English Standard Version
2 Kings 1:10
10But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
2 Kings 1:10 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
- New International Version (NIV)Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
- New Living Translation (NLT)But Elijah replied to the captain, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and destroy you and your fifty men!” Then fire fell from heaven and killed them all.
Context of 2 Kings 1:10
8They answered him, "He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist." And he said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite." 9Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty men with his fifty. He went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, "O man of God, the king says, 'Come down.'" But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. 11Again the king sent to him another captain of fifty men with his fifty. And he answered and said to him, "O man of God, this is the king's order, 'Come down quickly!'" 12But Elijah answered them, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
Read all of 2 Kings 12 Kings 1:10 word by word
וַיַּעֲנֶ֣ה אֵלִיָּ֗הוּ וַיְדַבֵּר֮ אֶל־שַׂ֣ר הַחֲמִשִּׁים֒ וְאִם־אִ֤ישׁ אֱלֹהִים֙ אָ֔נִי תֵּ֤רֶד אֵשׁ֙ מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְתֹאכַ֥ל אֹתְךָ֖ וְאֶת־חֲמִשֶּׁ֑יךָ וַתֵּ֤רֶד אֵשׁ֙ מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַתֹּ֥אכַל אֹת֖וֹ וְאֶת־חֲמִשָּֽׁיו׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Elijahאֵלִיָּה'êlîyâh 'êlîyâhû · ElijahH452
- answeredעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
- and saidדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- to the captainשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
- of fiftyחֲמִשִּׁיםchămishshîym · fiftyH2572
- a manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- then let fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
- come downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
- from heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- and consumeאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
Cross-references for 2 Kings 1:10
- 2 Kings 2:23He went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, "Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!"
- Numbers 16:28And Moses said, "Hereby you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, and that it has not been of my own accord.
- 1 Kings 18:36And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.
- 1 Kings 22:28And Micaiah said, "If you return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me." And he said, "Hear, all you peoples!"
- 2 Chronicles 36:16But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy.
- Psalms 105:15saying, "Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!"
- Matthew 21:41They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons."
- Matthew 23:34Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town,
- Acts 5:3But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?
- Numbers 11:1And the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, and when the Lord heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp.
- Numbers 16:35And fire came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men offering the incense.
- Job 1:16While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you."
- Psalms 106:18Fire also broke out in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.
- Luke 9:54And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?"
- Hebrews 12:29for our God is a consuming fire.
- Revelation 11:5And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed.
Commentaries on 2 Kings 1:10
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10And there came down fire - Some have blamed the prophet for destroying these men, by bringing down fire from heaven upon them. But they do not consider that it was no more possible for Elijah to bring down fire from heaven, than for them to do it. God alone could send the fire; and as he is just and good, he would not have destroyed these men had there not been a sufficient cause to justify the act. It was not to please Elijah, or to gratify any…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10The charge of cruelty made against Elijah makes it needful to consider the question: What was Elijah‘s motive? And the answer is: Sharply to make a signal example, to vindicate God‘s honor in a striking way. Ahaziah had, as it were, challenged Yahweh to a trial of strength by sending a band of fifty to arrest one man. Elijah was not Jesus Christ, able to reconcile mercy with truth, the vindication of God‘s honor with the utmost tenderness for erring men…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-18Verses 9-18 Elijah called for fire from heaven, to consume the haughty, daring sinners; not to secure himself, but to prove his mission, and to reveal the wrath of God from heaven, against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Elijah did this by a Divine impulse, yet our Saviour would not allow the disciples to do the like, Lu 9:54. The dispensation of the Spirit and of grace by no means allowed it. Elijah was concerned for God's glory, those for…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9-10The proud words of the army captain contradicted themselves. Elijah showed this: If Elijah was truly a man of God (a prophet of God), then his authority came from God. To ignore him was to invite danger (see Deuteronomy 18:15–19). Fire often represents God's presence in the Scriptures (see Exodus 3:1–6; 19:18; compare 1 Kings 18:38). Fifty soldiers was a typical group size (1 Kings 18:4); here it shows a division in Israel's military organization.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1010. let fire come down--rather, "fire shall come down." Not to avenge a personal insult of Elijah, but an insult upon God in the person of His prophet; and the punishment was inflicted, not by the prophet, but by the direct hand of God.Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 1:10
In the dictionaries
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
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