2 Kings 1:2
in 2 Kings 1Now 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.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Ahaziah fell down through the lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover of this sickness.
KJV
And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baal–zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.
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This verse in 2 Kings 1
Commentary
10 notes on this verseFell down through a lattice - Perhaps either through the flat root of his house, or over or through the balustrades with which the roof was surrounded. Go, inquire of Baal-zebub - Literally, the fly-god, or master of flies. The Septuagint has βααλ μυιαν, Baal the fly. He was the tutelary god of Ekron, and probably was used at first as a kind of telesm, to drive away flies. He became afterwards a very respectable devil, and was supposed to have great power and influence.
This site's exposition
fell down through a lattice
A lattice gives way under a king's weight and turns an ordinary accident into a test of where a monarch turns in a crisis. Ahaziah sends past the God of Israel to Baal-zebub, the fly-god of the Philistine city Ekron, asking only whether he will live and never asking what he owes. The name travels forward into the Gospels as Beelzebub, the prince of devils at Matt 12:24, so the god Ahaziah consults here is the same figure Jesus is later accused of serving.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"Ahaziah falls from the gallery of his upper chamber in Samaria." … Ahaziah is the son of Ahab, and after Ahab's death he takes his place and reigns over his people. Now, he falls from the upper chambers of his palace, and his body is …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
But the words may be rendered, through the battlements (or through the lattess in the battlements) of the roof of the house. Where, standing and looking through, and leaning upon this lattess, it broke, and he fell down into the court or garden. Baal-zebub - Properly, the God of flies; an idol so called, because it was supposed to deliver those people from flies;
Ahaziah's death, ver. 17; Moab - This had been subdued by David, as Edom was; and upon the division of his kingdom, Moab was adjoined to that of Israel, and Edom to that of Judah, each to that kingdom upon which it bordered. But when the kingdoms of Israel and Judah were weak and forsaken by God, they took that opportunity to revolt from them;
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And Ahaziah fell down a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria,....
His enquiry was very foolish: Shall I recover? Even nature itself would rather have asked, "What means may I use that I may recover?" But as one solicitous only to know his fortune, not to know his duty, his question is only this, Shall I recover? to which a little time would give an answer.
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
The snare is laid for the sinner in the ground where he thinks least of it, Job xviii. The whole creation, which groans under the man's sin, will at length sink and break under the weight, like this lattice. He is never safe that has God for his enemy.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A 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.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
A lattice - The “upper chamber” had probably a single latticed window, through which Ahaziah fell. Windows in the East are to this day generally closed by lattices of interlaced wood, which open outward; so that, if the fastening is not properly secured, one who leans against them may easily fall out. Baal-zebub - literally, “Lord (i. e., averter) of flies.” Flies in the East constitute one of the most terrible of plages Psa 105:31; Exo 8:24; and Orientals would be as likely to have a “god of flies” as a god of storm fand thunder. To inquire 2Ki 1:3 of Baal-zebub was practically to deny Yahweh. Ahaziah cast aside the last remnant of respect for the old religion, and consulted a foreign oracle, as if the voice of God were wholly silent in his own country. For Ekron see the marginal reference.
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּפֹּ֨ל | vaiyipol | and he fell | H5307 → | 435 times |
| אֲחַזְיָ֜ה | ʾachazyah | Ahaziah | H274 → | 37 times |
| בְּעַ֣ד | bead | through | H1157 → | 105 times |
| הַשְּׂבָכָ֗ה | hasevakhah | the window-lattice | H7639 → | 16 times |
| בַּעֲלִיָּת֛וֹ | baaliyato | in upper room his | H5944 → | 20 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בְּשֹׁמְר֖וֹן | beshomeron | [was] in Samaria | H8111 → | 109 times |
| וַיָּ֑חַל | vaiyachal | and he became ill | H2470 → | 76 times |
| וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח | vaiyishlach | and he sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| מַלְאָכִ֔ים | malakhim | messengers | H4397 → | 213 times |
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲלֵהֶם֙ | ʾalehem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
| לְכ֣וּ | lekhu | go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| דִרְשׁ֗וּ | dirshu | consult | H1875 → | 164 times |
| בְּבַ֤עַל | bevaal | <in> Baal | H1176 → | 8 times |
| זְבוּב֙ | zevuv | Zebub | H1176 → | 8 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֣י | ʾelohei | [the] god of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| עֶקְר֔וֹן | ekron | Ekron | H6138 → | 22 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| אֶחְיֶ֖ה | ʾechyeh | I will live | H2421 → | 282 times |
| מֵחֳלִ֥י | mecholi | from sickness | H2483 → | 24 times |
| זֶֽה׃ ס | zeh | this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
וַיִּפֹּ֨לand he fell
vaiyipolH5307 →435 times
אֲחַזְיָ֜הAhaziah
ʾachazyahH274 →37 times
בְּעַ֣דthrough
beadH1157 →105 times
הַשְּׂבָכָ֗הthe window-lattice
hasevakhahH7639 →16 times
בַּעֲלִיָּת֛וֹin upper room his
baaliyatoH5944 →20 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בְּשֹׁמְר֖וֹן[was] in Samaria
beshomeronH8111 →109 times
וַיָּ֑חַלand he became ill
vaiyachalH2470 →76 times
וַיִּשְׁלַ֣חand he sent
vaiyishlachH7971 →845 times
מַלְאָכִ֔יםmessengers
malakhimH4397 →213 times
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֲלֵהֶם֙to them
ʾalehemH413 →5510 times
לְכ֣וּgo
lekhuH1980 →1546 times
דִרְשׁ֗וּconsult
dirshuH1875 →164 times
בְּבַ֤עַל<in> Baal
bevaalH1176 →8 times
זְבוּב֙Zebub
zevuvH1176 →8 times
אֱלֹהֵ֣י[the] god of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
עֶקְר֔וֹןEkron
ekronH6138 →22 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
אֶחְיֶ֖הI will live
ʾechyehH2421 →282 times
מֵחֳלִ֥יfrom sickness
mecholiH2483 →24 times
זֶֽה׃ סthis
zehH2088 →1180 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
Matthew 10:25It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his…
it leads to
- Matthew 12:24
But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “Only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, does this man drive out demons.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 9:34
But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that He drives out demons.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- John 7:20
“You have a demon,” the crowd replied. “Who is trying to kill You?”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 11:15
but some of them said, “It is by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons, that He drives out demons.”
- Mark 3:22
And 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.”
- Matthew 12:24
Through
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.”
it leads to
- Matthew 10:25
It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his…
- Matthew 15:1
Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked,
- Matthew 10:25
Through
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…
it leads to
- 2 Kings 1:2–4
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…
- 2 Kings 1:2–4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 1:1; Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; 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.