English Standard Version
2 Kings 1:9
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.'"
2 Kings 1:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down.
- New International Version (NIV)Then he sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down!’ ”
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. So he went up to him; and there he was, sitting on the top of a hill. And he spoke to him: “Man of God, the king has said, ‘Come down!’ ”
- New Living Translation (NLT)Then he sent an army captain with fifty soldiers to arrest him. They found him sitting on top of a hill. The captain said to him, “Man of God, the king has commanded you to come down with us.”
Context of 2 Kings 1:9
7He said to them, "What kind of man was he who came to meet you and told you these things?" 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." Then 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.'" 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. 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!'"
Read all of 2 Kings 12 Kings 1:9 word by word
וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח אֵלָ֛יו שַׂר־חֲמִשִּׁ֖ים וַחֲמִשָּׁ֑יו וַיַּ֣עַל אֵלָ֗יו וְהִנֵּה֙ יֹשֵׁב֙ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ הָהָ֔ר וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אֵלָ֔יו אִ֚ישׁ הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ דִּבֶּ֖ר רֵֽדָה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
- unto him a captainשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
- of fiftyחֲמִשִּׁיםchămishshîym · fiftyH2572
- And he went upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- to him: and, behold, he satיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- on the topרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: topH7218
- of an hillהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
- And he spakeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- unto him, Thou manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- Come downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
Cross-references for 2 Kings 1:9
- 2 Kings 6:13And he said, "Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him." It was told him, "Behold, he is in Dothan."
- 1 Kings 18:4and when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water.)
- 1 Kings 19:2Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow."
- 1 Kings 22:8And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, Micaiah the son of Imlah, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil." And Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say so."
- Matthew 14:3For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife,
- 1 Kings 18:42So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees.
- Luke 6:11But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.
- Amos 7:12And Amaziah said to Amos, "O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there,
- Matthew 26:68saying, "Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?"
- Matthew 27:29and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
- Mark 15:29And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, "Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,
- Hebrews 11:36Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.
Commentaries on 2 Kings 1:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9A captain of fifty with his fifty - It is impossible that such a man as Ahaziah, in such circumstances, could have had any friendly designs in sending a captain and fifty soldiers for the prophet; and the manner in which they are treated shows plainly that they went with a hostile intent. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God - Thou prophet of the Most High.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Then the king sent unto him - i. e., in order to seize and punish him. Compare 1 Kings 18:10; 1 Kings 22:27.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. 99. Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty--Any appearance of cruelty that there is in the fate of the two captains and their men will be removed, on a full consideration of the circumstances. God being the King of Israel, Ahaziah was bound to govern the kingdom according to the divine law; to apprehend the Lord's prophet, for discharging a commanded duty, was that of an impious and notorious rebel. The captains abetted the king in his rebellion…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 1:9
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries