22.35 The Israelites try to prevent the enemy from discovering that the king has been wounded.
22.36 The end of the battle fulfills Micaiah’s vision of a scattered Israel (v. 17).
22.38 This verse partially fulfills Elijah’s prophecy (21.19), although his original oracle called for Ahab’s blood to be spilled in Jezreel. The reference to the prostitutes is a bizarre addition to the prophecy.
22.41–50 The formal account of Jehoshaphat’s reign portrays him as a good king, although he too fails to remove the high places.
22.41–42 Jehoshaphat reigned ca. 873–849 BCE.
22.43 High places. See note on 3.2.
22.46 Temple prostitutes. See note on 14.24.
22.48–49 Like Solomon, Jehoshaphat tries to become involved in long-distance maritime trade, but he is not successful (see notes on 9.26; 9.28; 10.22).
22.51–53 The stereotypical introduction to Ahaziah’s reign gives him the expected negative evaluation. The account of his activities is continued in 2 Kings.
22.51 Ahaziah ruled ca. 850–849 BCE.
2 KINGS
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
THE TWO BOOKS OF KINGS were once a single work, and 2 Kings simply continues the account of Israel’s history begun in 1 Kings. The narratives of 2 Kings cover the history of Israel from the reign of Ahaziah (ca. 850–849 BCE) to the Assyrian destruction of Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom (721 BCE). Interwoven with that history is the story of Judah from the reign of Jehoshaphat to the years immediately following the destruction of the Southern Kingdom, the fall of Jerusalem, and the Babylonian exile (586 BCE). For a full introduction to 2 Kings, see the Introduction to 1 Kings. [ROBERT R. WILSON]
2 KINGS 1
Elijah Denounces Ahaziah
1After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel.
2Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay injured; so he sent messengers, telling them, “Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury.” 3But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Get up, go to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’ 4Now therefore thus says the LORD, ‘You shall not leave the bed to which you have gone, but you shall surely die.’” So Elijah went.
5The messengers returned to the king, who said to them, “Why have you returned?” 6They answered him, “There came a man to meet us, who said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you, and say to him: Thus says the LORD: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not leave the bed to which you have gone, but shall surely die.’” 7He said to them, “What sort of man was he who came to meet you and told you these things?” 8They answered him, “A hairy man, with a leather belt around his waist.” He said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”
9Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. He went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’” 10But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
11Again the king sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. He went upa and said to him, “O man of God, this is the king’s order: Come down quickly!” 12But Elijah answered them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
13Again the king sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. So the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and entreated him, “O man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty servants of yours, be precious in your sight. 14Look, fire came down from heaven and consumed the two former captains of fifty men with their fifties; but now let my life be precious in your sight.” 15Then the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he set out and went down with him to the king, 16and said to him, “Thus says the LORD: Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron,—is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word?—therefore you shall not leave the bed to which you have gone, but you shall surely die.”
Death of Ahaziah
17So he died according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken. His brother,b Jehoram succeeded him as king in the second year of King Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat of Judah, because Ahaziah had no son. 18Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel?
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a Gk Compare verses 9, 13: Heb He answered
b Gk Syr: Heb lacks His brother
1.1–18 The story of Ahaziah’s illness is used by the narrator as another illustration of the inevitable fulfillment of a prophetic judgment oracle against a corrupt Northern king. The basic narrative has been elaborated by the incorporation of legendary material illustrating the prophet’s ability to wield divine power.
1.1 This note on Moab’s revolt seems out of place, since Moab plays no role in the narrative until 3.5. On the other hand, it is possible that the narrator understands the revolt as a judgment on the evil dynasty of Ahab (see 1 Kings 22.51–53; cf. 1 Kings 11.1–26).
1.2 Lattice implies a woven structure of some sort (1 Kings 7.17; Job 18.8), which probably covered a window. On the practice of consulting a deity through a prophet in times of sickness, cf. 2 Kings 8.7–15; 1 Kings 14.1–18, which is strikingly similar to the story being told here. Baal-zebub, “Baal of the Flies” or “Lord of the Flies,” is probably an intentional Israelite corruption of Baal-zebul, “Baal the Prince.” The deity would have been a local manifestation of the Canaanite storm god, Baal, whose worship had been introduced into Israel by Ahaziah’s father, Ahab (see notes on 1 Kings 16.31; 17.1). The NT preserves the name in the form Beelzebul (Mt 10.25; 12.24; Mk 3.22; Lk 11.15) and reflects the later development of the figure into the prince of demons. Ekron, a Philistine city that lay about twenty-two miles west of Jerusalem. Part of the tribe of Judah in David’s time (1 Sam 7.14), Ekron may have been back in Philistine hands by the time this story takes place.
1.3 The message Elijah is to deliver reflects the ongoing struggle between the Lord and Baal over the issue of who is the true God in Israel. For an earlier stage of the contest, see 1 Kings 18.17–40.
1.9–16 The threefold account of attempts to summon Elijah illustrates the divine protection afforded the prophet and also his ability to control God’s power. For a similar story, see 1 Sam 19.18–24.
1.9 Man of God. See note on 1 Kings 13.1.
1.10 Fire, a traditional symbol of God’s active presence. See notes on 1 Kings 18.24; 19.11–12.
1.17 The narrator notes the immediate fulfillment of the prophecy. Jehoram of Israel should not be confused with Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. The relative chronology of this verse cannot be made to agree with the synchronisms of 3.1; 1 Kings 22.51. It is possible that in these passages the narrator used sources with conflicting chronologies or different systems of reckoning.
1.18 The Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel. See note on 1 Kings 14.19–20.
2 KINGS 2
Elijah Ascends to Heaven
1Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3The company of prophetsa who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the LORD will
take your master away from you?” And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent.”
4Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here; for the LORD has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. 5The company of prophetsb who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the LORD will take your master away from you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know; be silent.”
6Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. 7Fifty men of the company of prophetsc also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. 8Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.
9When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” 10He responded, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.” 11As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. 12Elisha kept watching and crying out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
Elisha Succeeds Elijah
13He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” When he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.
15When the company of prophetsd who were at Jericho saw him at a distance, they declared, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. 16They said to him, “See now, we have fifty strong men among your servants; please let them go and seek your master; it may be that the spirit of the LORD has caught him up and thrown him down on some mountain or into some valley.” He responded, “No, do not send them.” 17But when they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send them.” So they sent fifty men who searched for three days but did not find him. 18When they came back to him (he had remained at Jericho), he said to them, “Did I not say to you, Do not go?”
Elisha Performs Miracles
19Now the people of the city said to Elisha, “The location of this city is good, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful.” 20He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. 21Then he went to the spring of water and threw the salt into it, and said, “Thus says the LORD, I have made this water wholesome; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it.” 22So the water has been wholesome to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke.
23He went up from there to Bethel; and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go away, baldhead! Go away, baldhead!” 24When he turned around and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two she-bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. 25From there he went on to Mount Carmel, and then returned to Samaria.
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a Heb sons of the prophets
b Heb sons of the prophets
c Heb sons of the prophets
d Heb sons of the prophets
2.1–18 The dramatic story of Elijah’s ascension to heaven in a storm constitutes the climax of the narratives about this mysterious figure. Of all of the acts of power associated with him, this is the one that has most intrigued readers and fueled speculation about the prophet’s character and eventual return. By the end of the OT period he had already been connected with the coming of the “day of the LORD” (Mal 4.5); later Jewish and Christian traditions associated him with the Messiah (Mt 11.13–14; 16.13–14; 17.10–13; Mk 6.14–15; 8.27–28; 9.11–13; Lk 1.17; 9.7–8, 18–19).
2.1 Whirlwind, elsewhere connected with God’s presence (Job 38.1; 40.6; Ps 83.15; Jer 23.19; Zech 9.14). Gilgal may not be the site on the Jordan where the Israelites first entered the land of Canaan (Josh 4.19), but a town located elsewhere, perhaps north of Bethel.
2.2 Bethel. See note on 1 Kings 12.29.
2.3 Company of prophets, a prophetic guild.
2.4 Jericho lies in the Jordan Valley about six miles north of the Dead Sea.
2.8 The mantle is a symbol of the prophet’s power (cf. 1 Kings 19.19). Elijah’s parting of the Jordan’s waters recalls both the entry of Israel into Canaan (Josh 4.7–17) and Moses’ parting of the sea during the exodus (Ex 14.21–22). For other attempts to portray Elijah as a prophet like Moses, see notes on 1 Kings 19.1–18; 19.4; 19.8; 19.9.
2.9 A double share of your spirit. According to Mosaic law, a firstborn son must receive a double portion of the inheritance (Deut 21.15–17). Elisha thus asks to have the status of Elijah’s firstborn and to inherit more of his spirit than any other prophetic heirs. Elisha is not requesting more of the spirit than Elijah had, only a fraction of it.
2.10 Although Elijah already knows that Elisha is to be his successor (1 Kings 19.16), the older prophet leaves the final decision to the Lord.
2.11 Fire. See note on 1.10.
2.12 Father, a traditional title for the head of a prophetic guild and one often used by a disciple speaking to a master. The chariots of Israel and its horsemen may simply describe the heavenly army that Elisha is seeing (v. 11) or apply to Elijah and imply that he is more powerful and valuable to Israel than all of its army. Tearing clothes is a sign of mourning or distress (e.g., Gen 37.34; Josh 7.6; 2 Sam 13.31; Esth 4.1–3; Job 1.20).
2.13–14 Elisha’s ability to use the mantle to repeat the earlier miracle demonstrates that he has indeed become Elijah’s successor.
2.16 The company of prophets did not see what happened to Elijah and assume that God’s spirit has simply transported him to another location (see 1 Kings 18.7–16). Elisha knows that this is not the case and is reluctant to let them search.
2.19–25 Just as the Elijah narratives begin with stories designed to demonstrate the prophet’s power and authority (1 Kings 17), so also the Elisha narratives include a number of prophetic legends dealing with his miraculous deeds.
2.19–22 Cf. Moses’ sweetening the waters of Marah (Ex 15.23–25).
2.23 The small boys may not want the prophet to visit the illegitimate shrine at Bethel (see 1 Kings 12.28–30; 13.1–10), or they may simply be mocking his appearance.
2 KINGS 3
Jehoram Reigns over Israel
1In the eighteenth year of King Jehoshaphat of Judah, Jehoram son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria; he reigned twelve years. 2He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, though not like his father and mother, for he removed the pillar of Baal that his father had made. 3Nevertheless he clung to the sin of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he caused Israel to commit; he did not depart from it.
War with Moab
4Now King Mesha of Moab was a sheep breeder, who used to deliver to the king of Israel one hundred thousand lambs, and the wool of one hundred thousand rams. 5But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6So King Jehoram marched out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel. 7As he went he sent word to King Jehoshaphat of Judah, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me; will you go with me to battle against Moab?” He answered, “I will; I am with you, my people are your people, my horses are your horses.” 8Then he asked, “By which way shall we march?” Jehoram answered, “By the way of the wilderness of Edom.”
9So the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom set out; and when they had made a roundabout march of seven days, t
here was no water for the army or for the animals that were with them. 10Then the king of Israel said, “Alas! The LORD has summoned us, three kings, only to be handed over to Moab.” 11But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here, through whom we may inquire of the LORD?” Then one of the servants of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat, who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah, is here.” 12Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the LORD is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
13Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to your father’s prophets or to your mother’s.” But the king of Israel said to him, “No; it is the LORD who has summoned us, three kings, only to be handed over to Moab.” 14Elisha said, “As the LORD of hosts lives, whom I serve, were it not that I have regard for King Jehoshaphat of Judah, I would give you neither a look nor a glance. 15But get me a musician.” And then, while the musician was playing, the power of the LORD came on him. 16And he said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘I will make this wadi full of pools.’ 17For thus says the LORD, ‘You shall see neither wind nor rain, but the wadi shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, you, your cattle, and your animals.’ 18This is only a trifle in the sight of the LORD, for he will also hand Moab over to you. 19You shall conquer every fortified city and every choice city; every good tree you shall fell, all springs of water you shall stop up, and every good piece of land you shall ruin with stones.” 20The next day, about the time of the morning offering, suddenly water began to flow from the direction of Edom, until the country was filled with water.
21When all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, all who were able to put on armor, from the youngest to the oldest, were called out and were drawn up at the frontier. 22When they rose early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood. 23They said, “This is blood; the kings must have fought together, and killed one another. Now then, Moab, to the spoil!” 24But when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and attacked the Moabites, who fled before them; as they entered Moab they continued the attack.a 25The cities they overturned, and on every good piece of land everyone threw a stone, until it was covered; every spring of water they stopped up, and every good tree they felled. Only at Kir-hareseth did the stone walls remain, until the slingers surrounded and attacked it. 26When the king of Moab saw that the battle was going against him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through, opposite the king of Edom; but they could not. 27Then he took his firstborn son who was to succeed him, and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. And great wrath came upon Israel, so they withdrew from him and returned to their own land.
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