Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 2 Kings · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
THen Moab rebelled against Iſrael, after the death of Ahab.] By David the Moabites were ſubdued, and made tributaries to the Iſraelites, 2. Sam. 8.2. but when that great breach was made in the kingdome of Iſrael, ten of the tribes revolting from the houſe of David, and making Jeroboam king, the Moabites it ſeems revolted alſo from the houſe of David, and rather choſe to give themſelves for vaſſalls to the kings of Iſrael, upon whoſe kingdome their land bordered, and ſo they continued unto the dayes of Ahab; and now upon ſome advantage eſpied, to wit, the late overthrow of the Iſraelites by the Syrians, and the death of Ahab; or perhaps the feeble ſpirit and weak condition of Ahaziah, becauſe of his fall, Meſha the preſent king of Moab rebelled, and refuſed any longer to pay the tributes of an hundred thouſand lambes, and an hundred thouſand rammes with their wool which hitherto he had paid yearely to the kings of Iſrael, chap. 3.4, 5.
Verſ. 2. And Ahaziah fell down through a latteſſe in his upper chamber, &c.] Walking in his palace of Samaria, ſome grate in the floor of his chamber (whereby perhaps light was conveyed to the lower room) did ſuddenly break, and ſo he fell through, and was mortally bruiſed with the fall: and thus God began already to cut off the accurſed poſterity of wicked Ahab. Indeed it may well ſeem ſomewhat improbable, that there ſhould be latteſſes in the upper chambers of a kings palace to let in light to the chambers beneath them; and therefore ſome underſtand by the word here tranſlated the upper chamber, the flat roof of his houſe, and by the latteſſe the battlements that uſed to be about the roofs of their houſes, Deut. 22.8. and indeed for the reaſon before alledged, I make little queſtion but that it was either the battlements on the houſe top, or ſome rails with latteſſes, or croſſe barres, in ſome gallery adjoyning to his upper chamber (not unlike to our belconies) whereon the king leaning they brake, and ſo he fell through, and was mortally bruiſed.
And he ſent meſſengers, and ſaid unto them, Go, enquire of Baal-zebub, &c.] That is, the God of flies: why he was ſo called it is uncertain, whether becauſe it was ſaid, that this God appeared to his prieſts in the likeneſſe of a flie, and ſo buzzed his oracles into their eares, or becauſe of the ſwarms of flies that were continually in his Temple, by reaſon of the multitude of ſacrifices that were there daily ſlain; or rather, becauſe they ſuppoſed this their idol-god, called here the god of Ekron, had power over the flies, wherewith in thoſe hot countreys they were much annoyed, eſpecially in Ekron, which ſtood in a moiſt wet countrey near the ſea; or perhaps, in remembrance of ſome grievous judgement of flies, from which they conceited this their God had delivered them; but howſoever, certain it is, that this idol in time grew very famous, and thence the Jewes afterwards uſed to call the prince of Devils Beelzebub, Matth. 12.24.
Verſ. 5. And when the meſſengers turned back, &c.] Some Expoſitours conceive, that ſo ſoon as Elijah had delivered that meſſage, which God had given him in charge, to Ahaziahs meſſengers, on a ſuddain he was taken away out of their ſight, (for ſo they underſtand the laſt words of the foregoing verſe, and Elijah departed; that is, he immediately vaniſhed away) and that this it was that ſo affrighted the meſſengers, that they durſt not go on in their journey: but I rather think with others, that Elijahs telling them the ſecret meſſage which they were ſent about, and his foretelling the kings death, made them encline to think he was a prophet, and thereupon to return preſently to the king that ſent them.
Verſ. 8. And they anſwered him, He was an hairy man, &c.] This may be meant either that Elijah had much haire on his head or face; or elſe, that he had a hairy mantle about him: and ſuch indeed it ſeems was the uſuall habit of the prophets in theſe times, ſuitable to the chief ſubject of their preaching, to wit, repentance: Zachary 13.4. Neither ſhall they wear a rough garment to deceive: and therefore it was that the Baptiſt (that he might be known to be a prophet, and that ſecond Elijah, that was foretold ſhould be ſent amongſt them, Mal. 4.5.) was clad after the ſame manner as Elijah was, Matth. 3.4. And the ſame John had his raiment of Camels haire, and a leathern girdle about his loyns, and his meat was locuſts and wild honey.
Verſ. 9. Then the king ſent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty, &c.] To wit, to apprehend him, as reſolving doubtleſſe to take away his life, to which it is probable, his mother Jezebel did vehemently provoke him: howſoever, herein was the madneſſe of his rage notably diſcovered: had he not thought Elijah armed with a power above that of man, what needed he have ſent a troop of ſouldiers to apprehend one poore unarmed man: and if he did think ſo, what a deſperate folly was it to fight againſt the Almighty?
And he ſpake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath ſaid, Come down.] This he ſpake by was of deriſion and ſcorn; as if he ſhould have ſaid, you that boaſt your ſelf to be a man of God, and under that pretence take liberty to ſend what bold meſſages you pleaſe to your king; know, that the king by me commands you to come down, and if you obey not his command, here I have thoſe that will fetch you down.
Verſ. 10. If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, &c.] If I be indeed a man of God, as you onelyonly term me in ſcorn and deriſion, let it be manifeſt in the coming of that to paſſe, which I now foretell; even, that fire may come down from heaven and conſume thee and thy fifty: this he denounced againſt them, out of a ſingular zeal for Gods glory, and by a ſpeciall inſtinct of Gods ſpirit: and therefore when the diſciples of Chriſt, out of a carnall deſire of revenge, would have imitated this act of Elijah; they were reproved by our Saviour; the rather, becauſe they, in regard of the Goſpel, that were called to preach were more eſpecially to ſhew all meekneſſe and gentleneſſe to men, and to deſire rather to ſave then to deſtroy, Luke 9.54, 55. And when his diſciples James and John ſaw this, they ſaid, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and conſume them even as Elias did: But he turned, and rebuked them, and ſaid, Ye know not what manner of ſpirit ye are of, &c.
Verſ. 11. O man of God, thus hath the king ſaid, Come down quickly.] To expreſſe his bold reſolution, and that he feared not to execute the kings command, becauſe of that terrible end which befell the former captain and his fifty; he not onelyonly injoyns the prophet to come down, but preſſeth him alſo to do it ſpeedily, as implying that he would not be delayed, but would dragge him down by force, if he would not yield inſtantly.
Verſ. 13. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah &c.] Though he had not ſo much faith, and courage, and goodneſſe in him, as to diſſwade the king from ſending again, or to refuſe to obey his command, yet out of the feare of that vengeance that fell upon thoſe that were ſent before, he humbled himſelf before the prophet, and ſued to him to ſpare their lives.
Verſ. 16. Thou ſhalt not come down off that bed, on which thou art gone up, &c.] We reade not of any violence that the king offered to the prophet when he was come to him, though thus boldly he ſeconded by word of mouth that meſſage which he had formerly ſent him by his ſervants; ſo mightily did God over-aw him, that erewhile was ſo reſolute to be revenged on the prophet; and happely, the unexpected confidence of the prophet, in delivering this meſſage, made him feare that he came armed with power from God, to execute ſome judgement on him, and ſo that might over-aw him.
Verſ. 17. And Jehoram reigned in his ſtead, in the ſecond yeare of Jehoram the ſonne of Jehoſhaphat, &c.] Ahaziah dying without children, his brother Jehoram a ſecond ſonne of Ahab, chap. 3.1. reigned in his ſtead. But may ſome ſay, Ahaziah his brother began to reign in the ſeventeenth yeare of Jehoſhaphat, 1 Kings 22.51. Jehoram therefore (though we ſhould aſſigne to Ahaziahs reigne two complete yeares, as is there ſaid) muſt needs ſucceed in the nineteenth yeare of Jehoſhaphat, who reigned in all twenty five yeares, 1 Kings 22.42. and how is it then ſaid, that he began his reigne in the ſecond yeare of Jehoram the ſonne of Jehoſhaphat: I anſwer, that Jehoſhaphat in the ſeventeenth yeare of his reigne, when he went with Ahab to recover Ramoth Gilead from the Syrians, deſigned as king his ſonne Jehoram, and though when he returned, he reaſſumed the government into his own hands; yet the eighteenth yeare of his reigne (wherein Jehoram the ſonne of Ahab entred upon the crown of Iſrael, chap. 3.1.) is here called the ſecond yeare of Jehoram his ſonne, as counting from his firſt deſignement to the crown in the life of his father.