 1:13-14
The third captain “fell on his knees before Elijah” and begs for his life and the lives of his fifty, naming the companies already consumed. At Luke 9:54 James and John ask Jesus whether to call down fire from heaven on a Samaritan village, and Jesus turns and rebukes them.
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 Awakening3 voices
God is not so severe with those that stand it out against him but he is as ready to show mercy to those that repent and submit to him; never any found it in vain to cast themselves upon the mercy of God. This captain, not only has his life spared, but is permitted to carry his point: Elijah, being so commanded by the angel, goes down with him to the king,
Besought - Expressing both reverence to his person, and a dread of God's judgments. There is nothing to be got by contending with God: if we would prevail with him, it must be by supplication. And those are wise who learn submission from the fatal consequences of obstinacy in others.
And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty,....
The words behind it
30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּ֗שָׁב | vaiyashov | and he returned | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| וַיִּשְׁלַ֛ח | vaiyishlach | and he sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| שַׂר־ | sar- | a commander of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים | chamishim | a fifty | H2572 → | 163 times |
| שְׁלִשִׁ֖ים | shelishim | third | H7992 → | 107 times |
| וַחֲמִשָּׁ֑יו | vachamishav | and fifty [men] his | H2572 → | 163 times |
| וַיַּ֡עַל | vaiyaal | and he went up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| וַיָּבֹא֩ | vaiyavo' | and he went | H935 → | 2568 times |
| שַׂר־ | sar- | [the] commander of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| הַחֲמִשִּׁ֨ים | hachamishim | the fifty | H2572 → | 163 times |
| הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֜י | hashelishi | <the> third | H7992 → | 107 times |
| וַיִּכְרַ֥ע | vaiyikhra' | and he bowed down | H3766 → | |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| בִּרְכָּ֣יו׀ | birkav | knees his | H1290 → | |
| לְנֶ֣גֶד | leneged | to before | H5048 → | 151 times |
| אֵלִיָּ֗הוּ | ʾeliyahu | Elijah | H452 → | 71 times |
| וַיִּתְחַנֵּ֤ן | vaiyitchanen | and he sought favor | H2603 → | |
| אֵלָיו֙ | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר | vaydaber | and he spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֵלָ֔יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אִ֚ישׁ | ʾish | O man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| תִּֽיקַר־ | tikar- | let it be precious | H3365 → | |
| נָ֣א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| נַפְשִׁ֗י | nafshi | life my | H5315 → | 754 times |
| וְנֶ֨פֶשׁ | venefesh | and [the] life of | H5315 → | 754 times |
| עֲבָדֶ֥יךָֽ | ʾavadeikha | servants your | H5650 → | 799 times |
| אֵ֛לֶּה | ʾeleh | these | H428 → | 746 times |
| חֲמִשִּׁ֖ים | chamishim | fifty [men] | H2572 → | 163 times |
| בְּעֵינֶֽיךָ׃ | beeineikha | in view your | H5869 → | 887 times |
וַיָּ֗שָׁבand he returned
vaiyashovH7725 →1056 times
וַיִּשְׁלַ֛חand he sent
vaiyishlachH7971 →845 times
שַׂר־a commander of
sar-H8269 →421 times
חֲמִשִּׁ֥יםa fifty
chamishimH2572 →163 times
שְׁלִשִׁ֖יםthird
shelishimH7992 →107 times
וַחֲמִשָּׁ֑יוand fifty [men] his
vachamishavH2572 →163 times
וַיַּ֡עַלand he went up
vaiyaalH5927 →890 times
וַיָּבֹא֩and he went
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
שַׂר־[the] commander of
sar-H8269 →421 times
הַחֲמִשִּׁ֨יםthe fifty
hachamishimH2572 →163 times
הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֜י<the> third
hashelishiH7992 →107 times
וַיִּכְרַ֥עand he bowed down
vaiyikhra'H3766 →
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
בִּרְכָּ֣יו׀knees his
birkavH1290 →
לְנֶ֣גֶדto before
lenegedH5048 →151 times
אֵלִיָּ֗הוּElijah
ʾeliyahuH452 →71 times
וַיִּתְחַנֵּ֤ןand he sought favor
vaiyitchanenH2603 →
אֵלָיו֙to him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
וַיְדַבֵּ֣רand he spoke
vaydaberH1696 →1141 times
אֵלָ֔יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
אִ֚ישׁO man of
ʾishH376 →1663 times
הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
תִּֽיקַר־let it be precious
tikar-H3365 →
נָ֣אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
נַפְשִׁ֗יlife my
nafshiH5315 →754 times
וְנֶ֨פֶשׁand [the] life of
venefeshH5315 →754 times
עֲבָדֶ֥יךָֽservants your
ʾavadeikhaH5650 →799 times
אֵ֛לֶּהthese
ʾelehH428 →746 times
חֲמִשִּׁ֖יםfifty [men]
chamishimH2572 →163 times
בְּעֵינֶֽיךָ׃in view your
beeineikhaH5869 →887 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
Isaiah 66:2Has not My hand made all these things? And so they came into being,” declares the LORD. “This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles…
it leads to
- Isaiah 57:15
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit,…
- Psalms 34:18
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit.
- Psalms 51:17
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
- Matthew 5:3–4
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- 2 Chronicles 34:27–28
because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its people, and because you have humbled yourself before Me and you have…
- Isaiah 57:15
Through
Revelation 3:9Look at those who belong to the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews but are liars instead. I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and they will know…
it leads to
- Isaiah 60:14
The sons of your oppressors will come and bow down to you; all who reviled you will fall facedown at your feet and call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy…
- Revelation 2:9
I know your affliction and your poverty—though you are rich! And I am aware of the slander of those who falsely claim to be Jews, but are in fact a synagogue of Satan.
- Isaiah 49:23
Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow to you facedown and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD;…
- Isaiah 60:14
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 (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.