2 Reis 1
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
2 Reis 1
NJB (MT versing) Ahaziah's Messengers Meet Elijah God Judges Ahaziah The Reappearance of Elijah, the Death of Ahaziah Elijah and King Ahaziah 1:1-4 1:1-4 1:1 1:1 1:1 1:2-4 1:2-4a 1:2-4 1:4b-5 1:5-8 1:5-8 1:5-8 1:5-6 1:6 1:7 1:7-8 1:8 1:9-10 1:9-12 1:9-10 1:9 1:9-16 1:10 1:11-12 1:11-12 1:11 1:12 1:13-16 1:13-16 1:13-16 1:13-14 Jehoram Reigns Over Israel The Accession of Jehoram of Israel 1:15-16 1:17-18 1:17-18 1:17-18 1:17 1:17-18 1:18 Etc.
2 Reis 1:1-4
1:2 The life of Ahaziah son of Ahab is continued from 1 Kgs. 22:51-53. Originally there was only one book of Kings. See Introduction. This chapter seems to be out of place (cf. 2 Kgs. 3:5). ▣ "fell through the lattice" "Lattice" (BDB 959) refers to the wood or reed lattice work on the windows. No specifics are given but it must have gravely injured him. This same term is used to describe a type of net ornament on the pillars of Solomon's temple (cf. 1 Kgs. 7:17). ▣ "inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron" The VERB (BDB 205, KB 233, Qal IMPERATIVE) is used here of seeking information from a false pagan god. The Ba'al of Ekron was the central Ba'al shrine of a major old Philistine city. "Inquire" probably denotes asking his priests to divine an answer. This is surely condemned in Deut. 18:9-14. See full note online. Below is my exegetical note from Matt. 10:25 on "Baal-zebub." Matt. 10:25 "Beelzebul" This was a compound term from Ba'al and Zebub. This was the local Ba'al of Ekron (cf. 2 Kgs. 1:16). The Jews changed the names of pagan rulers and pagan gods by changing the vowels, to make fun of them. The term can be translated as "Lord of the house," "Lord of the flies," or "Lord of the dung." The second term was often spelled Zebul, the chief demon in Jewish folklore (cf. Matt. 12:24; Luke 11:15). This explains why NASB and NRSV have Beelzebul, while NKJV and NIV have Beelzebub. 1:3 "the angel of the Lord" This personage appears often in the OT as a special physical symbol of YHWH Himself a servant angel/messenger of YHWH SPECIAL TOPIC: THE ANGEL OF THE Lord ▣ "Tishbite" See full note at 1 Kings 17:1. ▣ "because there is no God in Israel" Ahaziah was a polytheist, like his parents. The strict monotheism of the Mosaic covenant was ignored. This question is repeated three times (vv. 3,6,16). The title "God" is Elohim, like Gen. 1:1. Monotheism was very rare in the ANE, but it was Israel's main theologicval tenet (i.e., vv. 3,6). SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, C. SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM 1:4 "Lord" This is the covenant name for Israel's Deity (YHWH), first used in Gen. 2:4. SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, D. ▣ "you shall surely die" This intensified grammatical form (i.e., an INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and an IMPERFECT VERB of the same root, BDB 559, KB 562) is used three times in this context (vv. 4,6,17).
2 Reis 1:5-8
1:8 Elijah had a distinctive look. hairy his own hair (1) somehow related to Nazirites (Numbers 6) (2) his unkempt wilderness lifestyle appearance a goat or camel robe of some type, which denoted a prophet (2 Kgs. 2:8,13; Zech. 13:4; Matt. 3:4; Mark 1:6) bound by a leather girdle (cf. 1 Kgs. 18:46)
2 Reis 1:9-10
1:9-14 This is a severe account of many soldiers being ordered to do an improper task, done in an improper way (i.e., the captain's attitude), which resulted in their deaths! This is shocking to western individualists. YHWH demonstrated His power and presence Elijah as His true representative This is a different VERB (BDB 37, KB 46) from 1 Kgs. 22:46 but has the same connotation of destruction by fire. It is the same VERB used in 1 Kg. 18:38 of fire falling on Mt. Carmel, another example of a challenge to YHWH's exclusiveness. SPECIAL TOPIC: FIRE
2 Reis 1:11-12
1:12 "man of God. . .fire of God" There is a word/sound play between these two CONSTRUCTS. man of God ‒ אישׁ האלהים fire of God ‒ אשׁ אלהים SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, C. ▣ "from heaven" There are two ways to view this. from the atmosphere, the heavens (i.e., 1 Kgs. 18:38) from the throne of God, the highest heaven/third heaven SPECIAL TOPIC: HEAVEN SPECIAL TOPIC: THE HEAVENS AND THE THIRD HEAVEN
2 Reis 1:13-16
1:13-14 This third group of men came with humility and faith (and probably fear as well). 1:15 "the angel of the Lord" See note at v. 3.
2 Reis 1:17-18
1:17 One reason the names of the kings of the Divided Monarchy are confusing is the repetition of royal names. Jehoram, king of Israel, son of Ahab Jehoram, king of Judah, son of Jehoshaphat (cf. 2 Kgs. 8;16) Another reason for the confusion is that Israel had a different way to count the years of reigning than Judah. See Edwin R.Thiele, The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings, pp. 63,99,100,210-211. A third element for the confusion is that some kings had periods of co-regency where they shared the throne, yet when the total reign in years is given, it includes both full reign and co-reign years. See Gleason Archer, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, pp. 204-205. SPECIAL TOPIC: KINGS OF THE DIVIDED MONARCHY ▣ NASB, NKJV, JPSOA "Jehoram" NRSV, NJB, REB "his brother Jehoram" TEV, Peshitta "his brother Joram" The MT text does not have "his brother," though this is assumed because Ahaziah had no son. The UBS Text Project, p. 332, gives the MT a "B" rating (some doubt). 1:18 The authors/editors of this historical material used written sources. See Introduction, IV. D.