God’s Word Translation
2 Kings 1:9
9The king sent an army officer with 50 men to Elijah. When the officer found Elijah sitting on top of a hill, he told Elijah, “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!’ ”
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.'"
- 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!’ ”
Context of 2 Kings 1:9
7The king asked them, “What was the man who told you this like?” 8They replied, “He was hairy and had a leather belt around his waist.” “That’s Elijah from Tishbe,” the king answered. The king sent an army officer with 50 men to Elijah. When the officer found Elijah sitting on top of a hill, he told Elijah, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’ ” 10Elijah answered the officer, “If I’m a man of God, fire will come from heaven and burn up you and your 50 men.” Then fire came from heaven and burned up the officer and his 50 men. 11The king sent another officer with 50 men to Elijah. The officer said, “Man of God, this is what the king says: Come here right away!”
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 6:13The king said, “Find out where he is. Then I will send men to capture him.” The king was told, “He is in Dothan.”
- 1 Kings 18:4(When Jezebel was killing the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had hidden 100 prophets in caves. He put 50 prophets in each cave and kept them alive by providing bread and water for them.)
- 1 Kings 19:2Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah. She said, “May the gods strike me dead if by this time tomorrow I don’t take your life the way you took the lives of Baal’s prophets.”
- 1 Kings 22:8The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, “We can ask the Lord through Micaiah, son of Imlah, but I hate him. He doesn’t prophesy anything good about me, only evil.” Jehoshaphat answered, “The king must not say that.”
- Matthew 14:3Herod had arrested John, tied him up, and put him in prison. Herod did this for Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip.
- 1 Kings 18:42Ahab got up to eat and drink. Elijah went to the top of Carmel and bowed down on the ground to pray.
- Luke 6:11The experts in Moses’ Teachings and Pharisees were furious and began to discuss with each other what they could do to Jesus.
- Amos 7:12Then Amaziah said to Amos, “You seer, run away to Judah! Eat there, and prophesy there!
- Matthew 26:68They said, “You Christ, if you’re a prophet, tell us who hit you.”
- Matthew 27:29They twisted some thorns into a crown, placed it on his head, and put a stick in his right hand. They knelt in front of him and made fun of him by saying, “Long live the king of the Jews!”
- Mark 15:29Those who passed by insulted him. They shook their heads and said, “What a joke! You were going to tear down God’s temple and build it again in three days.
- Hebrews 11:36Some were made fun of and whipped, and some were chained and put in prison.
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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