2 Kings 1:16

2 Kings 1:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baal–zebub the god of Ekron, is 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 surely die.
• New International Version (NIV)He told the king, “This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!”
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then he said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ”
• New Living Translation (NLT)And Elijah said to the king, “This is what the Lord says: Why did you send messengers to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether you will recover? Is there no God in Israel to answer your question? Therefore, because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.”

Context of 2 Kings 1:16

14Behold, fire came down from heaven and consumed the two former captains of fifty men with their fifties, but now let my life be precious in your sight." 15Then the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, "Go down with him; do not be afraid of him." So he arose and went down with him to the king and said to him, "Thus says the Lord, 'Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word?—therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.'" 17So he died according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken. Jehoram became king in his place in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, because Ahaziah had no son. 18Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

2 Kings 1:16 word by word

וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר אֵלָ֜יו כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה יַ֜עַן אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַ֣חְתָּ מַלְאָכִים֮ לִדְרֹשׁ֮ בְּבַ֣עַל זְבוּב֮ אֱלֹהֵ֣י עֶקְרוֹן֒ הַֽמִבְּלִ֤י אֵין־אֱלֹהִים֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לִדְרֹ֖שׁ בִּדְבָר֑וֹ לָ֠כֵן הַמִּטָּ֞ה אֲשֶׁר־עָלִ֥יתָ שָּׁ֛ם לֹֽא־תֵרֵ֥ד מִמֶּ֖נָּה כִּֽי־מ֥וֹת תָּמֽוּת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he saidדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• unto him, Thus saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• Forasmuch as thou hast sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• messengersמַלְאָךְmal'âk · messengerH4397
• to enquireדָּרַשׁdârash · to seekH1875
• of Baal–zebubבַּעַל זְבוּבba‛al zebûb · Baal-zebubH1176
• the godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• of Ekronעֶקְרוֹן‛eqrôn · EkronH6138
• in Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• of his wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• therefore thou shalt not come downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
• off that bedמִטָּהmiţţâh · bedH4296
• on which thou art gone upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• but shalt surelyמוּתmûth · to dieH4191

Cross-references for 2 Kings 1:16

• 2 Kings 1:3But 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?
• Exodus 4:22Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son,
• 1 Kings 14:6But when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, he said, "Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another? For I am charged with unbearable news for you.
• 1 Kings 21:18"Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession.
• 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!"
• Exodus 8:24And the Lord did so. There came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants' houses. Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies.
• Genesis 49:4Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence, because you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it—he went up to my couch!
• Psalms 132:3"I will not enter my house or get into my bed,

Commentaries on 2 Kings 1:16

• 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. 16Is there really no God in Israel: God's message to Ahaziah stayed the same (see 2 Kings 1:3–4).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-1615-16. he arose, and went down with him--a marvellous instance of faith and obedience. Though he well knew how obnoxious his presence was to the king, yet, on receiving God's command, he goes unhesitatingly, and repeats, with his own lips, the unwelcome tidings conveyed by the messengers. 2Ki 1:17, 18. Ahaziah Dies, and Is Succeeded by Jehoram.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Kings 1:16

• Baal-Zebub
• Elijah
• Prophecy

In the dictionaries

• Baal
• Ekron
• God
• Israel
• Baalzebub
• Elijah
• Recover
• Baal (1)
• Bible, the
• Canon of the Old Testament

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