31161363 life-of-elijah-chapter-five

THE LIFE OF ELIJAH CHAPTER FIVE
II KIGS 1 COMMETARY
Written and edited y Glenn Pease
PREFACE
Many other authors are quoted in this study, and some are not named. Credit will be given if
the name of the author is sent to me. Some may not want their wisdom shared in this way, and if
they object and wish it to be removed they can let me know also at my e-mail address which is
glenn_p86@yahoo.com
ITRODUCTIO
1. Clarke, “The Second Book of Kings contains the history of three hundred and eight years,
from the rebellion of Moab, A.M. 3108, to the ruin of the kingdom of Judah, A.M. 3416. The
history, on the whole, exhibits little less than a series of crimes, disasters, Divine benefits, and
Divine judgments. In the kingdom of Judah we meet with a few kings who feared God, and
promoted the interests of pure religion in the land; but the major part were idolaters and
profligates of the highest order. The kingdom of Israel was still more corrupt: all its kings were
determined idolaters; profligate, vicious, and cruel tyrants. Elijah and Elisha stood up in the
behalf of God and truth in this fallen, idolatrous kingdom, and bore a strong testimony against
the corruptions of the princes, and the profligacy of the people: their powerful ministry was
confined to the ten tribes; Judah had its own prophets, and those in considerable number.”
2. Ray C. Stedman, “In the Hebrew Bible the books of l and 2 Kings are combined into one
book of Kings. They are quite aptly named Kings, as they trace the lives of various rulers of
God's kingdom, beginning with Saul and David, down through the division of the kingdom
under Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. Then these two books trace out for us the various
dynasties in Israel, the northern kingdom, and the single dynasty of the house of David in the
southern kingdom of Judah. In each case, the spotlight is always on the king; it is what the king
does in relationship to God that determines how the nation goes. The character of the kingdom
is largely determined by the character of the king. When the king walked with God in
obedience and humility, and worshiped and obeyed God in the temple in Jerusalem (or later in
Samaria in the northern kingdom), God's blessing in prosperity and victory rested upon the
kingdom. There was no such blessing for the northern kingdom because they had no godly

kings. But in the southern kingdom, in the house of David, there was victory and prosperity
when godly kings appeared from time to time. The rains came at the right times and the crops
grew. The economy of the land flourished. There was victory over their enemies, even when the
enemies came against them in allied forces. There was always victory when the king walked
with God.
But when the king disobeyed and worshiped other gods, immediately famines broke out,
droughts came, and invasions occurred. The land fell into difficult and extremely serious
conditions. When the kings were in obedience, they were always types of Christ -- such as
David, Solomon, Hezekiah, Joash, and Jehoshaphat. They pictured something of the sovereign,
kingly reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. But when they were in disobedience, they were types, or
pictures of the antichrist, the man of sin who is yet to appear upon the earth. This was the
antichrist of whom Jesus himself said to Israel, I have come in my Father's name, and you do
not receive me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. (John 5:43) It is this
man of sin, the quintessence of human evil, that is pictured by the kings of Israel and Judah
when they walk in disobedience.”
The Lord 's Judgment on Ahaziah
1 After Ahab's death, Moab rebelled against Israel.
1. Lets begin with the background of Ahaziah. He did not have a very good home life with
parents are who clearly identified as some of the worst people that ever lived. The following
texts sum up his home life. What was his father like? 1 Ki 16:30 And Ahab the son of Omri did
evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him. 1 Ki 16:33 And Ahab made a
grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of
Israel that were before him. So what was Ahaziah like? The bible says in 1 Ki 22:52 that
Ahaziah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way
of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of ebat, who made Israel to sin:
1B. The saying is that the good die young, but we do not see this very often in the Bible. It is the
wicked that die young. Ahaziah the son of wicked Ahab and Jezebel followed Ahab as king of
Israel, and he was wicked just like his mom and dad. His family background had a bigger
impact on his faith and actions than all that happened in his immediate history that God did to
get his attention. His story reveals just how blind and stubborn a man can be who is raised to
believe the wrong things. o amount of light can change his perspective. God had sent a three
and a half years of famine on the land and it did not make a dent in his defiance of God,
anymore than it did his father. In spite of the fact that hundreds of the prophets of Baal were
killed because they could not demonstrate that Baal had any power at all compared to Jehovah,
he went on worshiping Baal and sought only for the advice and guidance of this meaningless
idol. He chose to ignore all of the evidence of the reality and power of the God of Israel. He was

locked into folly, and the result was that he died young.
1C. Coffman, “David had defeated and subjugated the Moabites, putting to death at least two-thirds
of their armed services ( 2 Samuel 8:2 ); and, of course, they became a part of the great
empire of Solomon. From inscriptions upon the Moabite Stone, we learn that Moab rebelled
upon the occasion of the division of Solomon's empire and regained their independence for a
time, but that they again lost it to Israel during the reign of Omri. Later in 2 Kings 3:4-27 there
is a fuller report of this rebellion of Moab, but apparently this brief mention of it occurs here as
a preliminary to the explanation of why Ahaziah was unable to suppress the rebellion due to his
injury. The event that precipitated Moab's rebellion was the defeat and death of Ahab in the
battle of Ramoth-gilead. In Oriental empires the death of a brave and energetic king was
always the signal for a revolt of the subjected peoples.
2. He had fallen from the grace of God and was blind to all light. He then fell from his window
due to his poor perception of physical reality. There is a connection with the spiritual and the
physical. When you are blind to spiritual reality you are blind also to what is precious in the
realm of the physical. His spiritual imbalance led him to stumble and fall from his upper room
and he was seriously injured. Many accidents happen because people are in a bad state of mind.
They are rebelling against God and the right order of life and they are angry and irritable and
they get into accidents. This is the type of thing we read in accident prevention advice: “Having
A egative Attitude - Being angry or in a bad mood can lead to severe accidents because anger
nearly always rules over caution. Flying off the handle at work is potentially dangerous. Keep
your bad moods in check, or more than one person may be hurt. Remember to stay cool and in
charge of your emotions.” The previous verse just said that Moab rebelled against Israel, and
this means the king was losing money, for they were no longer paying their tribute money. It
was not money really, but livestock, for they had to pay a hundred thousand lambs and a
hundred thousand rams with their wool as seen in II Kings 3:4. This made him angry, I am
sure, and he was already mad at life because of all the problems Elijah had caused. His mood
made him an accident just waiting to happen.
3. It is a fact of life that where you live is a dangerous place, for many accidents happen in the
home. People are often careless in their homes, for it seems like a place of safety, but this is not
the case. The sad truth is that 28,000 deaths happen in the home almost every year, and 6.8
million injuries. Accidents are the number one killer of children in the U. S. Summary Outline:
4. Pink, “Ahaziah not only failed spiritually but naturally too. What ought to have been his
reaction to this revolt of Moab? Why, to have dealt with it with a firm hand and nipped it in the
bud. That was obviously his duty as king. Instead he followed the line of least resistance and
devoted himself to pleasure. Instead of taking his place at the head of his army and putting
down this rebellion by force, he seems to have luxuriated in the palace. Must we not say in such
circumstances, that God had given him up to a spirit of madness! He shrank in cowardly fear
from the camp and the dangers of the field, and leaving Moab to do as she pleased, without
attempting her re-subjugation, led a life of self-indulgence. Perhaps he recalled the fate which
had so recently overtaken his father on the battlefield and decided that discretion is the better
part of valor. But there is no escaping the hand of God when He is determined to smite: we are
just as liable to meet with an accident in the shelter of our home as if we were exposed to the

deadliest weapons on the battlefield.”
5. Jamison, “Then Moab rebelled--Subdued by David (2Sa 8:2), they had, in the partition of
Israel and Judah, fallen to the share of the former kingdom. But they took advantage of the
death of Ahab to shake off the yoke (see on 2Ki 3:6). The casualty that befell Ahaziah [2Ki 1:2]
prevented his taking active measures for suppressing this revolt, which was accomplished as a
providential judgment on the house of Ahab for all these crimes.”
6. Ron Daniel has an interesting insight here. He wrote, “But now that Moab sees that Israel's
King Ahab is dead, they once again rebel. Many ancient cultures would attack their enemies
immediately upon the death of their leader, for they hoped that the new leader would not be in
as strong of a position, and that he would not have the experience to lead his people to victory.
There is a principle here that our enemy the devil follows. He attacks when there is no leader, or
where there is weak leadership. Paul the apostle warned the Ephesian elders, Acts 20:28-29 “Be
on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you
overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that
after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock
The devil will often be victorious when a church's leadership is not on guard for themselves and
the flock. He also attempts to kill the shepherd, knowing that if you strike down the shepherd,
the sheep of the flock shall be scattered (Zech 13:7; Matt 26:31).And as soon as you scatter the
sheep, it is a simple matter of picking them off one by one. This is what the Amalekites did when
Israel was heading into the wilderness, leaving Egypt. They attacked the stragglers at the rear
when they were faint and weary (Deut 25:18).The lesson for the leaders in the church is to be on
guard. The lesson for all of us in the church is not to stray away, but to stay protected in the
flock.”
2 ow Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his
upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent
messengers, saying to them, Go and consult Baal-
Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from
this injury.
1. Bob Deffinbaugh, “As we turn to our text in our English Bibles, we see that we have left
1 Kings behind and moved on to 2 Kings. It may be helpful to remind ourselves that in the
Hebrew Old Testament, these two books were one. Thus, there is no real “break” between
the two books. We simply move from the death of Ahab in 1 Kings 22 to the death of his
son, Ahaziah, in 2 Kings 1.
Ahab was an exceedingly wicked king, and we know that he died in a way that fulfilled

divine prophecy. It was not an easy way to die, being struck by an arrow and then having to
sit propped up in a chariot all day, bleeding to death. At least there was a certain dignity to
dying this way, in battle. …...Ahaziah’s death does not appear to be a noble one either. He
did not die in battle, as his father Ahab had done. He did not die of old age or of some
disease. Somehow this fellow fell out of his upstairs window, and the protective lattice work
or netting failed him, causing him to plunge to the ground. What was Ahaziah doing that
would cause him to fall out of his window? Was he drunk? Did he do something really
foolish, like walk along the ledge of his roof? We don’t really know, but it is obvious that
this is not the way a king would want to die.”
1B. His fall was symbolic of what was about to happen to his kingship as he fell into death
and had to leave his position of power after only a couple of years. It was a short lived
kingship and rightly so, for he led people into idolatry. How he fell is not told us, but it
seems that he had some fancy lattice work as a sort of window covering by the balcony and
he leaned on it and it gave way and he plummeted into the palace garden or court yard
below. Some feel it was more like a sky light that he fell through while walking on the roof.
Either way he damaged his body severely enough to wonder if he would survive the fall.
He was the king of Israel, but he never bothered to seek the wisdom of those who served the
God of Israel. He went after the advice of the pagan god of Baalzebub, the god of the flies.
He was seeking to know the future and that was what so much of pagan religion was all
about. There is a record of a disease that was spread by flies that was cured by praying to
this pagan god, and that was probably why Ahaziah sought this god's advice on his own
disease, or sickness caused by his fall.
1C. “The king apparently leaned against the wooden screen and fell through from the
second-floor balcony to the ground below.” (Dilday) ““This could suggest that Baal-Zebub
was a god who warded off plagues that were brought on by flies. There are numerous
references to ‘fly gods’ in classical literature.” (Dilday)
1D. F. B. Meyer, “Ahaziah's sickness was caused by a fall through a defective lattice or
fence work, which surrounded the upper stories of his house; either around the flat roof
without, or enclosing one of the galleries which looked down on the open court of the palace
within. There was a special instruction about this (Deut 22:8). We should be careful of our
battlements, to see that they are in good repair, and we should build them in all threatened
places. The habit of abstinence from strong drink is one piece of lattice work which in these
days we should very carefully maintain. If we do not fall for want of it, others may. All good
habits are strong battlements.”
2. Henry, “ “Royal palaces do not always yield firm footing. The snare is laid for the sinner
in the ground where he thinks least of it, Job_18:9, Job_18:10. The whole creation, which
groans under the man's sin, will at length sink and break under the weight, like this lattice.
He is never safe that has God for his enemy. His inquiry was very foolish: Shall I recover?
Even nature itself would rather have asked, “What means may I use that I may recover?”
But as one solicitous only to know his fortune, not to know his duty, his question is only
this, Shall I recover? to which a little time would give an answer. We should be more

thoughtful what will become of us after death than how, or when, or where, we shall die,
and more desirous to be told how we may conduct ourselves well in our sickness, and get
good to our souls by it, than whether we shall recover from it. 2. His sending to Baal-zebub
was very wicked; to make a dead and dumb idol, perhaps newly erected (for idolaters were
fond of new gods), his oracle, was not less a reproach to his reason than to his religion.
Baal-zebub, which signifies the lord of a fly, was one of their Baals that perhaps gave his
answers either by the power of the demons or the craft of the priests, with a humming
noise, like that of a great fly, or that had (as they fancied) rid their country of the swarms of
flies wherewith it was infested, or of some pestilential disease brought among them by flies.
Perhaps this dunghill-deity was as famous then as the oracle of Delphos was, long
afterwards, in Greece. In the ew Testament the prince of the devils is called Beel-zebub
(Mat_12:24), for the gods of the Gentiles were devils, and this perhaps grew to be one of the
most famous.”
3. Very strange is the fact that in the ninth chapter we read that his mother Jezebel also fell
from the balcony window and was eaten by a pack of hungry dogs. This was a royal family,
but they lived in a death trap. Both mother and son fell in their home. This was not
necessarily the judgment of God on their wickedness, for many godly and innocent people
also fall to their injury and death. A young Christian boy fell out of the window when Paul
was preaching a long sermon, and it took a miracle to save his life. Falling is one of the
most common types of accidents, and it demands that we all take precautions in avoiding
what is a category of suffering that is almost always not God's will. This mother and son
had already fallen spiritually, and then they fell physically, and there is a connection
between living a life with no stability and literal falls. People who drink to excess have a
large number of unnecessary falls, and this could have been a factor in these falls, for they
were godless livers who no doubt abused their wine consumption. It is logical to assume
that both of these falls were judgments of God, but it is terrible to assume that all falls are
God's judgment.
4. Pink has a good note on letting an accident cause you to think of your relationship with
God. God may not have been the agent of the accident, but it can be used by God to change
your direction if you will let it. He wrote, “And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his
upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick. Here was where mercy was mingled
with justice: here was where space for repentance was granted the idolatrous king. O
how long-suffering is God! Ahaziah’s fall did not prove immediately fatal, though it placed
him on a bed of sickness, where he had opportunity to consider his ways. And how often
the Lord deals thus, both with nations and with individuals. The Roman empire was not
built in a day, nor was it destroyed in a day. Many a blatant rebel against Heaven has been
pulled up suddenly in his evil career. An accident over took him, and though it may have
deprived him of a limb, yet not of his life. Such may have been the experience of someone
who reads these lines. If so, we would say to him with all earnestness, Redeem the time that
is now left you. You might now be in hell, but God has given you a further season (brief at
the most) to think of eternity and prepare for it. O that His goodness may lead you to
repentance! Today, if ye will hear His voice, harden not your heart. Throw down the
weapons of your warfare against Him and be reconciled to Him, for how shall you escape
the everlasting burnings if you neglect His so-great salvation?”

5. His injury was serious enough to make him question if he would live, and so he sends
messengers to ask a pagan god to give him an answer. It was pure folly, but he had turned
his back on the God of Israel, and had only idols to turn to for help. It was a common part
of the pagan world to inquire about the future from their idols. It was so stupid, however,
for Amaziah had already been warned about his folly of looking to pagan gods. We read in
2 Chronicles 25:14-15, IV “When Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he
brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down to
them and burned sacrifices to them. 15 The anger of the LORD burned against Amaziah,
and he sent a prophet to him, who said, “Why do you consult this people's gods, which
could not save their own people from your hand?”
6. Pink, “This Baal-zebub signifies The lord of a fly or flies, probably because, since
their country was infested with flies (as modern travelers still report), they supposed he
protected them from the diseases which they spread. In Matthew 12:24 we find our Lord
terming Beelzebub (the Greek form of spelling) the prince of the demons, which
intimates that under various names and images evil spirits were actually worshiped as gods
by the heathen—as is plainly stated in 1 Corinthians 10:20: the things which the Gentiles
sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God. It would appear that at the time of
Ahaziah the priests of Baa1 had through their incantations of evil spirits acquired celebrity
for their knowledge of future events, much as the oracle of Delphi was held in high repute
in Greece some years later. Believing that the idol at Ekron could foresee and foretell things
to come, Ahaziah paid him homage. The exceeding sinfulness of such practices is placed
beyond dispute by such passages as Leviticus 20:6, 27; Deuteronomy 18:10; 1 Chronicles
10:13. Thus those who consult fortune-tellers, astrologers and spiritualists are guilty of a
fearful sin, and expose themselves unto the powers of evil.”
7. Jamison, “Anxious to learn whether he should recover from the effects of this severe fall,
he sent to consult Baalzebub, that is, the god of flies, who was considered the patron deity
of medicine. A temple to that idol was erected at Ekron, which was resorted to far and wide,
though it afterward led to the destruction of the place (Zec 9:5; Am 1:8; Zep 2:4). After
visiting Ekron, 'the god of flies' is a name that gives me no surprise. The flies there
swarmed, in fact so innumerably, that I could hardly get any food without these
troublesome insects getting into it [VA DE VELDE].”
8. Coffman, “The word Baal-zebub, as indicated by Ugaritic tablets was spelled Baal-zebul,
meaning lord of the dwelling, but as it stands in the Hebrew it means, lord of the
flies.This change of meaning probably resulted from a Hebrew deliberate misspelling of
the name of that detestable god. Later in history, The Rabbis, by making an additional
slight change in the spelling, altered the name to mean, the dung god,or the god of the
dunghill. Ahaziah's sending messengers to inquire of Baalzebub was designed as a public
insult to the true God of Israel, a maneuver which required the direct intervention of God
Himself to checkmate it for the sake of the chosen people. God moved at once to destroy
Ahaziah and to demonstrate before all men the stupid futility of Ahaziah's insulting
preference for the Canaanite Baal over the true God of Israel.”

9. An unknown author gives us some background that leads up to this last opportunity for
Ahaziah to repent and turn to the God of Israel. “When Ahaziah became king, Moab
rebelled against Israel, as we read in 2 Kings 1:1. This meant political trouble for Ahaziah.
Since the days of David, Moab had been subject to Israel, but now the people of Moab
realized that Ahaziah was a weak king. So they rebelled against Israel, causing great
political humiliation for King Ahaziah. But who was behind this humiliation? God. This
was God’s plan to help Ahaziah humble himself and call upon the name of God to help him.
Did political humiliation cause Ahaziah repent and call upon Jehovah? o. So God dealt
with Ahaziah in a different way. This time he gave him economic trouble. In 2 Chronicles
20 we read that Ahaziah entered into a shipbuilding venture with Jehoshaphat. Both kings
wanted to trade and make a lot of money with this great business venture that joined Judah
with Israel. But, as we said before, Ahaziah was not serving God and so God was against
him. God used this occasion to put economic pressure on Ahaziah. In 2 Chronicles 20:35-36
we read: Later, Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel,
who was guilty of wickedness. He agreed with him to construct a fleet of trading ships.
After these were built at Ezion Geber, Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied
against Jehoshaphat, saying, ‘Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the Lord
will destroy what you have made.’ The ships were wrecked and were not able to set sail to
trade. Ahaziah and Jehoshaphat had expended money to build these ships. o doubt they
were counting on a great return on their investment. But they lost everything.
Have we done this? Like Ahaziah, we may have invested all our money and dreamed of a
thirty percent return or more for many years. But God touched your investment and made
it to be nothing. If this has happened to you, you may think it is a demonstration of God’s
anger against you, but, no, it shows God’s love. Even though you provoked him to anger, he
is dealing with you and bringing you down to the dust so that you can call upon him from
there and say, God, have mercy upon me! I have sinned and acted arrogantly. I have
treated you with contempt and thrown your word away. I have treated your prophets with
contempt in spite of your supreme demonstration in my life that you are the true God.
Ahaziah lost his investment, his equipment, his profits--everything. This was great
economic trouble. But did Ahaziah repent? o. So God dealt with Ahaziah in a third way, a
personal way, by touching his health. In 2 Kings 1:2 we read, ow Ahaziah had fallen
through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. ow, at this point
Ahaziah was still alive. He could still call upon the name of the Lord. He could still send
messengers to find Elijah. If he had done so, God would have responded and helped and
healed him. But did Ahaziah do any of these things? o. He refused to repent and call on
God.”
3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the

Tishbite, Go up and meet the messengers of the king
of Samaria and ask them, 'Is it because there is no
God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-
Zebub, the god of Ekron?'
1. Here we see God putting his stamp of approval on the use of sarcasm, for it was being
sarcastic to ask if there was no God in Israel to consult that made it necessary to go to a
pagan god. You guys know, of course, that we have a temple and priests, and that we have a
history of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who has given us this very land, and yet
you are running off to inquire of a non-god what the future holds for the king. Do you see
anything wrong in this picture?
2. Pink, “The Hebrew is more expressive and emphatic than the English: Is it because
there is no God, none in Israel that you turn for information to the emissaries of Satan?
ot only had the true and living God made Himself known to Israel, but He was in
covenant relationship with them. This it is which explains the angel of the Lord
addressing Himself to Elijah on this occasion, emphasizing as it did that blessed
relationship which the king was repudiating, it was the Angel of the Covenant (Ex. 23:23,
etc). As such, Jehovah had given clear demonstration of Himself to Ahaziah in his own
lifetime.
3. Jamison, “the angel of the Lord--not an angel, but the angel, who carried on all
communications between the invisible God and His chosen people [HEGSTEBERG].
This angel commissioned Elijah to meet the king's messengers, to stop them peremptorily
on the idolatrous errand, and convey by them to the king information of his approaching
death. This consultation of an idol, being a breach of the fundamental law of the kingdom
(Ex 20:3; De 5:7), was a daring and deliberate rejection of the national religion. The Lord,
in making this announcement of his death, designed that he should see in that event a
judgment for his idolatry.”
4. “When we are at our wit’s end, we will reveal in which god we are trusting. Ahaziah
refused to trust in the God of Israel. He would rather trust in the devil, meaning the false
god Baal-Zebub, the god of the Philistines, and send messengers forty miles south to Ekron
to hear from him rather than to seek the God of Israel. What was Ahaziah doing? He was,
in essence, saying, There is no God in Israel. But I understand that in Philistia there are
gods, especially one named Baal-Zebub. Messengers, would you please go all the way to
Ekron and get a revelation from Baal-Zebub as to whether I will recover or not?
Ahaziah would not consult the true and living God, the infinite, eternal, unchanging God--
the God of the covenant, the God of mercy and the God of grace, the God who created the
heavens and the earth, and the God who alone is able to redeem us from our sins. He
refused to consult the true God or his prophet Elijah, even though this is the God who

revealed himself and said, I am Jehovah who healeth you--Jehovah Rophekah . author
unknown
5. Coffman, “The importance of this event is stressed by the appearance of this Mighty
Angel to Elijah. Some identify him with the great Christophanies of the O.T., and Dentan
was probably correct in his statement that, The Angel of the Lord who appears in 2 Kings
1:3,15 is actually the Lord himself.F6 Gen. 22:15-16 speaks of the angel of the Lord and the
Lord as being the same.”
4 Therefore this is what the LORD says: 'You will not
leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!'
So Elijah went.
1. God has Elijah tell them that he will save them a lot of time and trouble, for the God who
is always here in Israel has spoken with the answer you are looking for. God's bedside
manner is radical and aggressive. He does not beat around the bush, but comes straight out
and says, “You will certainly die!” This is your death bed king, for you have defied the God
of your people by going to a pagan idol for guidance. That was the last straw, and God
spoke with wrath at this insult.
2. Pink, “Having reproved the awful sin of Ahaziah, the servant of God now pronounces
judgment on him. Here then was the last and solemn task of Elijah, to pass the capital
sentence upon the apostate king. Unto the widow of Zarephath God had made him the
savor of life unto life, but unto Ahab and now to his son he became the savor of death
unto death. Varied indeed are the tasks assigned unto the ministers of the Gospel,
according as they are called upon to comfort God’s people and feed His sheep, or warn the
wicked and denounce evildoers. Thus it was with their great Exemplar: both benedictions
and maledictions were found on His lips; though most congregations are far more familiar
with the former than the latter. Yet it will be found that His Blesseds in Matthew 5 are
balanced by an equal number of Woes in Matthew 23.
In 1 Kings 18 we see how God sent his prophet Elijah to Israel during the reign of the
wicked king Ahab. God wanted to demonstrate through Elijah that the true God of Israel
was not Baal. In 1 Kings 18:21 Elijah asked the people, How long will you waver between
two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him. In this great
demonstration Baal was proven to be impotent and a lie. But Jehovah was shown to be
powerful and true when he sent fire from heaven which consumed Elijah’s sacrifice. This
was a sign that Israel should abandon Baal worship and serve the true God of the covenant.
It was a warning to submit to Jehovah the great king and listen to the words of his
prophets. But Ahab, Jezebel and their children refused to serve God, and God killed them
all.”

3. In Acts 20 we read of a young man named Eutychus who fell from the third story and
died. Paul came down and prayed for Eutychus, and the young man revived. But Ahaziah
was an arrogant man. God had already humiliated him politically and economically, and
now God was dealing with him in his health. This was a serious fall and, in truth, Ahaziah
was dying. Someone said only one step stands between us and death. Ahaziah had taken
that one step, fell down, and was seriously injured. Had he sought the face of Jehovah he
may have been granted a healing, but he chose to seek out Baal instead, and this left him
without hope, for God let nature take its course and that meant he would die.
4. Pink, “And Elijah departed (2 Kings 1:4). At his Master’s bidding, the prophet had
gone forth to meet the servants of Ahaziah and delivered what the Lord had commissioned
him, and had sent them back with this message to their king, and then took his leave of
them. His departure was not for the purpose of concealing himself but to return to his
communion with God. It was to the top of a hill (v. 9), that he retired: typically it spoke
of moral separation from, and elevation above, the world. We have to betake ourselves to
the secret place of the Most High—and this is not to be found near the giddy and
bustling crowds, if we are to abide under the shadow of the Almighty (Ps. 91:1); it is
from the mercy seat His voice is heard speaking (um. 7:89). On a previous occasion we
have seen Elijah making for the mountaintop as soon as his public work was completed (1
Kings 18:42). What an object lesson is there here for all the servants of Christ: when they
have delivered their message, to retire from the public eye and get alone with God, as their
Savior before them was wont to do. The top of the hill is also the place of observation
and vision: O to make spiritual observatories of our private rooms!
There is nothing in the sacred narrative which indicates the nationality of these messengers
of Ahaziah. If they were Israelites they could scarcely be ignorant of the prophet’s identity
when he so suddenly accosted them and so dramatically announced the doom of their
master. If they were foreigners, imported from Tyre by Jezebel, they were probably
ignorant of the mighty Tishbite, for some years had elapsed since his last public
appearance. Whoever they were, these men were so impressed by that commanding figure
and his authoritative tone, so awed by his knowledge of their mission and so terrified by his
pronouncement, that they at once abandoned their quest and returned to the king. He who
could tell what Ahaziah thought and said could evidently foretell the outcome of his
sickness: they dared not proceed on their journey to Ekron. That illustrated an important
principle. When a servant of God is energized by an ungrieved Spirit, his message carries
conviction and strikes terror into the hearts of his hearers: just as Herod feared John the
Baptist (Mark 6:20), and Felix trembled before Paul (Acts 24:25). But it is not talking to
the wicked about the love of God which will produce such effects, nor will such conscience-soothers
be owned of Heaven. Rather is it those who declare, as Elijah of Ahaziah, Thou
shalt surely die.
5. David Guzik, “In fact, this was a mercy to Ahaziah. God told him something that few
people know - that his death was imminent and that he had time to repent and prepare to

meet God.This prophetic announcement might also explain why Ahaziah did not want to
seek an answer from the Lord: he knew what the answer would be. In seeking Baal-Zebub
for an answer, Ahaziah may have wanted to find a god to tell him what he wanted to hear.”
5 When the messengers returned to the king, he asked
them, Why have you come back?
1. Pink, “It must have been both a surprise and a shock to the king when his servants
returned unto him so quickly, for he knew that sufficient time had not elapsed for them to
have journeyed to Ekron in Philistia and back again. His question expresses annoyance, a
reprimand for their being remiss in discharging his commission. Kings in that day were
accustomed to receive blind obedience from their subjects, and woe be unto those who
crossed their imperial wills. This only serves to emphasize the effect which the appearance
and words of Elijah made upon them. From the next verse we learn that the prophet had
bidden them, Go turn again unto the king that sent you and repeat my message unto
him. And though their so doing meant placing their lives in jeopardy, nevertheless they
carried out the prophet’s order. How they put to shame thousands of those professing to be
the servants of Christ who for many years past have studiously withheld that which their
auditors most needed to hear and criminally substituted a message of Peace, peace when
there was no peace for them, and that in days when a faithful proclamation of the truth had
not endangered their persons. Surely these messengers of Ahaziah will yet rise up in
judgment against all such faithless time-servers.
6 A man came to meet us, they replied. And he
said to us, 'Go back to the king who sent you and tell
him, This is what the LORD says: Is it because there
is no God in Israel that you are sending men to consult
Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not
leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!
1. We see here a direct connection between his idolatry and his premature death. He

rejected the God of Israel, and God returned the favor and rejected him by sending him to
death. This was a capital crime in a theocracy, and the death penalty was demanded.
2. Pink, “From their omission of his name and by referring to Elijah simply as a man it
seems clear that these messengers of the king were ignorant of the prophet’s identity. But
they had been so overawed by his appearance and the solemnity of his manner, and were so
convinced his announcement would be verified, that they deemed themselves warranted in
abandoning their journey and returning to their master. Accordingly they delivered a plain
straightforward account of what had occurred and faithfully reported Elijah’s
pronouncement. They knew full well that such a message must prove most unwelcome to
the king, yet they made no attempt to alter its tone or soften it down. They shrank not from
telling Ahaziah to his face that sentence of death had gone out against him.”
3. Gill, “Ekron was one of the principalities of the Philistines, and this idol was the god they
worshiped, which signifies a master fly: which some think was a large metallic fly; made
under a planet that rules over flies; and the Heathens had deities they called Myiodes,
Myagros, and (apomuiov) , which signifies a driver away of flies; as Jupiter and Hercules
were called by the Eleans and Romans, and worshipped and sacrificed to by them on that
account; and so the Cyreneans, a people of Lybia, worshiped the god Achor, which seems to
be a corruption of the word Ekron, because he freed them from flies, after they had been
infested with a pestilence through them; and Ekron being a place near the sea, and both hot
and moist, might be much infested with those creatures. Within the haven of Ptolemais, or
Acco, was formerly a temple of Baalzebub, called in later times the tower of flies, and
used as a Pharus.”
7 The king asked them, What kind of man was it who
came to meet you and told you this?
1. Pink, “o doubt the king was fairly well convinced as to who it was that had dared to
cross their path and send him such a message, but to make quite sure he bids his servants
describe the mysterious stranger: what was his appearance, how was he clothed, and in
what manner did he address you? How that illustrates one of the chief traits of the
unregenerate: it was not the message which Ahaziah now inquired about, but the man who
uttered it, yet surely his own conscience would warn him that no mere man could be the
author of such a message. And is not this the common tendency of the unconverted: that
instead of taking to heart what is said, they fix their attention on who says it. Such is poor
fallen human nature. When a true servant of God is sent and delivers a searching word,
people seek to evade it by occupying themselves with his personality, his style of delivery,
his denominational affiliation— anything secondary as long as it serves to crowd out that

which is of supreme moment. Yet when the postman hands them an important business
letter they are not concerned about his appearance.”
8 They replied, He was a man with a garment of hair
and with a leather belt around his waist. The king
said, That was Elijah the Tishbite.
1. Keil, “This does not mean a man with a luxuriant growth of hair, but refers to the hairy
dress, i.e., the garment made of sheep-skin or goat-skin or coarse camel-hair, which was
wrapped round his body, which was worn by the prophets, not as mere ascetics, but as
preachers of repentance, the rough garment denoting the severity of the divine judgments
upon the effeminate nation, which reveled in luxuriance and worldly lust. And this was also
in keeping with “the leather girdle,” whereas the ordinary girdle was of cotton or linen, and
often very costly.”
1B. Coffman, “The RSV is doubtless correct in its rendition of this clause as, He wore a
garment of hair-cloth. This was the traditional clothing of God's prophets, for Zechariah
wrote of false prophets, Who put on a hairy mantle to deceive (Zechariah 13:4). Also John
the Baptist's garb of camel's hair and a leather girdle (Matthew 3:4) in imitation of his
forerunner is sufficient commentary on this phrase. It was not intended to be a
comfortable garment, because, It was one of professional austerity.”
2. Clarke, “That is, he wore a rough garment, either made of camels' hair, as his successor
John Baptist's was, or he wore a skin dressed with the hair on. Some think that the meaning
is, he had very long hair and a long beard. The ancient prophets all wore rough garments,
or upper coats made of the skins of beasts: They wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins,
says the apostle, Hebrews 11:37.”
3. Jamison, “an hairy man--This was the description not of his person, as in the case of
Esau, but of his dress, which consisted either of unwrought sheep or goatskins (Heb 11:37),
or of camel's haircloth--the coarser manufacture of this material like our rough haircloth.
The Dervishes and Bedouins are attired in this wild, uncouth manner, while their hair flows
loose on the head, their shaggy cloak is thrown over their shoulders and tied in front on the
breast, naked, except at the waist, round which is a skin girdle--a broad, rough leathern
belt. Similar to this was the girdle of the prophets, as in keeping with their coarse garments
and their stern, uncompromising office.”
4. Pink, “And they answered him, He was a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather
about his loins (v. 8). We do not regard this as a description of his person so much as of his

attire. Concerning John the Baptist, who came in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke
1:17), it is recorded that he had his raiment of camel’s hair and a leathern girdle about his
loins (Matthew 3:4). Thus we understand that the outward garment of Elijah was made of
skins (cf. Heb. 11:37), girded about by a strip of undressed leather. That the prophets had
some such distinguishing garb is clear from Zechariah 13:4, by the false prophets assuming
the same in order to beguile the people: a garment of hair to deceive. In that era when
instruction was given to the eye as well as the ear, by symbols and shadows, that uncouth
dress denoted the prophet’s mortification to the world, and expressed his concern and
sorrow for the idolatry and iniquity of his people, just as the putting on of sackcloth by
others signified humility and grief. For other references to the symbolic meaning of the
prophet’s dress and actions compare 1 Kings 11:28 -31; 22.11; Acts 21: 10, 11.
There could be no mistake: the king knew now who it was that had sent such a solemn
message to him. And what effect was produced upon him? Was he awed and humbled? Did
he now bewail his sins and cry unto God for mercy? Far from it. He had learned nothing
from his father’s awful end. The severe affliction under which he was suffering softened
him not. Even the near approach of death made no difference. He was incensed against the
prophet and determined to destroy him. Had Elijah sent him a lying and flattering word,
that had been acceptable, but the truth he could not bear. How like the degenerate
generation in which our lot is cast, who had rather be bombed to death in places of
amusement than be found on their faces before God. Ahaziah was young and arrogant, not
at all disposed to receive reproof or endure opposition to his will, no matter from what
quarter it proceeded, no, not even from Jehovah Himself. The message from Elijah, though
in God’s name and by His express command, enraged the monarch beyond measure, and
instantly he resolves on the death of the prophet, though he had done nothing more than his
duty.
9 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!'
1. Ahaziah could not and would not allow some backwoods preacher wearing goatskin who
hadn’t even shaved his beard or learned to dress for success to tell him what to do or to
rebuke him for anything. CALL OUT THE GUARD AD GO GET ELIJAH AD BRIG
HIM TO ME. HE MUST ASWER FOR HIS CRIME.” author unknown
1B. David Guzik, “There were many reasons why Ahaziah wanted to arrest Elijah, even
though he already heard the prophecy through Elijah. Perhaps he wanted Elijah to reverse

his word of doom and would use force to compel him to do it. Perhaps he just wanted to
show his rage against this prophet who had troubled him and his father Ahab for so long.
Perhaps he wanted to dramatically silence Elijah to discourage future prophets from
speaking boldly against the King of Israel. God assured Elijah that he had nothing to fear
from Ahaziah.”
1C. McDuff, “Man of God - this appellation may have been uttered in profane irony; - as
if this godless captain of a godless king, would make stern proof of how bootless was the
name, when fifty gleaming swords were ready to leap from their scabbards should
resistance be attempted. But even had no such arrogant sarcasm been implied, it was crime
and presumption enough to order thus summarily a prophet of Israel, who had done
nought but deliver a message on his Master's authority, to surrender himself captive at the
bidding of a recreant and apostate monarch. It was not so much contempt of Elijah, as
insult to Him whose messenger and servant he was. Woe betide the earthly power that
would dare dish on our an ambassador of the Most High!”
2. Bob Deffinbaugh, “The intent of this mission is not stated, but then it hardly needs to be.
This was the equivalent of a SWAT team. Does anyone doubt that Elijah was to be placed
under arrest and brought before Ahaziah? And once in custody, is it not quite clear that the
king plans to intimidate Elijah, forcing him to change his prophecy, and thus Ahaziah’s
future? And if Elijah were to refuse, the king would have the satisfaction of taking Elijah
with him, to the grave. Elijah must know how Ahaziah will respond. And yet he does not
seek to hide from him (as he had once run from Jezebel—1 Kings 19:1-3). The captain and
his men found Elijah sitting at the top of a hill. With the full authority of a drill sergeant,
the captain addressed Elijah, the “man of God,” giving him these orders in the name of the
king: “Come down!” The words of the commander are fascinating. Elijah is addressed as a
“man of God,” and yet he is given orders from the king, as though this should make it clear
that he must obey man rather than God (contrast Acts 5:29). The king is giving orders, as it
were, to God. The commander, like the wicked, speaks “from on high” (Psalm 73:8). It does
not put one in good standing to be giving orders to God, or to His prophet. This fellow
didn’t even say “Please.” This fellow is about to be “fired” (sorry, I couldn’t resist).
3. Jamison, “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; and they exceeded their military duty by contemptuous insults. Man of
God--In using this term, they either spoke derisively, believing him to be no true
prophet; or, if they regarded him as a true prophet, the summons to him to
surrender himself bound to the king was a still more flagrant insult; the language of
the second captain being worse than that of the first.”

4. Keil, “After having executed the divine command, Elijah returned to the summit of the
mountain, on which he dwelt. Most of the commentators suppose it to have been one of the
peaks of Carmel, from 2Ki_2:25 and 1Ki_18:42, which is no doubt very probable, though it
cannot be raised into certainty. Elijah's place of abode was known to the king; he therefore
sent a captain with fifty men to fetch the prophet. To the demand of the captain, “Man of
God, the king has said, Come down,” Elijah replied, “And if I am a man of God, let fire fall
from heaven and consume thee and thy fifty.” (The expression ואם , and if, shows that
Elijah's words followed immediately upon those of the captain.) This judicial miracle was
immediately fulfilled.”
5. Pink, “Ahaziah was at no loss to find wicked men ready to execute the most desperate
and impious orders. This company of soldiers went forth promptly to seize the Lord’s
servant. They found him sitting composedly upon an eminence. The spirit of the captain
evidenced that his heart was thoroughly in his task, for he insolently addressed Elijah as
thou man of God, which was by way of derision and insult. It was as though he had said,
Thou claimest Jehovah as thy Master, we come to thee in the name of a greater than he:
King Ahaziah says, Come down! Fearful effrontery and blasphemy was that! It was not
only an insult to Elijah, but to Elijah’s God, an insult which was not suffered to go
unchallenged. How often in the past have the wicked made a mock at sacred things and
turned the very terms by which God designates His people into epithets of reproach,
sneeringly dubbing them the elect, saints, etc. That they do so no longer is because the
fine gold has become dim; godliness is no more a reality and a rebuke to the impious. Who
would think of designating the average clergyman a man of God? Rather does he wish to
be known as a good mixer, a man of the world.”
10 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.
1. Deffinbaugh, “Elijah takes up the challenge. The captain spoke in the name of the king.
Elijah will speak in the name of the King of Kings—the God of Israel. Elijah employs some
of the captain’s own words. He had called Elijah a “man of God” (the ET Bible translates
this “prophet” and then in a marginal note informs us that the text literally reads “man of
God.”). Elijah reasons that if he was, in fact, a man of God, and he spoke with God’s
authority, then he should be able to call down fire from heaven to consume the captain and
all his men. If Elijah was under divine protection, and the king sought to harm him, then
the king (and anyone acting on his behalf, such as this captain) would be the ones in
danger. Immediately fire did come from heaven, and the 51 soldiers now lay dead before

the prophet.”
2. Clarke, “ 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 vindictive humor in
him, that God thus acted; but to show his own power and justice. o entreaty of Elijah
could have induced God to have performed an act that was wrong in itself. Elijah,
personally, had no concern in the business. God led him simply to announce on these
occasions what he himself had determined to do. If I be a man of God, i.e., as surely as I am
a man of God, fire Shall come down from heaven, and Shall consume thee and thy fifty.
This is the literal meaning of the original; and by it we see that Elijah’s words were only
declarative, and not imprecatory.”
3. Barnes, “The 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, and awe them merely by His presence (compare Joh_18:6). In
Elijah the spirit of the Law was embodied in its full severity. His zeal was fierce; he was not
shocked by blood; he had no softness and no relenting. He did not permanently profit by
the warning at Horeb (1Ki_19:12 note). He continued the uncompromising avenger of sin,
the wielder of the terrors of the Lord, such exactly as he had shown himself at Carmel. He
is, consequently, no pattern for Christian men Luk_9:55; but his character is the perfection
of the purely legal type. o true Christian after Pentecost would have done what Elijah did.
But what he did, when he did it, was not sinful. It was but executing strict, stern justice.
Elijah asked that fire should fall - God made it fall; and, by so doing, both vindicated His
own honor, and justified the prayer of His prophet.”
3B. Gill, “And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, if I be a man of God…As I am,
and thou shalt know it by the following token, though thou callest me so jeeringly: then let
fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty; this he said not in a passion,
and from a private spirit of revenge, but for the vindication of the honour and glory of
God, and under the impulse of his spirit, who was abused through the insult on him as his
prophet: and there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty; a flash of
lightning, which destroyed them at once; the Lord hearkening to the voice of his prophet, in
vindication of him in his office, and of his own glory.”
4. Ron Daniels, “If I Am A Man Of God....If you think about it, Elijah took a huge chance
saying, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven...After all, he wasn't doing
this in his own power. He was trusting that the Lord would validate it. It is really something
to be so sure that God is speaking to you that you will make a great leap of faith, putting
your very reputation on the line.” “Elijah had complete confidence that he was a man of

God and that the Lord would follow through. But often times, I don't have that kind of
faith. Many times, I am afraid to say, This is what the Lord is doing, until after it's done.
I believe that God wants us to step out in faith - not in presumption, telling Him what to do,
but in complete trust that He will provide, that He will supply, that He will do the
miraculous.”
5. Damien Spikereit, “And can you imagine what was going through the 3rd captains mind
when he is asked to go and bring Elijah back. But, the difference with him is he humbled
himself before Elijah and recognized that Elijah was not going to be intimidated. And
because of this the Lord tells Elijah that he is to Go down with him and to not be afraid
of him. So we read what Elijah told the King of Israel, read vss 16-17
Did you catch the recurring question that runs throughout this story? It’s an important
question. It is asked by the Lord initially in verse 3, and then a messenger repeats it to
Ahaziah in verse 4, and then Elijahs asks in person to Ahaziah in verse 16... 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?
You know I wonder if God asks the same question of us. I wonder if God looks at me and
asks me that question, Damien, is it because there is no God in your life that you have to
turn to every thing else before you turn to me? Does God have reason to ask that question
of you. Is it because there is no God in your life, that you turn to everything else before
you turn to me?
Husbands, wives... is he asking that question of you. You’re tired of arguing, you’re tired of
fighting, you’re tired of feeling alone and depressed, you know that something has to be
done if your marriage is going to survive. And so you turn to self-help books, to counselors,
to videos and seminars and conferences, retreats and on and on the list goes, and the whole
time, God is saying... Is there no God in your marriage that you have to turn to all of these
other things before you turn to me in prayer?
Highschooler, junior high students... is he asking that question of you. You’re having a
tough time in school, with your grades, with your friends, you work hard on the ball field,
in the classroom, in your relationships, but it seems like nothing ever works for you. And so
you turn to your friends for help, you turn to your teachers, your parents, you begin
blaming other people for your problems, and on and on, and the whole time, God is
asking... Is there no God in your life that you have to turn to all of these other things
before you turn to me in prayer?
Leaders, elders, deacons, minister... is he asking us that question. We make important
decisions as to the direction and vision of this church. We decide how to spend the money,
what to allow and disallow, we are called upon to be examples of faith, to shepherd and
lead God’s people. And so we turn to our business manuals, our financial reports, our own
experiences, and the whole time, God is asking us... Is there no God in your church that
you have to turn to all of these other things before you turn to me in prayer?

And I could go on and on with all of us. When we struggle to overcome a sin in our life,
when we have loved ones who are sick and hurting, when we are sick and hurting. When
we have financial hardships, when we have struggles and battles to face at work, at home,
in our family. And so often we turn to every one else, and to every thing else before we turn
to God in prayer... And God asks all of us, Is it because there is no God in your life that
you will not turn to me in prayer first?
6. Pink, “There was no personal vindictiveness in the terrible reply of Elijah, but a
consuming zeal for the glory of God, which had been so blatantly insulted by this captain.
The king’s agent had jibed at his being a man of God, and now he should be furnished
with summary proof whether or no the Maker of heaven and earth owned the prophet as
His servant. The insolence and impiety of this man who had insulted Jehovah and His
ambassador should meet with swift judgment. And there came down fire from heaven and
consumed him and his fifty (v. 10). Sure sign was this that Elijah had not been actuated by
any spirit of revenge, for in such a case God had not responded to his appeal. On an earlier
occasion the fire of the Lord had fallen upon and consumed the sacrifice (1 Kings 18:38),
but here it falls on sinners who had slighted that sacrifice. So shall it again be when the
Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking
vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ (2 Thess. 1:7, 8).
Surely so manifest an interposition of God would serve as a deterrent, if not to the
abandoned king yet to his servants, so that no further attempt would be made to apprehend
Elijah. But no: Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he
answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly
(v. 11). It is hard to say which, on this occasion, was the more remarkable, the madness of
the wounded Ahaziah when the report of the awful event reached him, or the presumption
of this officer and his soldiers. This second captain took no warning from what had befallen
the first and his soldiers. Was the calamity which overtook them attributed to chance, to
some lightning or fireball happening to consume them, or was he recklessly determined to
brave things out? Like his predecessor he addressed the prophet in the language of
insulting derision, though using more peremptory terms than the former: Come down
quickly. See once more how sin hardens the heart and ripens men for judgment. And who
maketh thee to differ? To what desperate lengths might the writer and the reader have
gone if the mercy of God had not interposed and stopped us in our mad career! 0 what
praise is due unto sovereign grace which snatched me as a brand from the burning!
And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from
heaven and consume thee and thy fifty (v. 12). Proof had already been given that Jehovah
was omniscient (v. 4), now they should know He is omnipotent. What is man in the hands of
his Maker? One flash of lightning and fifty-one of His enemies become burnt stubble. And
if all the hosts of Israel, yea the entire human race, had been assembled there, it had needed
no other force. Then what folly it is for him whose breath is in his nostrils to contend with
the Almighty: Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker (Isa. 45:9). Some have blamed
Elijah for destroying those men, overlooking the fact that he could no more bring down fire

from heaven than they can. Elijah simply announced on these occasions what God had
Himself determined to do. or was it to please the prophet that the Lord acted, or to
gratify any vindictive passion in Himself, but to show forth His power and justice. It cannot
be said the soldiers were innocent, for they were performing no military duty, but openly
fighting against Heaven as the language of the third captain indicates. This has been
recorded as a lasting warning for all ages, that those who mock at and persecute God’s
faithful ministers will not escape His punishment. On the other hand, those who have
befriended them shall by no means lose their reward.”
7. Henry, “Doubtless Elijah did this by a divine impulse, and yet our Savior would not
allow the disciples to draw it into a precedent, Luk_9:54. They were now not far from the
place where Elias did this act of justice upon provoking Israelites, and would needs, in like
manner, call for fire upon those provoking Samaritans. “o,” says Christ, “by no means,
you know not what manner of spirit you are of,” that is, (1.) “You do not consider what
manner of spirit, as disciples, you are called to, and how different from that of the Old
Testament dispensation; it was agreeable enough to that dispensation of terror, and of the
letter, for Elias to call for fire, but the dispensation of the Spirit and of grace will by no
means allow it.” (2.) “You are not aware what manner of spirit you are, upon this occasion,
actuated by, and how different from that of Elias: he did it in holy zeal, you in passion; he
was concerned for God's glory, you for your own reputation only.” God judges men's
practices by their principles, and his judgment is according to truth.”
11 At this the king sent to Elijah another captain with
his fifty men. The captain said to him, Man of God,
this is what the king says, 'Come down at once!'
1. The king had little respect for life, and just sent fifty more men to their death rather than
admit that Elijah was a man of God, with power that only God could give. He was a rebel
to the core, and refused to acknowledge that there was a God in Israel.
2. “Well, I am sure news of this came to Ahaziah. Fifty-one people were killed instantly by a
flash of lightning. But this was not just lightning. God caused this to happen, and it was
really another opportunity for Ahaziah to repent. He should have humbled himself and
said, Oh, God, now I understand. I humble myself before you. Have mercy on me, a
sinner!
Did Ahaziah humble himself? o. He sent another captain with fifty more soldiers to
Elijah. What did this captain say? Man of God, this is what the king says, ‘Come down at
once!’ How did Elijah respond? If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven

and consume you and your fifty men, and, again, fire came down and consumed the
captain and his men. What was the message to Ahaziah? Ahaziah, you are not winning the
war. There is a sovereign Lord of the universe who has declared war against you and he is
winning. But you haven’t died yet, so you still have opportunity to repent.
There was a later king in Judah named Hezekiah who was told he was going to die. What
did Hezekiah do? He repented and prayed, and God showed mercy to him. In the same
way, God was willing to save Ahaziah, had he repented and trusted in the God of Israel.”
author unknown
3. McDuff, “The unexpected intervention of Elijah was calculated to fill Ahaziah with
dismay. He knew that the words and threatenings of the stern Prophet carried with them a
terrible significance. That never-to-be-forgotten day on Carmel - the fire, the slaughter, the
blood - must have engraven itself deep in his young memory. He might well have deemed it
the height of madness to trifle with the sayings of one who could unlock the armoury of
Heaven, and inflict summaryvengeance on the adversaries of the GOD he served.
Therefore, as a doomed man, we half expect, half hope, to see the tear of penitence trembling in
his eye, and messengers forthwith dispatched along the plain of Esdraelon, to endeavor to avert
or modify the awful denunciation. But the blood of his mother Jezebel flows in this sick man's
veins. The message of the Prophet rouses him only to wild and frenzied exasperation. He
resolves that the Tishbite shall forfeit his liberty or his life for his bold presumption.
We might have expected that his sickness would have proved a salutary monitor - a rousing
messenger of rebuke and warning to his soul, humbling him in godly sorrow and tears, and
leading him to cry for mercy. But instead of being like oil poured on the troubled waters -
calming their fretfulness, - that sickness proved rather like oil thrown into the flames, feeding
their fury. The dying man presents a picture of what, alas! is not infrequently seen, though the
saddest of all spectacles, - a scorner and spurner of the most solemn providential warnings at
the very last gasp of life, - contending with his Maker - lifting his soul in proud defiance against
GOD.”
4. Deffinbaugh, “One wonders what the second commander and his men were thinking as
they made their way to the place where Elijah was stationed. Had they heard about what
had happened to the first group? Did this fellow think that using the same tactics on Elijah
as the first captain had tried would really work? The second captain repeats the same
words, with what seems to be greater emphasis on the king’s authority. He orders Elijah to
come down “at once” (verse 11). Did this captain think that tough talk would frighten
Elijah? Elijah simply repeats the same words to this captain as he had spoken to the one
before him. If he was a “man of God,” as this captain had said, then let fire come down
from heaven and consume this fellow, along with his 50 men. Once again, fire came down
from heaven, and consumed all 51 soldiers.”

12 If I am a man of God, Elijah replied, may fire
come down from heaven and consume you and your
fifty men! Then the fire of God fell from heaven and
consumed him and his fifty men.
1. Henry, “This is repeated a second time; would one think it? 1. Ahaziah sends, a second
time, to apprehend Elijah (2Ki_1:11), as if he were resolved not to be baffled by
omnipotence itself. Obstinate sinners must be convinced and conquered, at last, by the fire
of hell, for fire from heaven, it seems, will not subdue them. 2. Another captain is ready
with his fifty, who, in his blind rage against the prophet, and his blind obedience to the
king, dares engage in that service which had been fatal to the last undertakers. This is as
impudent and imperious as the last, and more in haste; not only, “Come down quietly, and
do not struggle,” but without taking any notice of what had been done, he says, “Come
down quickly, and do not trifle, the king's business requires haste; come down, or I will
fetch thee down.” 3. Elijah relents not, but calls for another flash of lightning, which
instantly lays this captain and his fifty dead upon the spot. Those that will sin like others
must expect to suffer like them; God is inflexibly just.”
2. Coffman has the most comments on this verse that has caused controversy. “We find no
agreement whatever with a great many writers who deplore this act of God's destruction of
innocent men, who it is said, were only obeying orders. onsense! William Whiston
explained exactly why these men deserved to die. They knew that Elijah was a true prophet
of God, and that they were sent to bring that holy man to Ahab for the sole purpose of
Ahab's murdering him, and yet they knew that God was the Supreme King in Israel, and
that Elijah was doing the will of the True King. They certainly knew that they were under
the theocracy. Therefore, when they sought to capture Elijah and bring him to Ahab, their
doing so was nothing less than the grossest impiety, rebellion against God, and treason in
the highest degree. It was sin of the worst nature that they had consented to obey the orders
of the apostate reprobate Ahaziah.
What should they have done? They should have acted after the manner of Saul's guards who,
when ordered to slay the priests of ob, knowing the order to be contrary to the will of God,
refused to obey it! Officers and soldiers alike must learn that the commands of their leaders
and rulers cannot justify them in doing that which is wicked and sinful in the eyes of God.
Hitler's soldiers who ran the death camps were obeying orders, of course, but that never
justified what they did. In addition, these first two captains of fifty with their fifties were grossly
disrespectful of Elijah, ordering him to get a move on, to come down quickly, the king
has commanded, etc. Even the words, O man of God, were apparently spoken in contempt
and derision, a conclusion supported by Elijah's repeated statement that, IF I am a man of
God, etc.
This writer is aware that many scholars take a radically different view. Montgomery called the
commands for fire to come down from heaven and to consume the men, Preposterous.

Honeycutt wrote that, Few persons would defend the morality of calling down fire from
heaven upon groups of fifty as in this narrative. Dentan believed that, When Elijah twice
called down fire from heaven upon soldiers who were innocent executors of the king's will, we
must sense an inadequate understanding of God's justice and mercy.
We could cite other similar opinions, but there are grave errors in all of them. The executors of
Ahab's evil command were not innocent. Elijah did not destroy the men, God did it! As Keil
said, Ahaziah's sin was punished not by the prophet, but by the Lord himself, who fulfilled the
word of his servant. If God had not approved of Elijah's request, he would not have honored
it; and when Elijah, along with Moses, stood with the Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration,
we have the Divine endorsement of what was done here.
One other thing about this. Several have pointed out that Jesus refused the suggestion of the
apostles to call down fire out of heaven upon the Samaritans (Luke 9:51-55) as their alleged
proof that what Elijah did here was wrong. The situations were not in any sense parallel.
Samaria would soon receive and obey Christ (John 4), but there was utterly no possibility
whatever that the evil offspring of Ahab and Jezebel would ever be anything except an
inveterate enemy of God. Besides that, a great wonder from heaven was particularly needed at
the time of Elijah's action in order to prevent enemies like Ahaziah from stamping out the true
religion altogether. The salvation of all the redeemed of all ages was at stake!
ot only that! With the monarchy of Israel already a lost cause, it was required absolutely of
God that his prophets should be respected and honored; and if Ahab had been allowed to kill
Elijah, it would have been the precedent for the evil kings of the apostate people to kill all of the
prophets continually, and all would have been lost. As Martin said, This gruesome incident
served notice on all of the wicked rulers of Israel and also of Judah that, The person of the
prophet was inviolate.
13 So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men.
This third captain went up and fell on his knees before
Elijah. Man of God, he begged, please have respect
for my life and the lives of these fifty men, your
servants!
1. All you have to do is ask. one of the others came with a sense that they were dealing
with a man of God, and one whom God was empowering in unusual ways. They came in
pride that they had the authority of the king, as if that intimidated God's servant. Elijah
was defying the word of the king. It was the church versus the state, and God's people are
to honor the state and its leaders, but the exception is when they are defy the will of God.

Elijah had both the right and a duty to oppose the state, for it was corrupt and evil. o
believer has an obligation to obey any authority that defies the authority of God, which was
the case so often with the kings of Israel. The constant worship of idols made the state an
enemy of God, and it was to be fought as an evil force. This third captain was not stupid.
He saw the reality of what was going on, and came to Elijah with humility and great
respect. Elijah had to honor his spirit and let him and his men live. He was honored, and he
returned the honor for this man was acknowledging that Elijah did represent the true God
with the power to destroy that which is evil and unjust.
2. Damien Spikereit, “And can you imagine what was going through the 3rd captains mind
when he is asked to go and bring Elijah back. But, the difference with him is he humbled
himself before Elijah and recognized that Elijah was not going to be intimidated. And
because of this the Lord tells Elijah that he is to Go down with him and to not be afraid
of him. So we read what Elijah told the King of Israel, read vss 16-17 Did you catch the
recurring question that runs throughout this story? It’s an important question. It is asked
by the Lord initially in verse 3, and then a messenger repeats it to Ahaziah in verse 4, and
then Elijahs asks in person to Ahaziah in verse 16... 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?
You know I wonder if God asks the same question of us. I wonder if God looks at me and
asks me that question, Damien, is it because there is no God in your life that you have to
turn to every thing else before you turn to me? Does God have reason to ask that question
of you. Is it because there is no God in your life, that you turn to everything else before
you turn to me?
3. Deffinbaugh, “In our text at least, the third time is a charm! This third captain has
reasoned this matter out, and he does not intend to end up like his two predecessors. To put
it differently, this captain has grasped the “chain of command” correctly. God is the
ultimate authority, and because Elijah is a “man of God,” (a prophet), he speaks and acts
with God’s authority. o official of the king had better attempt to harm or intimidate
Elijah, or even seek to put him under arrest. This captain responds appropriately. He did
not order Elijah to do anything. He knows all too well what has happened to those who had
come before him, and he is sure that it will happen to him as well if he deals with Elijah in a
similar manner. He kneels down before Elijah and pleads for mercy for himself and his
men. God graciously responds to this humble petition. The Angel of the LORD instructs
Elijah not to be afraid and to go with this man and his men. ow, at last, the orders are
coming from the right direction, from the top down.”
4. Pink, “What fearful obstinacy is there here. Deliberately hardening his heart, Ahaziah
strengthened himself against the Almighty and makes one more attempt to do the prophet
harm. Though on his death-bed, and knowing the Divine judgment which had befallen two
companies of his soldiers (as v. 54 intimates), yet he persists in stretching forth his hand
against Jehovah’s anointed, and exposes to destruction another of his captains with his
body of men. So true are those words of Holy Writ, Though thou shouldest bray a fool in
a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him (Prov.

27:22). And why is this? Because the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is
in their heart while they live (Eccl. 9:3). In view of such unerring declarations, and with
such examples as Pharaoh, Ahab and Ahaziah before us, we ought not to be in the least
surprised or startled by what we see and read of what is taking place in the world today.
Saddened and solemnized we should be, but not staggered and nonplussed.
This man was of a different disposition from the two who had preceded him: even in the
military forces God has a remnant according to the election of grace. Daring not to attempt
anything against Elijah, he employed humble submission and fervent entreaties, with every
expression of respect. It was an affecting appeal, a real prayer. He attributed the death of
the previous companies to its true cause and appears to have had an awful sense of the
justice of God. He owns that their lives lay at the prophet’s mercy and begs they may be
spared. Thus did Jehovah provide not only for the security but also the honor of Elijah, as
He did for Moses when Pharaoh had threatened to put him to death (Ex. 11:8). The appeal
of this captain was not in vain. Our God is ever ready to forgive the humble suppliant, how
ever rebellious he may have been, and the way to prevail with Him is to bow before Him.”
5. Gill, “And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty,c.] Which was most
daring and insolent, and showed him to be dreadfully hardened, to persist in his messages
after such rebuffs: and the third captain of fifty went up; instead of calling to the prophet
at the bottom of the hill as the other did, he went up to the top of it: and came and fell on
his knees before Elijah: in reverence of him as a prophet of the Lord, and under a dread of
the power he was possessed of, of calling for fire from heaven on him and his men, as the
former instances showed: and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee,
let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight: he owns their lives
lay at his mercy; he begs they might be spared, since it was not in contempt of him, and
through ill will to him as the prophet of the Lord, but in obedience to the king's command,
that they were come to him.”
6. Henri Rossier, “The third captain (vv. 13-14) fears God and takes the attitude becoming
to a sinful man before Him. He approached beseeching, on his knees, acknowledging God
in Elijah in saying Man of God to him in an entirely different spirit from that of the first
two captains. He knows that God can exercise grace: I pray thee, let my life, and the life of
these fifty thy servants be precious in thy sight. He has not yet received the assurance that
what God is able to do, He is willing to do, but he is convinced that the God of judgment is
able to be a God of grace to whosoever submits to him, that He does not desire the death of
the sinner, and that his life may be precious to Him. These thoughts are expressed in the
words of this man: Behold, there came down fire from the heavens, and consumed the two
captains of the former fifties with their fifties, but now, let my life be precious in thy sight
Such faith is pleasing to the Lord. This third captain believed that God is,' as the Epistle
to the Hebrews expresses it; he acknowledged His full character of majesty, holiness,
righteousness, and goodness, a conviction that is necessary if one is to approach Him; but
he also believed that God is a rewarder of them who seek him out (Heb. 11: 6). So he
finds the reward of his faith.”

14 See, fire has fallen from heaven and consumed the
first two captains and all their men. But now have
respect for my life!
1. Henry, “The third captain humbled himself and cast himself upon the mercy of God and
Elijah. It does not appear that Ahaziah ordered him to do so (his stubborn heart is as hard
as ever; so regardless is he of the terrors of the Lord, so little affected with the
manifestations of his wrath, and withal so prodigal of the lives of his subjects, that he sends
a third with the same provoking message to Elijah), but he took warning by the fate of his
predecessors, who, perhaps, lay dead before his eyes; and, instead of summoning the
prophet down, fell down before him, and begged for his life and the lives of his soldiers,
acknowledging their own evil deserts and the prophet's power (2Ki_1:13, 2Ki_1:14): Let
my life be precious in thy sight. ote, There is nothing to be got by contending with God: if
we would prevail with him, it must be by supplication; if we would not fall before God, we
must bow before him; and those are wise for themselves who learn submission from the
fatal consequences of the obstinacy of others.
Elijah does more than grant the request of this third captain. God is not so severe with
those that stand it out against him but he is as ready to show mercy to those that repent and
submit to him; never any found it in vain to cast themselves upon the mercy of God. This
captain, not only has his life spared, but is permitted to carry his point: Elijah, being so
commanded by the angel, goes down with him to the king, 2Ki_1:15. Thus he shows that he
before refused to come, not because he feared the king or court, but because he would not
be imperiously compelled, which would lessen the honor of his master; he magnifies his
office. He comes boldly to the king, and tells him to his face (let him take it as he may) what
he had before sent to him (2Ki_1:16), that he shall surely and shortly die; he mitigates not
the sentence, either for fear of the king's displeasure or in pity to his misery. The God of
Israel has condemned him, let him send to see whether the god of Ekron can deliver him.
So thunder-struck is Ahaziah with this message, when it comes from the prophet's own
mouth, that neither he nor any of those about him durst offer him any violence, nor so
much as give him an affront; but out of that den of lions he comes unhurt, like Daniel. Who
can harm those whom God will shelter?”
15 The angel of the LORD said to Elijah, Go down
with him; do not be afraid of him. So Elijah got up

and went down with him to the king.
1. The last group came with reverence to God Almighty and His awesome power. They
came to ask Elijah rather than to order him to come. They came asking for mercy and
grace knowing that they had little choice but to do what the King had commanded.
2. Pink, “This clearly demonstrates that Elijah waited for the Divine impulse and was
entirely guided by it in the former instances of severity. either God nor His servant could
have any pleasure in taking away the lives of those who approached them in a becoming
manner. It was to punish them for their scorn and impiety that the others had been slain.
But this captain came with fear and trembling, not with ill-will to the prophet nor contempt
for his Master. Accordingly he found mercy and favor: not only were their lives preserved,
but the captain succeeds in his errand. Elijah shall go with him to the king. Those who
humble themselves shall be exalted, whereas those who exalt themselves shall be abased.
Let us learn from Elijah’s example to deal kindly toward those who may have been
employed against us, when they evidence their repentance and entreat our clemency. Mark
it was the angel of the Lord who again addressed the prophet: but what a test of his
obedience and courage! The Tishbite had greatly exasperated Jezebel and her party, and
now her reigning son must have been furious at him. evertheless he might safely venture
into the presence of his raging foes seeing that the Lord had bidden him do so, with the
assurance, Be not afraid. They could not move a finger against him without God’s
permission. God’s people are quite safe in His hands, and faith may ever appropriate the
triumphant language of Psalm 27:1-3.
And he arose and went down with him unto the king (v. 15), readily and boldly, not
fearing his wrath. He made no objection and indicated no fear for his safety: though the
king was enraged and would be surrounded by numerous attendants, he committed himself
to the Lord and felt safe under His promise and protection. What a striking instance of the
prophet’s faith and obedience to God. But Elijah did not go to confront the king until
bidden by the Lord to do so, teaching His servants not to act presumptuously by recklessly
and needlessly exposing themselves unto danger: but as soon as He required it he went
promptly, encouraging us to follow the leading of Providence, trusting God in the way of
duty and saying, The Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man shall do unto me (Heb.
13:6).
3. Clarke, “And he arose, and went down He did not even regard his personal safety or his
life; he goes without the least hesitation to the king, though he had reason to suppose he
would be doubly irritated by his prediction, and the death of one hundred of his men. But
with all these consequences he had nothing to do; he was the ambassador of the King
eternal, and his honor and life were in the hands of his Master.”

16 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!
1. “So Elijah went to see Ahaziah. This was Ahaziah’s final opportunity to hear the message
of the Lord and repent. Ahaziah had not sought the Lord, but the Lord had responded to
his trouble and sent his prophet to Ahaziah. This was an opportunity for Ahaziah to receive
mercy, because whenever a man of God comes to you, if you repent and humble yourself,
you will receive mercy. But did Ahaziah repent and say to Elijah, Please, I understand all
this. I am a wicked man. Have mercy upon me? Oh, no.” author unknown
2. Ahaziah had numerous times to respond to the message of God with repentance, but he
did not give a hint that he regretted ignoring the God of Israel, and instead, turning to the
god of Ekron. He was a complete fool, for God gave him more than just a second chance to
plead for mercy, but he would not do so. He died in his bed as a fool who would not humble
himself before God.
3. P G Mathew, “From this passage we learn that God gives us many opportunities to
repent. Throughout the Bible we read that the God of Israel is gracious and long-suffering.
When God revealed himself to Moses he said this: The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate
and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to
thousands and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty
unpunished. He punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the
third and fourth generation (Ex. 34:6-7). And in Psalm 103:10-12 David tells us that God
does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as
the heavens are above the earth, so great is the love, his love, for those who fear him. Our
God is a compassionate God.”
4. The above fact, however, is of no value to the spiritually blind who will not accept the
reality of such a God, and that is how the king died in his stubborn blindness who refused
to see the God of Israel. Other kings did the same thing, and they refused to look to the God
of Israel and repent. The great physician who loves to heal was at their side, but they
refused to receive his services. In 2 Chronicles 16:12 we read, In the thirty-ninth year of
his reign, Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. ow, not every disease is correction
for sin, but this was. And then we read, Though his disease was severe. . . God not only
afflicted Asa, but he made the affliction severe. What was God’s purpose? To bring Asa to
repentance that he might call upon the name of the Lord and ask for mercy. But as we read

further we see that Even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord. This reminds
us of Ahaziah’s attitude: I hate God! Asa sought help from the pagan physicians, but
they could not help him. And in verse 13 we read, In the forty-first year of his reign Asa
died. Asa had two years to repent, but, amazingly, he would not do so. Like Ahaziah, Asa
refused to repent.” unknown author
5. There are also happy stories where men in their illnesses turn to the God of Israel and
find the healing they so strongly desire. “In 2 Kings 5 we read about aaman the Syrian.
He was a great general but he had leprosy. While in Syria he heard about the God of Israel,
and came all the way to Samaria to be healed by him. When the man of God said to wash in
the Jordan River, aaman became very angry and he was not going to humble and repent.
But God showed mercy and aaman repented. He was saved and healed and he went back
to Syria as an Israelite. aaman, the pagan Gentile, went to Israel and found God, found
balm, and found a physician. He was cured and restored.” author unknown
6. Deffinbaugh, “otice the tone of our text, as it describes Elijah before the king. ot one
word of king Ahaziah is recorded in verse 16. In this verse, only Elijah speaks, and we can
certainly say that he “gets in the last word.” The thing that strikes me about Elijah’s words
to the king is that they are virtually identical with the words the Angel of the Lord gave to
Elijah, as well as the words that Elijah conveyed to the messengers of the king. In spite of
all of Ahaziah’s efforts to reverse or to reduce his sentence, nothing has changed so far as
his “sentence” is concerned. His death has been foretold. His judgment is sure.”
7. Pink, “Elijah now repeats to the king, without any alteration, what he had said to his
servants. Without fear or mincing the matter, the prophet spoke God’s word plainly and
faithfully to Ahaziah; in the name of Him in whose hands are both life and death, he
reproved the monarch for his sin and then pronounced sentence on him. What an awful
message for him to receive: that he should go from his bed to hell. Having discharged his
commission, the Tishbite departed without molestation. Enraged as were Jezebel and her
party, the king and his attendants, they were as meek as lambs and as silent as statues. The
prophet went in and out among them with perfect safety, receiving no more harm than
Daniel when cast into the lions den, because he trusted in God. Let this cause us to go
forth firmly but humbly in the discharge of our duty.”
17 So he died, according to the word of the LORD that
Elijah had spoken.
1. Henry, “The prediction is accomplished in a few days. Ahaziah died (v. 17), and, dying
childless, left his kingdom to his brother Jehoram. His father reigned wickedly twenty-two
years, he not two. Sometimes the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power; but those

who therefore promise themselves prosperity in impiety may perhaps find themselves
deceived; for (as bishop Hall observes here), “Some sinners live long, to aggravate their
judgment, others die soon, to hasten it;” but it is certain that evil pursues sinners, and,
sooner or later, it will overtake them; nor will any thing fill the measure sooner than that
complicated iniquity of Ahaziah - honoring the devil's oracles and hating God's oracles.”
1B. McDuff, “Alas! how much it takes to humble the proud heart. Apart from divine grace
no outward trial can do it. Impending death itself, that hour when, we might suppose, all
false confidences and illusions might well be shaken, finds the hardened and impenitent
impervious as ever to conviction. Hence the miserable delusion of those who, trust to the
relenting and penitential feelings of their last hours. It is too often a vain unrealized dream. As men
live, so do men die!
- The Scorner in life, is a Scorner at the last:
- The blasphemer in life, is often a wilder blasphemer at the last.
- The unjust remain unjust still, and the filthy remains filthy still.
Oh, it is the saddest picture of moral apostasy,- the saddest exponent of the [272] enmity of the
unregenerate heart, - when even the King of terrors brings no terror to the seared conscience
and indurated soul, - the banner of proud defiance against GOD and His CHRIST waved, even
when the awful gloom of mortal darkness is closing in all around! The king's passion is still
roused, - the fever of vengeance burns hot as ever; and the last miserable dregs of his life are
spent in the renewed attempt to baffle Omnipotence, but only to squander afresh the blood of
his innocent soldiers.” “It was the Tishbite's last meeting with the house of Ahab, - his last
message of wrath,- his last protest against Baal. The hours of his own earthly existence were
now nearly spent, - already the sentence was framing in the upper sanctuary, Well done, good
and faithful servant. It is pleasing to think of him in this his closing public act, true as ever to
his great life-work and calling, as the unflinching Reformer of his day, - denouncing the
degradations of the Baal worship, quenching the strange fires on the defiled altars of his
country, and rekindling the sacred flames; - the same heroic spirit we found him when first
presented to us on the sacred page; like Moses, not fearing the wrath of the king, but enduring,
as seeing Him who is invisible.”
2. Clarke, “The Vulgate, Septuagint, and Syriac say, Jehoram HIS BROTHER reigned in
his stead, in the second year of Jehoram. There were two Jehorams who were
contemporary: the first, the son of Ahab, brother to Ahaziah, and his successor in the
kingdom of Israel; the second, the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, who succeeded his
father in Judah. But there is a difficulty here: How is it that Jehoram the brother of
Ahaziah began to reign in the second year of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat, seeing that,
according to 2 Kings 3:1 , he began his reign in the eighteenth year of the reign of
Jehoshaphat; and, according to 2 Kings 8:16 , Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat began to reign
in the fifth year of Jehoram king of Israel? Calmet and others answer thus: Jehoram
king of Israel began to reign in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, which
was the second year after this same Jehoshaphat had given the viceroyalty to his son
Jehoram; and afterwards Jehoshaphat communicated the royalty to Jehoram his successor,
two years before his death, and the fifth year of Jehoram, king of Israel. Dr. Lightfoot
takes another method:-Observe, says he, these texts, 1 Kings 22:51 : Ahaziah the son of

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