Matthew Poole and continuators on 2 Kings 1

THEN Moab rebelled against Israel, after the death of Ahab.

Which had been subdued by David, 2 Sam. 8. 2. as Edom was; and upon the division of this Kingdom into two, Moab was adjoyned to that of Israel, and Edom to that of Iudah, each to that Kingdom upon which it bordered. And when the Kingdoms of Israel and Iudah were weak and forsaken by God, they took that opportunity to Revolt from them; Moab here, and Edom a little after it.

Marginal references: Chap. 3. 5.

2 And Ahaziah fell down through a lattess in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick, and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, inquire of Baal zebub the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover of this disease?

In which, the Lattess might be left to convey Light into the lower Room. Which if it now seem absurd to be in a Kings Palace, we must not think it was so then, when the World was not arrived to that height of Curiosity and Art, in which now it is. But the words may be, and are by some rendred, through the Battlements (or through the Lattess in the Battlements) of the Roof of the House. Where being first walking, after the manner, and then standing and looking through, and leaning upon this Lattess, which was grown infirm, it broke, and he fell down into the Court or Garden belonging to the House.

Properly, the god of Flies. An Idol so called, because it was falsly supposed to deliver those people from Flies, which were both vexatious and hurtful to them: as Iupiter and Hercules were called by a like Name among the Grecians, for the same reason. And it is evident, both from Sacred and Prophane Histories, That the Idol-gods, being consulted by the Heathens, did sometimes through God's Permission, and Just Judgment, give them Answers; though they were generally observed, even by the Heathens themselves, to be dark and doubtful.

Marginal references: Heb. live. So [illegible: 1 word]

3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel , that ye go to inquire of Baal zebub the god of Ekron?

Dost thou not by this action cast contempt upon the God of Israel, as if he were either ignorant of the Event of thy Disease, or unable to give thee any Relief; and as if Baal-zebub had more Skill and Power than he?

4 Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed .

For this was a very hainous Crime, to deny the Perfections of God, and to transfer them to an Idol. See Levit. 19. 31. and 26. 6, 27. Deut. 18. 10.

The Messengers not daring to Apprehend him, as suspecting him to be more than Man, because he knew the secret Message which the King delivered to them in his Bed-Chamber.

Marginal references: Heb. The bed whither thou [illegible: 1 word] gone up, thou shalt not come down from it.

5 ¶ And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back g?

f Before you have been at Ekron: which he easily knew by their quick return.

8 And they answered him, He was an hairy man , and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins : and he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.

Either, 1. As to his Body; the hair of his Head and Beard being through neglect grown long, and spread over much of his Face. Or rather, 2. As to his outward Garment, which was rough and hairy, such as were sometimes worn by Eminent Persons in Greece, in ancient Times; and were the proper Habit of the Prophets. See Isa. 20. 2. Zech. 13. 4. Mat. 3. 4. Heb. 11. 37.

As Iohn the Baptist also had; Mat. 3. 4. That by his very outward Habit, he might Represent Elias, in whose Spirit and Power he came.

9 Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty, with his fifty: and he went up to him, (and behold, he sat on the top of an hill) and he spake unto him, Thou man of God , the king hath said, Come down .

So he calls him in way of Scorn and Contempt; q. d. Thou that vauntest, as if thou wast more than a meer Man.

The King Commands thee to come [illegible: 1 word] him: which if thou refusest, I am here to carry thee to him by Force.

10 And Elijah answered and said unto the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty . And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

Which desire did not proceed from a carnal and malicious Passion; but from a pure Zeal, to vindicate God's Name and Honour, which was so horribly abused; and from the motion of God's Spirit; as is evident from God's miraculous Answer to his desire. And therefore Christ doth not condemn this Fact of Elias, but onely reproves his Disciples for their perverse Imitation of it, from another Spirit and Principle, and in a more unseasonable time, Luke 9. 54, 55.

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 .

Wherein he discovers more Petulancy and Impudence than the former; and shews, how little he was moved or affrighted by the former Example.

13 ¶ And he sent again a captain of the third fifty, with his fifty: and the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him , and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants be precious in thy sight.

Expressing both Reverence to his Person, and a belief of his Power, and a Dread of God's Judgments.

Marginal references: Heb. bowed.; Heb. prayed unto him.

15 And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah, Go down with him, be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king .

Not fearing the rage of the King, nor of Iezabel, nor of all their Forces. Wherein, he gives an eminent Example of his Faith and Obedience; and withal, of his growth in Grace since that time that he fled for fear of Iezabel, 1 King. 19. 3.

16 And he said unto him , Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to inquire of Baal zebub the god of Ekron, (is it not because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word?) therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.

To his very Face. Nor durst the King lay hands upon him, being daunted with the Prophets presence, and great courage, and confidence; and affrighted by the late dreadful Evidence of his Power with God and over Men: and withal, struck with a Divine and extraordinary Terror.

17 ¶ So he died, according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken: and Jehoram reigned in his stead, in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah , because he had no son.

His Brother, Chap. 3. 1. for he had no son to Succeed him, as it here follows.

Other Passages of Scripture seem to close with this, as that Ahaziah, who reigned but two years, begun his Reign in Iehoshaphats seventeenth year, 1 King. 22. 51. and therefore this Iehoram must begin his Reign in Iehoshaphats Nineteenth Year; and therefore before the Reign of Iehoram, Iehoshaphat's Son; and that Iehoram the son of Iehoshaphat began to reign in the fifth year of Ioram, Ahabs son, 2 King. 8. 16. Answ. These difficulties are easily resolved by this consideration, That it was an usual Practise among Kings in former Ages, to make their Sons sometimes their Viceroys and Deputies in the Administration of the Kingdom▪ and sometimes formally Kings in Conjunction with themselves, and whilst they lived; whereof there are instances both in Prophane History, among the Persians, Greeks, and Romans, and in the Sacred Scripture, as in David; 1 Chron. 23. 1. and 29. 22. in Uzziah, 2 Chron. 26. 21. (and to come close to the point) in Iehoshaphat, 2. King. 8. 16. who in his Seventeenth year, when he went to Ahab, and with him to Ramoth-Gilead, appointed his Son Iehoram his Vice-roy, and (in case of his Death) his Successor. In the Second Year from that time, when Iehoram was thus made Vice-King in his Fathers stead and absence; this Iehoram, Ahab's son, began to Reign: and in the fifth year of the reign of this Ioram son of Ahab, which was about the Twenty fourth Year of Iehoshaphat's Reign, Iehoram the son of Iehoshaphat was formerly made king of Iudah, together with his Father; or whilest Iehoshaphat lived, and was king of Iudah also. And [illegible: 1+ letters]o all the places agree. To which some add, that this Verse, or this part of it, wherein the difficulty consists, is wanting in some ancient Copies, and is omitted by the LXX Interpreters; which is far more prudent and pious to grant, than upon such Chronological difficulties to question the Truth and Divinity of the Holy Scriptures.