2 Kings 1:4

2 Kings 1:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now therefore thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed.
• New International Version (NIV)Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!’ ” So Elijah went.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now therefore thus says the Lord, You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.'" So Elijah went.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now therefore, thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ” So Elijah departed.

Context of 2 Kings 1:4

2Ahaziah [the king of Israel] fell through the lattice (grid) in his upper chamber which was in Samaria, and became sick [from the injury]. So he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, if I will recover from this sickness.” 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 to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’ Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘You [Ahaziah] will not leave the bed on which you lie, but you will certainly die.’ ” So Elijah departed. 5When the messengers returned to Ahaziah, he said to them, “Why have you returned [so soon]?” 6They replied, “A man came up to meet us and said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you and tell him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you send to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not leave the bed on which you lie, but you will certainly die.’ ” ’ ”

2 Kings 1:4 word by word

וְלָכֵן֙ כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הַמִּטָּ֞ה אֲשֶׁר־עָלִ֥יתָ שָּׁ֛ם לֹֽא־תֵרֵ֥ד מִמֶּ֖נָּה כִּ֣י מ֣וֹת תָּמ֑וּת וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ אֵלִיָּֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Now therefore thus saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• Thou shalt not come downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
• from that bedמִטָּהmiţţâh · bedH4296
• on which thou art gone upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• but shalt surelyמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• And Elijahאֵלִיָּה'êlîyâh 'êlîyâhû · ElijahH452
• departedיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212

Cross-references for 2 Kings 1:4

• Genesis 2:17but [only] from the tree of the knowledge (recognition) of good and evil you shall not eat, otherwise on the day that you eat from it, you shall most certainly die [because of your disobedience].”
• Genesis 3:4But the serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die!
• Numbers 26:65For the Lord had said of them, “They shall certainly die in the wilderness.” And not a man was left of them except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.
• 1 Samuel 28:19Moreover, the Lord will also put Israel along with you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me [among the dead]. Indeed, the Lord will put the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”
• 1 Kings 14:12Now as for you (Jeroboam’s wife), arise, go to your own house. When your feet enter the city, the child [Abijah] will die.
• Proverbs 11:19He who is steadfast in righteousness attains life, But he who pursues evil attains his own death.
• Proverbs 14:32The wicked is overthrown through his wrongdoing, But the righteous has hope and confidence and a refuge [with God] even in death.
• Ezekiel 18:4Behold (pay close attention), all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.

Commentaries on 2 Kings 1:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4But shalt surely die - The true God tells you this; he in whose hands are both life and death, who can kill and make alive. Baal-zebub can do nothing; God has determined that your master shall die.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Therefore … - As a punishment for this insult to Yahweh.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4The angel of the Lord in the book of Kings does not appear to be a christophany (a special appearance of Christ before his birth), unlike in other Old Testament texts such as Judges 6:11–18. Elijah, who had previously confronted Ahaziah’s father, Ahab, delivered a two-part message to the king: he condemned the king for failing to recognize that the Lord, not Baal, is God (see 1 Kings 18:16–18), and he announced God’s judgment of doom (see 1 Kings…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-82-8. Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber--This lattice was either a part of the wooden parapet, or fence, which surrounds the flat roofs of houses, and over which the king was carelessly leaning when it gave way; or it might be an opening like a skylight in the roof itself, done over with lattice-work, which, being slender or rotten, the king stepped on and slipped through. This latter supposition is most probably the true one, as…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Kings 1:4

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Elijah
• Prophecy

In the dictionaries

• Elijah
• Bedstead
• Recover
• Bible, the
• Canon of the Old Testament
• Die
• Jehu
• Septuagint
• Syriac Versions
• Philistines

Commentaries on 2 Kings 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings