Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Kings 1

1. THE REIGN OF AHAZIAH CONTINUED.

   EPISODE CONCERNING ELIJAH.

   Then. —This word can also be understood as "And."

   Moab rebelled against Israel. —David reduced Moab to vassalage (2 Samuel 8:2; compare to 2 Kings 23:20). After that event, Scripture is silent as to the fortunes of Moab. It probably took advantage of the troubles that followed the death of Solomon to throw off the yoke of Israel. The famous Moabite stone supplements the sacred history by recording the war of liberation that Mesha, king of Moab, successfully waged against the successors of Ahab.

   The inscription opens as follows: “I am Mesha, son of Chemosh-gad, king of Moab the Dibonite. My father reigned over Moab thirty years, and I reigned after my father. And I made this bamah (‘high place,’ ‘pillar’) for Chemosh in Korha, a bamah of salvation, for he saved me from all the assailants, and let me see my desire upon my enemies... Omri, king of Israel, and he oppressed Moab many days, for Chemosh was angry with his land.

   And his son (i.e., Ahab) succeeded him, and he, too, said, ‘I will oppress Moab.’ In my days he said it, but I saw my desire upon him and his house, and Israel perished utterly for ever. And Omri occupied the land of Medeba, and dwelt there, and (they oppressed Moab he and) his son forty years. And Chemosh looked (?) on it (i.e., Moab) in my days.”

   From this unique and unfortunately much-damaged record, it appears that Omri had reduced Moab to subjection again, and that Ahab, who, like his father, was a strong sovereign, had maintained his hold upon the country.

   The death of Ahab and the sickness of Ahaziah would be Moab’s opportunity.

   The revolt of Moab is mentioned here parenthetically. The subject is continued in 2 Kings 3:4–27. (See the Notes there.)

   (2–16) A new and (according to Ewald and Thenius) later fragment of the history of Elijah.

Through a lattice. — Rather, the lattice; that is, the latticed window of the chamber on the palace roof, looking into the court below. The word rendered “through” (bĕ‘ad) implies that Ahaziah was leaning out over the window sill. (Compare to 2 Kings 9:30; Psalms 14:2.) He perhaps fell into a gallery underneath, as the palace would be several stories high, and he was not killed by his fall. The word sĕbâkhâh means “net” in Job 18:8, and decorative “network” in metal in 1 Kings 7:18; 2 Chronicles 4:12. The Rabbis explain it here as a sort of skylight to the chamber beneath the upper chamber, or a spiral stairway; both improbable.

He sent messengers. — By Jezebel’s advice. (Saint Ephrem.)

Baal-zebub. — Here only in the Old Testament. “Lord of Flies” is generally compared with the Greek Ζϵὺς ὰπομυῖος, or μυίαγρος, the “fly-averting Zeus” of the Eleans (Pausanias, 8.26.4), and it is no doubt true that flies are an extraordinary pest in the East.

But when we remember that “myiomancy,” or divination by watching the movements of flies, is an ancient Babylonian practice, we can hardly doubt that this is the true significance of the title “Baal-zebub.” In the Assyrian deluge tablet the gods are said to have gathered over Izdubar’s sacrifice “like flies” (kîma zumbie). The later Jewish spelling (Βεελζεβοὺλ) probably contains an allusive reference to the Talmudic words zébel (“dung”), zibbûl (“dunging”).

Ekron. — Akir (Joshua 13:3). Of the five Philistine cities it lay farthest north, and so nearest to Samaria.

Recover. — Literally, live from, or after.

Disease. — Sickness, namely, that occasioned by his fall. The Septuagint adds, “and they went to inquire of him.”

But the angel ... said. —Rather, Now the angel ... had said. “The angel” is right. (Compare to 2 Kings 19:35). Reuss strangely renders: “Mais une révélation de l’Eternel parla;” and adds the note, “Et non pas un ange” (!).

Arise, go up. —Samaria lay on a hill, and the prophet was to meet the messengers at the gates.

King of Samaria. —Not Israel, a mark of Judean feeling.

And say. —Literally, speak. Septuagint, Vulgate, and Arabic add “saying,” but compare to 1 Kings 21:5–6.

Is it not because. —Omit “not.” So 2 Kings 1:6.

You go. —Are going.

A God in Israel. —Compare to Micah 4:5: For all peoples will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of Jehovah our God for ever and ever.

Now therefore — for this act of faithlessness, and to prove by the event that there is a God in Israel, whose oracle is unerring. (Compare to 1 Kings 18:24 and following).

Thus says. — Or, has said. After these words the prophetic announcement comes in rather abruptly. Perhaps the verse has been abridged by the compiler, and in the original account from which he drew, the words of 2 Kings 1:6 may have followed here, Go, return to the king ... Ekron.

And Elijah departed. — On the Lord’s errand. The Septuagint adds, and said to them, or told them, which is perhaps due to a copyist’s eye having wandered to the words “to him,” or “to them,” in the next verse (Thenius).

Turned back to him. —To Ahaziah, as the Syriac and Vulgate actually read. Literally, And the messengers returned unto him, and he said, etc. Though Elijah was unknown to the envoys, such a menacing interposition would certainly be regarded as a Divine warning, which it was perilous to disregard.

Why are you now turned back? — Why have ye returned? with emphasis on the "Why."