2 Kings, Volume 13

Zondervan, David Allen Hubbard, Glenn W. Barker, John D. W. Watts, Ralph P. Martin

• Publisher: Zondervan Academic
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9780310588726
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Commentary

The Word Biblical Commentary delivers the best in biblical scholarship, from the leading scholars of our day who share a commitment to Scripture as divine revelation. This series emphasizes a thorough analysis of textual, linguistic, structural, and theological evidence. The result is judicious and balanced insight into the meanings of the text in the framework of biblical theology. These widely acclaimed commentaries serve as exceptional resources for the professional theologian and instructor, the seminary or university student, the working minister, and everyone concerned with building theological understanding from a solid base of biblical scholarship.

Overview of Commentary Organization

• Introduction—covers issues pertaining to the whole book, including context, date, authorship, composition, interpretive issues, purpose, and theology.
• Each section of the commentary includes:
• Pericope Bibliography—a helpful resource containing the most important works that pertain to each particular pericope.
• Translation—the author's own translation of the biblical text, reflecting the end result of exegesis and attending to Hebrew and Greek idiomatic usage of words, phrases, and tenses, yet in reasonably good English.
• Notes—the author's notes to the translation that address any textual variants, grammatical forms, syntactical constructions, basic meanings of words, and problems of translation.
• Form/Structure/Setting—a discussion of redaction, genre, sources, and tradition as they concern the origin of the pericope, its canonical form, and its relation to the biblical and extra-biblical contexts in order to illuminate the structure and character of the pericope. Rhetorical or compositional features important to understanding the passage are also introduced here.
• Comment—verse-by-verse interpretation of the text and dialogue with other interpreters, engaging with current opinion and scholarly research.
• Explanation—brings together all the results of the discussion in previous sections to expose the meaning and intention of the text at several levels: (1) within the context of the book itself; (2) its meaning in the OT or NT; (3) its place in the entire canon; (4) theological relevance to broader OT or NT issues.

General Bibliography—occurring at the end of each volume, this extensive bibliography contains all sources used anywhere in the commentary.

Ahaziah and Elijah (1:1–18)

Bibliography

Buchholz, W. “Thisbe: Ein Erklärungsvorschlag.” ZRGG 22 (1970) 80–81. Fensham, F. C. “A Possible Explanation of the Name of Baal-Zebub of Ekron.” ZAW 79 (1967) 361–64. Gilead, C. “

in II Kings 1:9–13.” BMik 52 (1972) 46–47. Joüon, P. “Le costume d’Elie et celui de Jean Baptiste: étude lexicographique.” Bib 16 (1935) 74–81. Lundbom, J. R. “Elijah’s Chariot Ride.” JJS 24 (1975) 39–50. Rofé, A. “Baal, the Prophet and the Angel (II Kings 1): A Study in the History of Literature and Religion.” Beer Sheba 1 (1973) 222–30. Rudolph, W. “Zum Text der Königsbücher.” ZAW 63 (1951) 201–15. Steck, O. H. “Die Erzählung von Jahwes Einschreiten gegen die Orakelbefragung Ahasjas.” EvT 27 (1967) 546–56.

Translation

1Moab rebelleda against Israel after the death of Ahab.

2Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice work of his upper chamber which was in Samaria, and became ill. Then he sent out messengers and gave them the following order, “Go. Aska Baal-Zebub, god of Ekronb whether I shall recover from this sickness.”c

3But the angel of Yahweh had said to Elijah the Tishbite,a “Get up! Go to intercept the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, ‘Is there no God in Israelb that you go to seek out Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron?’ 4Therefore, thus has Yahweh declared, ‘You shall not come down from the bed which you have mounted, because you will most certainly die.’ ”a So Elijah went.b

5The messengers then returned to the king, and he said to them, “Why have you come back?” 6They replied, “A man came to meet us and said to us, ‘Go return to the king who sent you, and say this to him: Thus has Yahweh declared, “Is there no God in Israel that you go to seek out Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron? Therefore the bed to which you have retired, you shall not come down from it, because you will most certainly die.” ’ ” 7He said to them, “What is the descriptiona of this man who came to meet you and said to you all these things?” 8They replied, “He was a hairy man,a with a leather belt around his middle.” Then he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite!”

9aThe king then dispatched an officer with his company of soldiers to him. The officer went upb to Elijah and found himc sitting on top of the hill, and he said to him, “Man of God! The king says, ‘Come down!’ ” 10But Elijah answered the officer by saying, “If I am a man of God may fire come down from the skies and consume both you and your company!” Fire did come down from the skies, and it consumed both the officer and his company.

11So a second timea the king sent an officer and his company to Elijah. The officer went upb and said to him, “Man of God, thus has the king spoken, ‘Come down quickly!’ ” 12Elijah’s response to these mena was, “If I am a man of God may fire come down from the skies and consume both you and your company!” And fireb did come down from the skies and consume both the officer and his company of men.

13Yet again the kinga sent a thirdb officer and his company, but the third officer went up, approached and fell on his knees in front of Elijah and implored him with these words, “Man of God, may my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your eyes. 14See already, fire from the skies has come down and devoured the first two officers and their companies.a Now, please let my life be precious in your eyes!” 15Then the angel of Yahweh said to Elijah, “Go down with him.a Do not be afraid of him.” So he arose and went down with him to the king.

16He then said to the king, “Thus has Yahweh declared, ‘Because you have sent messengersa to seek out Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron, Yet is there no God in Israel that you may seek his word? Therefore, you shall not come down from the bed which you have mounted. You will most certainly die!’ ” 17And he did die, according to the word of Yahweh which Elijah spoke, and Jehoram reigned in his place, (this was in the second year of Jehoshaphat, king o f Judah) because he had no son. 18Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the record of the daily deeds of the kings of Israel?

Notes

1.a. The G translation of

“rebel” in 2 Kgs 1:1 is ἀυετεῖν, the meaning of which is to reject authority. Although this Gr. word is used as a translation of seventeen different words in G, it is mainly in 1 and 2 Kings that it translates

(1 Kgs 8:50; 12:19; 2 Kgs 1:1; 3:5, 7; 8:20, 22). This would reflect the individual style of the translator of this part of the Heb text into Gr.

2.a. G^AL translate

“seek” with ἐπερωτησατε and OL and Syr. follow this pattern with “interrogate.” This need not presuppose an original Heb of

“ask,” rather, it brings the verb into line with the additio...