2 Kings 1

This is the first chapter of 2 Kings. It covers the brief reign and death of Ahaziah, king of northern Israel, who came to the throne at the end of 1 Kings 22. It is one of the last narratives featuring Elijah; in the next chapter Elijah is taken up into heaven.

Outline

• Verse 1 After Ahab's death, Moab rebels against Israel.
• Verse 2 Ahaziah falls through the lattice of his upper chamber in Samaria and lies sick. He sends messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether he will recover.
• Verses 3–8 The angel of the LORD sends Elijah to meet the king's messengers. Elijah declares that the king will not come down from the bed on which he lies but will surely die. When the messengers return and report that the man was hairy and wore a leather girdle about his waist, the king recognizes him as Elijah.
• Verses 9–12 Twice the king sends a captain of fifty with his fifty men to order Elijah to come down. Both times fire comes down from heaven and consumes them.
• Verses 13–16 The third captain of fifty falls on his knees and pleads for his life. At the word of the angel of the LORD, Elijah goes down with him and delivers the same message to the king in person.
• Verses 17–18 Ahaziah dies according to the word of the LORD. Because he has no son, Jehoram becomes king.

Key Verses

• 2 Kings 1:3 "Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?" — This is the central question of the chapter and is repeated in verses 6 and 16.
• 2 Kings 1:8 "He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins." — This verse describes Elijah's appearance and connects with the New Testament portrayal of John the Baptist.
• 2 Kings 1:13 "Let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight." — Unlike the two captains before him, this captain of fifty pleads humbly and survives.

People and Places

• Ahaziah: Son of Ahab and king of northern Israel.
• Elijah: The Tishbite prophet.
• Jehoram: The king of northern Israel who succeeded Ahaziah. Second Kings 3:1 identifies him as a son of Ahab.
• Jehoram king of Judah: Son of Jehoshaphat; he bears the same name as Jehoram of northern Israel.
• Samaria: The capital of northern Israel.
• Moab
• Ekron: One of the principal cities of Philistia.
• Baal-zebub: The god worshiped at Ekron. The name is commonly interpreted as "lord of flies," and some scholars regard it as a mocking alteration of the deity's original name.

Points for Reflection

• Relation to Beelzebub: In the New Testament, the similar name "Beelzebub" (Beelzebul) is used for the prince of demons (Matthew 12:24).
• Interpreting the judgment by fire: Many commentators read the burning of the soldiers as judgment on the king for despising God's word and God's servant. The ethical question of whether the soldiers' deaths were excessive has also been raised repeatedly. In Luke 9, when James and John propose calling down fire from heaven to destroy a Samaritan village, Jesus rebukes them.
• The chronology of verse 17: Verse 17 dates Jehoram's accession to the second year of Jehoram king of Judah, whereas 2 Kings 3:1 dates it to the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat. A widely accepted explanation for this difference is that Jehoshaphat and his son reigned together for a period of coregency.
• Connection with John the Baptist: Elijah's appearance in verse 8 parallels the description of John the Baptist in Matthew 3, who wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather girdle. This parallel is read together with the promise in Malachi 4 that God will send Elijah.