Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 1:11

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.

11. Again also [R.V. And again ] he sent ] Ahaziah has no regard for the lives that have been sacrificed. Josephus pictures him as ‘exceedingly angry when the destruction of these fifty was made known to him’ ( Ant. IX. 2. 1). Probably also his fierceness was aggravated by his hopeless sickness.

And he answered ] The verbs which signify ‘to answer’ are used both in Hebrew and in Greek for remarks made where, as here, no question has been asked.

Come down quickly ] The second captain goes in the spirit of the king and adds to the message of the first the demand of speedy obedience. We may therefore consider that his punishment was more deserved than that of the former. But the narrative makes it quite clear that both by the king and his people Jehovah was forgotten, and that some signal mark of His anger was called for to check the wandering after other gods, which had grown up out of Jeroboam’s sin.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Wherein he discovers more petulancy and impudence than the former, and shows how little he was moved or affrighted by the former example.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty,…. The king, not being at all terrified with the awful judgment upon the former, sends another:

and he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, come down quickly; he flouts the prophet in the same manner as the former, and in the king’s name commands him to come down, and that immediately; which the king added to his orders, or he himself, signifying he would not be trifled with, if he did not come down directly, he would force him.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

The same fate befell a second captain, whom the king sent after the death of the first. He was more insolent than the first, “both because he was not brought to his senses by hearing of his punishment, and because he increased his impudence by adding make haste ( ).” – C. a Lap. For the lxx ( Cod. Alex.) have , so that they read . The correctness of this reading, according to which would be an error of the pen, is favoured not only by in 2Ki 1:9 and 2Ki 1:13, but also by which follows; for, as a general rule, would be followed by . The repetition of this judicial miracle was meant to show in the most striking manner not only the authority which rightfully belonged to the prophet, but also the help and protection which the Lord gave to His servants. At the same time, the question as to the “morality of the miracle,” about which some have had grave doubts, is not set at rest by the remark of Thenius, that “the soldiers who were sent come into consideration here purely as instruments of a will acting in opposition to Jehovah.” The third captain also carried out he ungodly command of the king, and he was not slain (2Ki 1:13.). The first two must therefore have been guilty of some crime, which they and their people had to expiate with their death. This crime did not consist merely in their addressing him as “man of God,” for the third addressed Elijah in the same way (2Ki 1:13), but in their saying “Man of God, come down.” This summons to the prophet, to allow himself to be led as a prisoner before the king, involved a contempt not only of the prophetic office in the person of Elijah, but also of the Lord, who had accredited him by miracles as His servant. The two captains who were first sent not only did what they were bound to do as servants of the king, but participated in the ungodly disposition of their lord ( – Theodoret); they attacked the Lord with reckless daring in the person of the prophet, and the second captain, with his “Come down quickly,” did it even more strongly than the first. This sin was punished, and that not by the prophet, but by the Lord Himself, who fulfilled the word of His servant.

(Note: , as Theodoret very aptly observes.)

What Elijah here did was an act of holy zeal for the honour of the Lord, in the spirit of the old covenant, under which God destroyed the insolent despisers of His name with fire and sword, to manifest the energy of His holy majesty by the side of the dead idols of the heathen. But this act cannot be transferred to the times of the new covenant, as is clearly shown in Luk 9:54-55, where Christ does not blame Elijah for what he did, but admonishes His disciples, who overlooked the difference between the economy of the law and that of the gospel, and in their carnal zeal wanted to imitate what Elijah had done in divine zeal for the honour of the Lord, which had been injured in his own person.

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

(11) Again also he sent.Although he had heard what had befallen his former envoys.

He answered.LXX., went up (way-yaal for way-yaan), as in 2Ki. 1:9; 2Ki. 1:13.

And said.Heb., spake. Yet some MSS., and Vulgate, Syriac, Arabic, as Authorised Version.

Thus hath the king said.Or, commanded (mar).

Come down quickly.Impudentior fuit hic . . . priore tum quia audito ejus supplicio non resipuit, tum quia auxit impudentiam addendo Festina (a Lapide). (But see Note on 2Ki. 1:12.)

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

11. Come down quickly The manner of this second captain towards the prophet is even more insolent than that of the other.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

DISCOURSE: 356
ELIJAH CALLS DOWN FIRE FROM HEAVEN

2Ki 1:11-12. 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. 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. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

MANY things recorded in the Old Testament appear at first sight to savour of harshness and severity. The utter extirpation of the Canaanites, and the judgments inflicted occasionally on the Israelites themselves, were doubtless such dispensations as we cannot contemplate without feeling that God is very greatly to be feared. The instance before us is of a very terrific nature; and we may be ready to wonder, how a good man could deliberately call fire from heaven to consume two whole companies of fifty each, when they had no alternative but to fulfil the orders given them, or be put to death for a violation of them. But, if any thing appear to us inexplicable, it is owing to our ignorance, and not to any inequality in the divine government. As to the conduct of Elijah, we will proceed to shew,

I.

How it may be vindicated

As being a man of like passions with us, he might err, and did err, on some occasions; but in this matter he did nothing that was in any wise unbecoming his high character. Consider,

1.

The provocation given

[This was exceeding great. Ahaziah walked in all the steps of his father Ahab: and this alone was abundantly sufficient to call forth the displeasure of God against him. But he had now been pouring contempt on God in a more than ordinary degree. He had fallen through a lattice, and the injury he had received was likely to prove fatal. Anxious to know what the event would be, he sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron. By this conduct he declared, not to Israel only, but even to the heathen themselves, that there was no God in Israel able to solve the question, and that the god of Ekron, a city of the Philistines, was superior to him. What an insult was this to the God of Israel, whose name is, Jealous! And what a tendency had this to confirm the heathen in their idolatry, and to justify them in their rejection of the true God!
Besides this, when Jehovah sent his servant Elijah to reprove the messengers, and to give them the information which they were going to seek, Ahaziah, instead of humbling himself for his offence, and preparing for his latter end, rose up in anger against the God of heaven and earth, and sent a band of soldiers to seize the prophet, in order to wreak his vengeance on him. He knew that Elijah was a most distinguished prophet of Jehovah, and yet he determined to slay him, for no other reason than because he had delivered the message which God had sent him to deliver. What was this but to contend with God himself?
But further, when the whole band with their commander were consumed by fire from heaven, the enraged king did not at all relent, but sent another, and another band, as though he was determined never to relinquish the unequal contest.
Can we wonder that God should inflict signal vengeance on such a man, and mark the evil of his conduct in the severity of his punishment?]

2.

The judgment inflicted

[Fire was sent from heaven to consume the men. But could Elijah do this? or was he any other than the mere organ of the Deity, to announce the judgment, and assign the reason of it? When Moses entreated of God to interpose and shew whom he had chosen for his high-priest, fire came forth to consume all the competitors of Aaron; or when Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, with all their families, were swallowed up alive in the earth according to the prediction of Moses; was Moses the author of the judgments? The people indeed foolishly complained of him as such; but it is manifest that it was Jehovah alone, and not Moses, that inflicted these punishments on the offending people. So it was with Elijah: he did not even pray for the judgments as one under the influence of revenge, but merely denounced them according to the will of his Divine Master. The terms in which they were denounced are worthy of notice. The captains, in calling him a man of God, did not mean to honour, but insult him: it was as though they had said, Thou boastest of Jehovah as thy Master; but we come to thee in the name of a greater king than he: King Ahaziah says, Come down, come down quickly. Then says Elijah, If I be a man of God, you shall have a proof of it, and of the greatness of that King whom I obey. He had before desired fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice, and it produced no permanent effect upon them: now therefore he declares from God, that they shall be the sacrifice, and fall a prey to the devouring flames.
What was there here that can in any way reflect upon the character of Elijah? He was but the organ to declare, what a holy and offended God saw just occasion to inflict.
If it be said, that the soldiers themselves acted under the orders of another, we answer, that they could not but know the character of Elijah, who had confounded all the worshippers of Baal; and that they should rather have submitted to have military law executed upon them, than be the instruments of man to fight against God.]

3.

The ends for which it was inflicted

[Almost the whole nation of Israel had rejected God: and all the means which had been used to bring them back to their allegiance to him, had failed. Now they had an evidence which, it might be reasonably hoped, they could not withstand. The information, conveyed by Elijah to the kings messengers, was sufficient to convince both the king and his people, that Elijahs God was omniscient: and, when they still refused to acknowledge him, and rose up in arms against him, the judgment he inflicted was sufficient to convince them that he was omnipotent: and had it produced this salutary effect, the judgment, how severe soever it may appear, would have been an act of mercy. The temporal destruction of a few would have been a merciful expedient for the salvation of a whole people. If it produced not this happy effect, the fault was not in God, but in them.]
Thus justifiable in every view was this conduct of Elijah. Let us then proceed to shew,

II.

How it may be improved

As the dispensation appears dark, it may be proper to throw some further light upon it: and, when our views of it are rectified, it will afford us some valuable lessons. We will improve the subject therefore,

1.

In a way of caution

[We must not imagine that we are at liberty to act in all things as the prophets did, or even as our blessed Lord himself did. Their peculiar office gave them an authority, which we are not called to exercise. This thought is of great importance; for, if we do not advert to it, we may think ourselves justified in a line of conduct which is most opposite to the path of duty. The Apostles themselves materially erred in this very way. They supposed that this conduct of Elijah afforded a proper precedent for them; and therefore when the inhabitants of a Samaritan village refused to receive them, they proposed to our Lord, Wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elias did? But our Lord said, Ye know not what spirit ye are of: for the Son of Man is not come to destroy mens lives, but to save them [Note: Luk 9:53-56.]. Here our Lord rectifies their apprehensions. They were under the influence of a vindictive spirit, and were wanting to make Jehovah the avenger of their wrongs. But this was very different from the spirit of Elijah, and quite contrary both to the precepts and example of Christ. Christ was injuriously treated by all ranks and orders of men, yet did he never exert his power to destroy his enemies: on the contrary, he sought with invincible patience to convert and save them. On one occasion indeed he did, when an armed band came to apprehend him, strike them all backward with a word [Note: Joh 18:6.]; but he only struck them down; he did not strike them dead, though he could as easily have done the one as the other: his design was to bring this history to their remembrance, and to shew them that they were fighting against God. On other occasions, he wept over the most inveterate of his enemies, and at last laid down his life for them; and, after his resurrection, commanded that the very first offers of salvation should be made to them. This then is the manner in which we are to act. We must never seek to avenge ourselves; but must rather bless them that curse us, and do good to them that despitefully use us, and persecute us. We may indeed heap coals of fire upon their heads; but it must be, to melt them into love [Note: Rom 12:20-21.]. The rule that is universally established for the regulation of our conduct, is this; Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.]

2.

In a way of instruction

[Two things only will we notice under this head; namely, The danger of persecuting the saints of God; and, The security of all who trust in God.

Behold one party slain by fire from heaven; and soon after, another party, of fifty each! What has called forth these signal acts of vengeance? They sought to lay hands on a faithful servant of the Lord. We do not indeed expect that all persecutors will be visited with the like judgments: but we know what God hath spoken respecting them; He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye. We know also what our blessed Saviour has said; It were better that a millstone were hanged about their necks, and that they were cast into the depths of the sea, than that they should offend one of his little ones. And would it not have been better for those hundred soldiers and their captains to have been thus treated? Verily, if they had been so treated for refusing to persecute a servant of the Lord, we would have congratulated them on the occasion, as martyrs in the cause of God. Or even if they had been so treated on other accounts, still they would at least not have perished under such a load of guilt as now lay upon them. People now make a mock at religion, and turn the very names by which God designates his people into terms of reproach; and, if they were not restrained by human laws, would proceed to all the cruelties that have been practised in former times: but let it be remembered, that Christ himself is wounded in the person of his saints: as he said once to Saul, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? so now he regards his peoples cause as his own, and will surely recompense into the bosoms of their enemies whatsoever shall be said or done against them. Precious in his sight is the blood of his saints. Remember this, ye who revile and persecute the children of God: they may appear weak, and unable to avenge themselves; but their Redeemer is mighty, and will in due time execute the fulness of his wrath upon his enemies, precisely as he did in the days of old [Note: 2Ch 36:15-16.].

On the other hand, he will protect his people, as he did this distinguished prophet. He will be as a wall of fire round about, and the glory in the midst of them. Most unanswerable is that question, Who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? If God be for them, who can be against them? Let the weak then say, I am strong: let them say with David, Though an host should encamp against me, yet shall not my heart be afraid. In the hands of our adorable Lord we are safe, nor can any pluck us out of them. We should not, it is true, court persecution: but if it come for the Lords sake, we may expect to have strength given us according to our day, and to be made more than conquerors through Him that loved us.]

Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)

Had not this wretched captain with his fifty, heard what had taken place? If the king was hardened and bound with the blindness of iniquity! was it needful that he should follow him to his ruin? This man exceeded in presumption, if possible, the former. For he had not only the awful example of his ruin before his face, but his demand on Elijah is more impious. He not only demanded him to come down, but to come down quickly.

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

2Ki 1:11 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.

Ver. 11. And he answered, and said. ] This fellow was more impudent and obstinate than the former; he is therefore worthily made an example, seeing he would not take example.

Come down quickly. ] Or I will bring thee down. Satis hoc fuit pro imperio.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)