2 Kings 1:14

_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._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

9-18 Elijah called for fire from heaven, to consume the haughty, daring sinners; not to secure himself, but to prove his mission, and to reveal the wrath of God from heaven, against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Elijah did this by a Divine impulse, yet our Saviour would not allow the disciples to do the like, Luke 9:54. The dispensation of the Spirit and of grace by no means allowed it. Elijah was concerned for God's glory, those for their own reputation. The Lord judges men's practices by their principles, and his judgment is according to truth. The third captain humbled himself, and cast himself upon the mercy of God and Elijah. There is nothing to be got by contending with God; and those are wise for themselves, who learn submission from the fatal end of obstinacy in others. The courage of faith has often struck terror into the heart of the proudest sinner. So thunderst...

EXPOSITION 2 KINGS 1:1 THE REVOLT OF MOAB. THE ILLNESS, IMPIETY, AND DEATH OF AHAZIAH The narrative of the Second Book of Kings follows on that of the First Book in the closest possible sequence. The history of Ahaziah's reign begins in 1 Kings 22:51, and is carried on, without any real break or pause in the sense, to 2 Kings 1:18. How the two books came to be divided at this point is quite inexplicable. The division is most unhappy. Not only does it, without apparent reason, draw a strong line of dem

BEHOLD, THERE CAME FIRE DOWN FROM HEAVEN AND BURNT UP THE TWO CAPTAINS OF THE FORMER FIFTIES WITH THEIR FIFTIES,.... He owns the facts, and ascribes the death of them to the true cause, and appears to have an awful sense of the judgment of God on them, fearing the same would befall him and his: THEREFORE LET MY LIFE NOW BE PRECIOUS IN THY SIGHT; by sparing it, what is precious and valuable being spared....

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS I. ELIJAH's FINAL MINISTRY AND TRANSLATION 1. Elijah and Ahaziah CHAPTER 1 _ 1. Moab's rebellion (2 Kings 1:1)_ 2. The illness of Ahaziah (2 Kings 1:2) 3. Elijah's message (2 Kings 1:3) 4. Ahaziah's messengers and their fate (2 Kings 1:9) 5. Elijah before the king and Ahaziah's Death (2 Kings 1:16) 6. Jehoram becomes king (2 Kings 1:18) The rebellion of Moab is here briefly mentioned. B

2 KINGS 1:1 TO 2 KINGS 2:25. LAST DAYS AND ASCENSION OF ELIJAH: ELISHA ESTABLISHED AS HIS SUCCESSOR. Here we have perhaps a third Elijah narrative, in which the prophet is represented as playing a part scarcely worthy of the Elijah of 1 Kings 17-19 or 21, who in the first section represents Yahweh against the Tyrian Baal, whereas in the latter he stands for righteousness opposed to legalised violence. Here the king's offence is that he sent to a Philistine oracle instead of inquiring of Yahweh, and his soldiers are punished by fire for summoning the prophet to surrender. The spelling of the prophet's name in Hebrew differs from that in the rest of the OT. The story is mentioned in the Gospel (Luke 9:54)....

BURNT UP. consumed, as in verses: 2Ki 1:10, 2 Kings 1:12....

_Behold, there came fire down from heaven_ Here is another point in which the brevity of the narrative leaves much for conjecture. How was the news of the first and second destruction brought, and its nature described? The sending out of an armed band would no doubt attract attention, and persons who were near at hand when the meeting with the prophet took place may have brought the news. Was the second captain sent on his errand without any knowledge of what had happened to his predecessor?...

C. AHAZIAH'S EFFORTS TO ARREST ELIJAH 1:9-15 TRANSLATION (9) And he sent unto him a captain of fifty and his fifty, and he went op unto him, and behold he was sitting upon the top of a hill. And he spoke unto him, O man of God, The king has spoken, Come down. (10) And Elijah answered and spoke onto the captain of the fifty, And if I am a man of God, let fire from heaven come down and consume you and your fifty. And fire came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. (11) And again he sent unto him another captain of fifty and his fifty. And he answered and spoke unto him, O man of God, thus says the king: Come down quickly. (12) And Elijah answered and spoke unto them, If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. And the captain of the third fifty went up, and came,...

ELIJAH CALLS DOWN FIRE FROM HEAVEN 1. Moab.. Ahab] Moab had been conquered by David (2 Samuel 8:2), and at the revolt of the Ten Tribes had. passed under the authority of the northern kingdom. The revolt here alluded to took place, according to the inscription of Mesha, before the death of Ahab, whereas the present passage implies that it happened later, in the reign of Ahaziah or Joram: cp. 2 Kings 3:6....