2 Kings 1:6
in 2 Kings 1They 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.’”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they said unto him, There came up a man to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, Is it because there is no God in Israel, that thou sendest to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from the bed whither thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
KJV
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 Baal–zebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
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This verse in 2 Kings 1
Commentary
4 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
This latter supposition is most probably the true one, as Ahaziah did not fall either into the street or the court, but "in his upper chamber." inquire of Baalzebub--Anxious to learn whether he should recover from the effects of this severe fall, he sent to consult Baalzebub, that is, the god of flies, who was considered the patron deity of medicine.
This site's exposition
Why have you returned
on 2 Kings 1:5-6
The messengers come back so soon that Ahaziah asks at once, “Why have you returned?” They repeat the prophet's question and sentence. They can describe the man but not name him, so the king hears his fate from his own servants before he learns who spoke it.
This site's exposition
sending these men to inquire
The messengers repeat the question with one change, for now the king himself is the one sending these men. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown record that Baal-zebub, the god of flies, was held to be the patron deity of medicine. A king hurt in a fall sent to the healer god.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
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,.... King Ahaziah: and say unto him; and then they repeated all that is said by the angel to Elijah, and he had delivered to them, 2Ki 1:3 and which was a sufficient reason for their turning back, since they got a full answer from a man of God, of what they were to inquire of at Ekron; which was, whether the king would recover of this disease or not.
The words behind it
41 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ | vaiyomeru | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלָ֜יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ׀ | ʾish | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| עָלָ֣ה | ʾalah | he came up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| לִקְרָאתֵ֗נוּ | likratenu | to meet us | H7122 → | 139 times |
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלֵינוּ֮ | ʾeleinu | to us | H413 → | 5510 times |
| לְכ֣וּ | lekhu | go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| שׁוּבוּ֮ | shuvu | return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| שָׁלַ֣ח | shalach | he sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| אֶתְכֶם֒ | ʾetkhem | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וְדִבַּרְתֶּ֣ם | vedibartem | and you will speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֵלָ֗יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כֹּ֚ה | koh | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֣ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| הַֽמִבְּלִ֤י | hamibeli | ¿ because not | H1097 → | 58 times |
| אֵין־ | ʾein- | there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| אֱלֹהִים֙ | ʾelohim | [is] a God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | beyisrael | in Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אַתָּ֣ה | ʾatah | [are] you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| שֹׁלֵ֔חַ | sholeach | sending | H7971 → | 845 times |
| לִדְרֹ֕שׁ | lidrosh | to consult | H1875 → | 164 times |
| בְּבַ֥עַל | bevaal | <in> Baal | H1176 → | 8 times |
| זְב֖וּב | zevuv | Zebub | H1176 → | 8 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֣י | ʾelohei | [the] god | H430 → | 2601 times |
| עֶקְר֑וֹן | ekron | Ekron | H6138 → | 22 times |
| לָ֠כֵן | lakhen | <to> therefore | H3651 → | 771 times |
| הַמִּטָּ֞ה | hamitah | the bed | H4296 → | 29 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | where | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָלִ֥יתָ | ʾalita | you have gone up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| שָּׁ֛ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תֵרֵ֥ד | tered | you will come down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| מִמֶּ֖נָּה | mimenah | from it | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| מ֥וֹת | mot | certainly <to die> | H4191 → | 839 times |
| תָּמֽוּת׃ | tamut | you will die | H4191 → | 839 times |
וַיֹּאמְר֨וּand they said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
אֵלָ֜יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
אִ֣ישׁ׀a man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
עָלָ֣הhe came up
ʾalahH5927 →890 times
לִקְרָאתֵ֗נוּto meet us
likratenuH7122 →139 times
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֵלֵינוּ֮to us
ʾeleinuH413 →5510 times
לְכ֣וּgo
lekhuH1980 →1546 times
שׁוּבוּ֮return
shuvuH7725 →1056 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַמֶּ֣לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֲשֶׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
שָׁלַ֣חhe sent
shalachH7971 →845 times
אֶתְכֶם֒<obj.> you
ʾetkhemH853 →10935 times
וְדִבַּרְתֶּ֣םand you will speak
vedibartemH1696 →1141 times
אֵלָ֗יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
כֹּ֚הthus
kohH3541 →577 times
אָמַ֣רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
הַֽמִבְּלִ֤י¿ because not
hamibeliH1097 →58 times
אֵין־there not
ʾein-H369 →789 times
אֱלֹהִים֙[is] a God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לin Israel
beyisraelH3478 →2507 times
אַתָּ֣ה[are] you
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
שֹׁלֵ֔חַsending
sholeachH7971 →845 times
לִדְרֹ֕שׁto consult
lidroshH1875 →164 times
בְּבַ֥עַל<in> Baal
bevaalH1176 →8 times
זְב֖וּבZebub
zevuvH1176 →8 times
אֱלֹהֵ֣י[the] god
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
עֶקְר֑וֹןEkron
ekronH6138 →22 times
לָ֠כֵן<to> therefore
lakhenH3651 →771 times
הַמִּטָּ֞הthe bed
hamitahH4296 →29 times
אֲשֶׁר־where
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
עָלִ֥יתָyou have gone up
ʾalitaH5927 →890 times
שָּׁ֛םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תֵרֵ֥דyou will come down
teredH3381 →381 times
מִמֶּ֖נָּהfrom it
mimenahH4480 →1188 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
מ֥וֹתcertainly <to die>
motH4191 →839 times
תָּמֽוּת׃you will die
tamutH4191 →839 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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
Psalms 16:4Sorrows will multiply to those who chase other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood, or speak their names with my lips.
it leads to
- Exodus 23:13
Pay close attention to everything I have said to you. You must not invoke the names of other gods; they must not be heard on your lips.
- Joshua 23:7
So you are not to associate with these nations that remain among you. You must not call on the names of their gods or swear by them, and you must not serve them or…
- Psalms 97:7
All worshipers of images are put to shame— those who boast in idols. Worship Him, all you gods!
- Psalms 32:10
Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but loving devotion surrounds him who trusts in the LORD.
- Jonah 2:8
Those who cling to worthless idols forsake His loving devotion.
- Exodus 23:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
On this chapter
About 2 Kings
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.