Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Kings 1:9

"Then [the king] sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. And he spake unto him, O man of God, the king hath said, Come down." — 2 Kings 1:9 (ASV)

Then the king sent. —Heb., And he sent. With hostile intentions, as is proved by his sending soldiers, and by the words of the angel in 2 Kings 1:15. (Compare to 1 Kings 18:8; 1 Kings 22:26 and following.)

He sat. — Was sitting. The Septuagint has “Elias was sitting,” which is probably original.

A captain of fifty. —The army of Israel was organised by thousands, hundreds, and fifties, each of which had its “captain” (sar). (Numbers 31:48; 1 Samuel 8:12.)

On the top of an hill. —Rather, the hill, i.e., above Samaria. Others think it was Carmel, from 1 Kings 18:42; 2 Kings 2:25.

He spake. —LXX., “the captain of fifty spake.”

Thou man of God. —Heb., man of the god, i.e., the true God. (So in 2 Kings 1:11; 2 Kings 1:13, below.)

The king. —In the Hebrew, it is emphatic, as if to say, the king’s power is irresistible, even by a man of God. The true God was thus insulted in the person of His prophet.

Come down. —Or, Pray come down—in a tone of ironical politeness (rçdâh, precative).