1Moab rebelleth. 2Ahaziah's messengers, sent to enquire concerning the event of his sickness of Baal-zebub, are turned back by Elijah, with a sentence of death from the Lord. 5Ahaziah, apprised of the cause of their quick return, sendeth to apprehend Elijah, who twice calleth down fire from heaven upon those that come against him. 13Moved by the humble suit of the third captain, and encouraged by an angel, he goeth to the king, and assureth him of his approaching death. 17Ahaziah dieth, and is succeeded by Jehoram.
1THEN 1Moab 2rebelled against Israel aftera the death of Ahab.
1 Whom David by force of arms had brought under the power of the Israelites, 2 Sam. 8:2. See further of this revolting, 2 Kings 3:4, 5.
2 Other, transgressed against Israel. See of the Hebrew word, 1 Kings 12 on verse 19.
a 2 Kings 3:5.
2And Ahaziah 3fell 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 4Baal-zebub the god of 5Ekron whether I shall 6recover of this disease.
3 Namely, walking upon the roof of his house, wherein was a lattice window, to give light to the upper chamber.
4 The name of an idol, signifying a lord, or, master of flies. Thus he was called, (as is perceived) because he was called upon to drive away certain hurtful flies, wherewith the inhabitants of Palestina were plagued; or because there were always many flies in his temple, sitting upon the sacrifices, which were slain in great abundance to his honor. Or also, because this idol (as some write) had the form and shape of a fly. This name the Jews gave to the prince of devils, Mat. 12:24; Mark 3:22, as well out of hatred and detestation of the idol, as to extenuate and despise the power of the devil.
5 See of this city, Joshua 15:45; 19:43; Judges 1:18.
6 Hebr. shall live; also Num. 21:8, 9.
3But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is 7not a God in Israel, that ye go 8to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron?
7 Namely, Who is so wise as to know future things; so good, as to be willing to reveal them to those Who are His; so powerful, as to be able to help them in their need. Understand this according to the foolish conceit and unbelieving heart of king Ahaziah. So in the sequel. Or, is it not therefore, that thou hast done this, that thou foolishly thinkest there is no God …?, etc.
8 Namely, whether he would recover and get up from his sickness, as in the previous verse.
4Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt 9surely die. And Elijah departed.
9 Hebr. dying die. Also verses 6, 16.
5¶And when the messengers turned back unto 10him, he said unto them, 11Why are ye now turned back?
10 Namely, king Ahaziah.
11 He asks this, because he was able to discern by their speedy and quick return that they had not been at Ekron to enquire of the idol.
6And 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, 12Is 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.
12 See on verse 3.
7And he said unto them, What 13manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words?
13 Hebr. the judgment; which word is here taken by many for the quality and shape, or fashion of garments; by others, for the form or shape of the body. By the answer of the messengers in the next verse, it seems that the question is to be understood of the shape and fashion of the garment. The same word is used, Exod. 26:30, of the shape, form and fashion of the tabernacle; for which the word type or pattern is put, Exod. 25:40. Which in Acts 7:44; Heb. 8:5 is expressed by the Greek word tupos.
8And they answered him, He was 14an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.
14 Hebr. a man lord of the hair, that is, a man that had much hair on. See of such kind of phrase, Gen. 14 on verse 13, and understand this of the prophets upper garments made of hair, which is perceived to have been the mantle spoken of 1 Kings 19:19. See the annotation and compare Zech. 13:4; Mat. 3:4. Others apply it to be the length of the hair and beard of the prophet.
9Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with 15his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou 16man of God, the king hath said, Come down.
15 Which were under the captain’s command. All these were not sent to conduct the prophet in an honorable manner, but hostilely to compel him and to take him prisoner, if he refuses to go along with him.
16 See Judges 13 on verse 6. Thus he called Elijah, not out of reverence, but in a disdainful way, being ready to use violence against him.
10And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, 17If I be a man of God, then let 18fire comeb down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
17 It is as much as if he had said: In scorn and spite you call me a man of God, but I pray God to show immediately by the sign which I now desire, that I am one as such in deed and in truth.
18 Namely, which God in an extraordinary manner has sent out of the sky by His miraculous power. Compare Num. 11:1 and see the annotation.
b Luke 9:54.
11Again also 19he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he 20answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.
19 Namely, the king. Hebr. he turned again and sent, that is, he sent again, so verse 13. See Num. 11 on verse 4.
20 That is, he began to utter what he had to say in the king’s name unto the prophet Elijah. See 1 Kings 13 on verse 6.
12And 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.
13¶And he sent 21again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and 22fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my 23life, and the life of these fifty 24thy servants, be 25precious in thy sight.
21 Hebr. he turned again and sent. See on verse 11.
22 Hebr. bended himself on his knees.
23 That is, life, and so in the following words. See Gen. 19 on verse 17.
24 That is, who are favorably inclined to you, to acknowledge you, and to honor you as our lord.
25 That is, spare our life that it may not be taken away from us as were the lives of the two fifties previously.
14Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight.
15And the angel of the LORD 26said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king.
26 Namely, by inward communing and inspiration, or by apparition, which was visible to the prophet, but not to the captain. As such the angel of the Lord was seen by Balaam’s ass, but not at first by Balaam himself, Num. 22:25, 31.
16And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron, 27is it not because there is no God in Israel to enquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt 28surely die.
27 See on verse 3.
28 Hebr. dying die.
17¶So he died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. And 29Jehoram reigned in his stead in the 30second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son.
29 Namely, his brother, the son of Ahab, 2 Kings 3:1.
30 Namely, after that he, as deputy of his father, had begun to reign; which was in the seventeenth year of his father’s reign. See 1 Kings 22 on verse 42.
18Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in 31the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
31 See 1 Kings 14 on verse 19.