THE

SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS,

COMMONLY CALLED, THE

FOURTH BOOK OF THE KINGS.

ARGUMENT.

THIS book is a continuation of the history of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel, begun in the preceding book, to the entire destruction of the one by the Assyrians, and to the carrying of the other into captivity to Babylon by the Chaldeans. We find here that the kings of Israel, with their subjects in general, a small number only excepted, continued in their idolatry, notwithstanding all the admonitions and chastisements which God employed to reform them; so that he at length permitted Tiglath-pileser to take away the whole tribe of Naphtali, and transport them into Assyria: but this having no effect on the remaining tribes, to make them forsake their idolatries, and turn to the true God, he entirely rejected them, and gave them into the hand of Shalmaneser, who made them all captives, and carried them into Assyria, which put an entire end to the kingdom of Israel, after it had subsisted distinct from the house of Judah about two hundred and sixty-two years. As to the kingdom of Judah, though it kept up the worship of the true God, yet that worship was often mixed with gross superstitions and idolatrous rites, except when kings of extraordinary piety sat on the throne, and exerted themselves to have it exercised according to God's law: and such were their provocations, such their relapses, that God saw fit at last to deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, who destroyed the country, took Jerusalem, burned the temple, and carried them away captives to Babylon; which happened about three hundred and eighty-eight years after the revolt of the ten tribes, Judah having subsisted as a separate kingdom that length of time. But the divine providence made this difference between their captivity and that of the ten tribes; that the captivity of the latter was to bring on their entire dissolution as a people, but that of Judah was only to reform them; and accordingly, after having remained in captivity a course of years, during most of which, through the workings of providence, they were permitted to exercise their own worship in the midst of an idolatrous nation, they were brought home entirely cured of their idolatry, into which they never fell afterward, but continued to keep up the worship of the true God till the Son of God came into the world. Through the whole of the history of both nations we may observe, that the administration of God's government was according to the behaviour of the people; and that all methods proper to reform them and bring them to happiness were made use of. The whole period of time included in the history contained in this book is about three hundred years.

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2

God's message to Ahaziah

CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER I.

by the prophet Elijah.

The rebellion of Moab, 1. The message of Ahaziah to Baal-zebub, 2. God's message to him, 3-8. The destruction of the men sent to seize Elijah, 9-12. He spares the third messenger, and goes to the king, 13–16. Ahaziah's death, 17, 18.

NOTES ON CHAPTER I. Verse 1. Then Moab rebelled against Israel Paid them no more tribute, but utterly disclaimed their authority over them. Moab had been subdued by David, as Edom was; and, upon the division of his kingdom, the former was adjoined to that of Israel, and the latter to that of Judah, each to that kingdom upon which it bordered. But when the kingdoms of Israel and Judah were weak, and forsaken by God, they took that opportunity to revolt from them: Moab here, and Edom a little after. Verse 2. Ahaziah fell through a lattice in his upper chamber-Houbigant renders it, Through the lattice into his upper chamber. He thinks that as Ahaziah was walking upon the top of the house, Verse 6. There came a man up to meet usthe wooden lattice gave way, and he fell through. Elijah was a man of such a venerable presence, and Go and inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron- spake to them with such authority, in the name of The word Baal-zebub, properly means the god of the Lord, that they were overawed thereby, and flies. This idol was so called, because it was sup-induced to obey him rather than the king. posed to deliver the Ekronites from flies, with which they were much pestered, being situated on a moist and hot soil, near the sea. Jupiter and Hercules were called by a like name among the Greeks; and it is evident, both from sacred and profane histories, that the idol-gods, or, rather, Satan by them, did sometimes give answers, through God's permission, though these answers were generally observed, even by the heathen themselves, to be dark and doubtful.

you think there is no God, none at all in Israel? That he knows nothing, and can do nothing? which makes you send to Ekron, as if there were a more knowing and mighty, if not the only God there. God had expressly said, that he had given prophets to the Israelites to inform them of future events, that they might not be tempted to go to inquire of strange gods, Deut. xviii. 14, 15.

Verse 5. He said, Why are ye now turned back? Before you have been at Ekron: which he knew by their quick return. To avoid a repetition, we have no account given of the prophet's meeting them, other than what they give of it themselves at their return.

Verse 3. Is it not because, &c.-There are two negatives in the Hebrew text, which increase the sense, Is it not because there is no God, none in Iarnel? That is, Do you not plainly declare that

Verse 8. They answered, He was a hairy man This may either denote his wearing long hair on his head and beard, according to the manner of the ancient Greek philosophers, or it may signify that he was clad with a hairy garment, that is, with a skin that had not been dressed, such as the prophets were wont to wear, (Isa. xx. 2; Zech. xiii. 4; Matt. iii. 4,) and eminent persons in Greece in ancient times; and such clothing the poorer Arabians use at this day. The prophets, doubtless, used this habit to show their utter contempt of a luxurious, effeminate life. And girt with a girdle of leather-As John the Baptist also was, that by his very outward appearance he might represent Elijah, in whose power

Destruction of the men sent

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9 Then the king sent unto him a || tain of fifty with his fifty. And he A. M. 3108. captain of fifty with his fifty. And answered and said unto him, O man he went up to him: and behold, he sat on the of God, thus hath the king said, Come down top of a hill. And he spake unto him, Thou quickly. man of God, the king hath said, Come down. 10 And Elijah answered and said to 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.

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

13 And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain.

11 Again also he sent unto him another cap- of fifty went up, and came and fell on his

• Luke ix. 54.

and spirit he came. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite-This conclusion he draws from their de- || scription of him, having seen him in this dress in his father's court.

Verse 9. The king sent unto him a captain of fifty, with his fifty-Undoubtedly with a design to apprehend him, and take away his life: for neither the untimely death of Ahab his father, nor his own late dangerous fall, and his sickness in consequence of it, nor the thoughts of death, had made any good impression on his mind, or possessed him with the fear of God: and he was so far from making any good improvement of the warning now given him, that he was evidently enraged against the prophet for giving it. But how inconsistent was the king's conduct on this occasion. “Did he think Elijah a prophet," says Henry, "a true prophet? Why then did he dare to persecute him? Did he think him a common person? What need then was there of such a force to seize him?" Behold, he sat on the top of a hill-Elijah was now so far from absconding, as formerly, in the close recesses of a cave, that he makes a bold appearance on an elevated place. His repeated experience of the divine protection has made him more bold. Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down-He would not be at the pains to go up to the top of the hill, but thought it sufficient to require him in the king's name to come down and surrender himself.

||

3 Heb. bowed.

to be a prophet, for he calls him a man of God; and therefore, he must have known that it was unlawful for him to be in any ways aiding, in obedience to an idolatrous king, in ill-treating a man of this sort: for it was no less than insulting and setting at naught the God of Israel, whose prophet he was. The captain, without doubt, knew that Ahaziah was angry with the prophet, and that he sent for him with no other end but to take an unjust revenge of him for having denounced his death. He, therefore, that would rather obey a tyrant than the laws of nature and revelation, which forbid us to be instruments of injustice, well deserved punishment. He who rather chose to secure his life than put it in any danger by refusing to be the executioner of unjust commands, justly deserved to lose it; and what we have said of the captain is likewise to be thought of the men. But, it may be objected, that both the captain and the soldiers were idolaters, and had forsaken the worship of the God of Israel: if this were the case, which perhaps it was, they deserved death for their idolatry, as well as for attempting to put the unjust orders of the king into execution. And we ought to conclude that Elijah's calling for fire from heaven upon them, was not merely from the impulse of his own mind; but that a divine prophetic influence prompted him to it, God knowing that they deserved, and that it was fit to inflict this punishment upon them. For the actions of the true prophets, in such cases as these, must not be looked upon as merely springing from themselves, but as the effect of divine influences and impulses, which they could not do otherwise than obey.

Verse 10. Elijah said, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down, &c.-This prayer or denunciation of Elijah did not proceed from malice and hatred to his enemies, nor from a desire to secure himself, which he could easily have done some other Verse 11. Thus hath the king said, Come down way; nor to revenge himself, for it was not his own quickly-This man was more insolent than the forcause he acted in; but from a pure zeal to vindicate|| mer, charging the prophet to obey without delay, God's name and honour, which were so horribly and not make him stay, nor think to dally with him: abused; to prove his mission, and to reveal the in which words, he doubtless spoke the sense of the wrath of God from heaven against the ungodliness whole company. Whereas the fate of those that and unrighteousness of men. And therefore Christ went before them, might, and ought to have indoes not condemn this act of Elijah, but only re-structed them that the thing they were attempting proves his disciples for their perverse inclination to imitate it from another spirit and principle, and in a more unseasonable time. There came down fire, and consumed him and his fifty—It is plain, from the address of this captain to Elijah, that he knew him

to do was displeasing to God.

Verse 13. And fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him-Expressing both reverence for his person, and a dread of God's judgments, being struck with the fate of the two other captains and

CHAPTER II.

Elijah and Elisha go to Beth-el, and from thence to Jordan together, 1-7. The waters are divided, when smote with Elijah's mantle, and they walk through, 8. Elijah takes his leave of Elisha, and is taken up into heaven by a whirlwind, 9–12. Elisha, working a miracle in dividing the waters of Jordan, is acknowledged by the prophets as Elijah's successor, 14, 15. They send to seek Elijah, 16-18. Elisha heals the unwholesome waters, 19–22. Bears destroy the children who mocked

ND it came to pass, when the || into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah A. M. 3108. take up Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

Elijah and Elisha come to

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2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, || to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD A. M. 3108. Tarry here, I pray thee; for the liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will LORD hath sent me to Beth-el. And Elisha not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and d as 5 And the sons of the prophets that were at thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, went down to Beth-el. Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to-day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. 6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.

3 And the sons of the prophets that were
at Beth-el came forth to Elisha, and said unto
him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take
away thy master from thy head to-day? And
he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry
here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me | And they two went on.

e Ruth i. 15, 16.- d 1 Sam. i. 26; Verses 4, 6; Chap. iv. 30.

e 1 Kings xx. 35; Verses 5, 7, 15; Chap. iv. 1, 38; ix, 1.

being an inhabitant in that world of spirits. By that still remained, and preserve them from being translating him, God gave, in that dark and degene-led away by the error of the wicked. Knowest thou rate age, as, in a similar age he had given by the translation of Enoch, a very sensible proof of another life, together with a type of the ascension of Christ, and the opening the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

Verse 2. Tarry here-This he desires, either, 1st, That being left alone, he might better prepare himself for his great change. Or, 2d, Out of indulgence to Elisha, that he might not be overwhelmed with grief at so sad a sight. Or, 3d, That he might try his love, and whet his desire to accompany him; it|| being highly convenient for God's honour, that there should be witnesses of so glorious a translation. The Lord hath sent me to Beth-el-Which was truth, though not the whole truth: for he was to go a far longer journey. But he was first to go to Bethel, and also to Jericho, to the schools of the prophets there, that he might comfort and strengthen their hearts in God's work, and give them his dying counsels.

not, &c. ?-God had revealed to some of them, that Elijah was to be taken away that day, of which they advised Elisha, that he might more diligently attend him. From thy head-Hebrew, from above thy head; which phrase may respect the manner of sitting in their schools, for the scholars used to sit below at their masters' feet, and the masters above, over their heads, when they taught them. Houbigant renders it, The Lord will elevate thy master above thy head to-day, alluding to his being carried up into heaven. And he said, Yea, I know it, hold ye your peace— Do not aggravate my grief, nor divert me by any unseasonable discourses. He speaks as one who was himself, and would have them to be calm and sedate, and with awful silence waiting the event. Some think he gave them this charge, lest, the extraordinary matter being divulged, there should be a great concourse of people collected about Elijah; for as the Israelites had not renounced their idolatries, notwithstanding that so many and so great miracles had been done among them, they were altogether unworthy of being witnesses of the prophet's miraculous assumption, even as the Jews in our Lord's time were of being permitted to be present when he ascended.

Verse 4. Tarry here, I pray thee-Elijah seems to have said this only with a view to try Elisha, whether he would accompany him to the last, and be the witness of his translation. And Elisha certainly, by not leaving him, testified, both great fidelity to his master, and great faith in what God had revealed respecting the taking him up to heaven.

Verse 3. The sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el-In these very corrupt times God did not wholly forsake the Israelites, but continued the schools of the prophets among them, in which men were trained up and employed in the exercises of religion, and to which good people resorted to solemnize the feasts of the Lord with prayer and hearing portions of the law read, although they had not conveniences for sacrifices, as they had in Judah, where they had priests and Levites, and the temple service. Even in Beth-el, the chief place of idolatry and impiety, where one of the golden calves was worshipped, these schools were not wanting. This was a great testimony of God's love to that apostate Verse 5. The sons of the prophets that were at people: among whom he thus left prophets to re- Jericho-Here also was a school, where the same cover them from their idols. And, what is still more revelation had been made to the sons of the prophets, remarkable, prophets of greater eminence for their concerning Elijah's removal, which had been commiracles were continued in Israel than in Judah,municated to those at Beth-el. And their thoughts, because they needed them more, both to turn the idolaters among them from their false worship, and their other vices, and to encourage the truly pious

like the thoughts of the others, were wholly occupied about the extraordinary matter, and big with expectation.