2 Kings Chapter 1
Introduction to 2 Kings
The Book of Second Kings continues the historical narrative begun in First Kings and brings the reader to the final collapse of the divided monarchy. The book opens with the closing days of Elijah’s prophetic ministry and concludes with the fall of Jerusalem under the Babylonians. It chronicles roughly three hundred years of Israel’s and Judah’s history, documenting the moral decline, idolatry, prophetic warnings, and divine judgments that ultimately culminated in the exile.
Second Kings presents a sober record of covenant accountability. The Lord had made His expectations clear through the Law of Moses. When the kings and people obeyed, they experienced blessing and protection, and when they rebelled and embraced idolatry, they experienced the curses promised in the covenant. Second Kings demonstrates that the downfall of Israel and Judah was not random or political only, it was theological, as the people repeatedly rejected the authority of the Lord.
A central focus of the book is the prophetic ministry of Elijah and Elisha. Elijah’s translation into heaven marks a decisive handoff to Elisha, who performs miracles that authenticate the Word of the Lord. These miracles reveal that God had not forsaken His people, but that His power and His Word remained active even when kings rebelled. The prophets served as the conscience of the nation, repeatedly confronting kings, rebuking idolatry, calling for repentance, and announcing coming judgment.
The narrative highlights the stark contrast between wicked kings and the few righteous kings who sought the Lord. Though Judah experienced several periods of reform under kings such as Hezekiah and Josiah, these reforms were short lived. The book makes clear that man centered fixes cannot heal a nation that is spiritually corrupt. The trajectory of the people remained downward until both kingdoms were overrun, first Israel by Assyria and later Judah by Babylon.
Second Kings also demonstrates the faithfulness of God to His promises. The Lord preserved the Davidic line even in the midst of national chaos, which safeguarded the promise of a coming Messiah. Even the final chapter contains a glimmer of hope when a descendant of David is lifted out of prison and given honor in Babylon. This subtle note confirms that God’s promises to David remained intact, regardless of the failures of kings and nations.
The theological themes of Second Kings include the holiness of God, the certainty of divine judgment, the authority of Scripture, the importance of true worship, and the enduring faithfulness of God to His covenant promises. The book proves that God rules over history and nations and that He will bring every kingdom into account. It also highlights the principle that leadership matters. When kings pursued idolatry, the people followed in their sins, and when kings sought the Lord, the people experienced blessing, although the reforms were often incomplete.
Second Kings ultimately sets the stage for future restoration. The exile is not the end, but a turning point in the redemptive plan of God. The covenant curses fall as God warned, yet His promises remain in place. The fall of Judah anticipates the later return under Ezra and Nehemiah, and beyond that, the arrival of the promised King from the line of David, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ahaziah and Elijah
A. Ahaziah’s Injury
1. (2 Kings 1:1-2) Ahaziah seeks Baal Zebub
2 Kings 1:1-2
“Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.
And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick. And he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baal Zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.”
a. Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab
The death of Ahab marks a turning point for the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Although Ahab’s reign was spiritually corrupt and provoked the Lord repeatedly, it was also a period marked by political stability and military strength. The moment he died, the surrounding nations recognized that Israel’s strength had weakened. Moab, located east of the Dead Sea, seized the opportunity to break free from Israelite dominance.
Moab had been subject to Israel since the days of King David. David subdued them and made them tributaries, and passages such as 2 Samuel 8:2 and 2 Samuel 8:11-12 record the treasures and tribute taken from Moab and other nations. The rebellion under Ahaziah therefore signals the beginning of Israel’s decline as a regional power. What David built through the Lord’s blessing, and what Solomon maintained even in his complicated reign, had now eroded because of persistent idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness.
Theologically, the rebellion of Moab is an early indicator of divine judgment. Israel’s military weakening corresponds exactly with the Lord’s warnings in the Law. When the nation rejected Him, He promised they would lose dominance over their enemies, that foreign nations would rise against them, and that their strength would wither. Ahaziah inherited the consequences of Ahab’s sin filled leadership and walked in the same direction, resulting in immediate geopolitical instability.
b. Ahaziah fell down through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria
Ahaziah’s sudden and severe accident reveals the vulnerability of a king who lived in rebellion against God. The text describes him falling through the lattice of an upper chamber in Samaria, the capital city. This was likely a second story balcony or rooftop room shaded with a wood or reed lattice for ventilation. Leaning or pressing upon it, he unexpectedly fell, sustaining injuries serious enough to confine him to bed.
Humanly speaking, such an accident could happen to anyone. Spiritually speaking, the Lord often used ordinary events to expose the heart of a leader. Ahaziah’s accident becomes the setting in which his spiritual allegiance is revealed. A king who should have turned instantly to the Lord turns instead to a Philistine deity. His fall becomes not only physical but theological. The tragedy uncovers what kind of man he truly is.
This accident also shows the leveling hand of Providence. Kings and soldiers, nobles and peasants, the wealthy and the poor, all experience frailty. Even a monarch in his fortified palace cannot protect himself from the unexpected. The narrative draws attention not to the accident itself but to Ahaziah’s response, which exposes his deep idolatry.
c. “Go, enquire of Baal Zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease”
Ahaziah’s command to his messengers reveals his spiritual allegiance. Instead of seeking the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who delivered His people from Egypt and established the covenant, Ahaziah turns to Baal Zebub of Ekron. Ekron was a Philistine city, and its deity became widely associated with pagan power, omens, and supposed authority over disease.
The name “Baal Zebub” can be translated “lord of the flies,” possibly referring to a superstition that this false god could ward off plagues carried by insects. In later Jewish thought the title became associated with demonic power, and in the New Testament, Beelzebub becomes a title applied to Satan himself. The fact that an Israelite king turned to this false god rather than to the Lord is a severe indictment of his spiritual condition.
Ahaziah was not confused or ignorant. He rejected the God of Israel intentionally and deliberately. He wanted a god who would give him the answer he desired rather than the one he feared he would receive from the Lord. This is the heart of idolatry. It chooses convenience over truth and sentiment over obedience.
Ahaziah’s question also reveals his fear. He was gravely injured. Instead of humbling himself and repenting before the Lord, he sought supernatural assurance from a pagan source. In doing so he denied the covenant relationship God had established with His people and placed his trust in the spiritual authority of a demon inspired religion.
3. (2 Kings 1:5-8) The messengers return to Ahaziah
2 Kings 1:5-8
“And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back?
And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel that thou sendest to enquire of Baal zebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words?
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.”
a. “A man came up to meet us”
Ahaziah’s messengers had been sent with a royal assignment to consult a pagan deity in Ekron. Yet they encountered Elijah on the road, and rather than dismissing him or continuing their mission, they immediately obeyed his command. This reveals the commanding spiritual presence of Elijah. It also demonstrates the authority of the Word of the Lord. Even unbelieving men sensed they were dealing with a messenger of divine power.
The king’s envoys would not normally abandon their assigned mission. The fact that they turned back at the word of an unknown stranger indicates that the authority of Elijah’s message overcame any hesitation or fear of royal punishment. The Word of God carries weight even when spoken to the unconverted. Elijah’s presence was enough to arrest them in their tracks and compel obedience.
The Lord prevented the messengers from reaching Ekron. The king intended to seek counsel from a demon inspired idol, but God intercepted the mission through His prophet. The Lord refuses to allow His covenant people to pursue idolatry unchallenged. Elijah stood as a barrier in their path as a reminder that God had not abdicated His authority over Israel.
b. “What manner of man was he which came up to meet you”
Ahaziah immediately suspected Elijah. He knew the prophet’s reputation, his boldness, and his history with Ahab, Ahaziah’s father. The king’s question exposes his guilty conscience. He had tried to circumvent the Lord by seeking a word from Baal Zebub, yet Elijah’s sudden appearance showed that the Lord had already intervened.
Ahaziah does not ask for the content of the message, for the messengers had already delivered it. What he wants to know is the identity of the man who dared to interrupt his mission. His suspicion reveals fear. He feared Elijah because he feared the God Elijah represented. When men live in rebellion against God, the presence of a prophet or preacher often disturbs them, because it exposes their spiritual condition.
c. “He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins”
The description identifies Elijah immediately. The phrase “hairy man” literally means “possessor of hair,” which likely refers to a garment made of animal hair or rough skins. Prophets sometimes wore such garments as a sign of their calling, representing repentance, humility, and separation from worldly comfort. This also aligns with Zechariah 13:4, which refers to prophets wearing a rough garment.
Elijah’s clothing also links him typologically to John the Baptist, who appeared wearing camel’s hair and a leather belt. Matthew 3:4 says, “And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins.” Because of this similarity, the priests in John’s day asked him directly, “Art thou Elias?” as recorded in John 1:19-21. John was not Elijah reincarnated, but he came in the spirit and power of Elijah, fulfilling the typological pattern.
Elijah’s appearance was rugged, simple, and uncompromising, reflecting the character of his ministry. He was a man who confronted kings, defied idolatry, and stood boldly for the covenant. There was no luxury in his life, no softness, and no concession to the world. His appearance matched his calling.
d. “It is Elijah the Tishbite”
Ahaziah instantly recognizes who has intercepted his mission. He knows that if Elijah has spoken, the message will not be changed. Elijah’s presence means that the Lord Himself has issued a verdict. The king cannot escape divine judgment through pagan inquiry or by seeking flattering answers from foreign gods. He has been confronted by the God of Israel through His prophet.
This recognition also carries a note of dread. Elijah was the prophet who opposed Ahab, shut the heavens, called down fire on Mount Carmel, and executed the prophets of Baal. Ahaziah knows that if Elijah has declared death, the matter is settled. His attempt to circumvent the Lord has failed, and his fate has been sealed by the Word of God.
B. Elijah Appears Before Ahaziah
1. (2 Kings 1:9-10) Judgment comes upon the arresting soldiers
2 Kings 1:9-10
“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.
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.”
a. “The king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty men”
Ahaziah’s response to Elijah’s prophecy was not repentance. Instead, he attempted to arrest God’s prophet by force. The king sends a military detachment of fifty soldiers under a captain. This was far more than necessary to apprehend one unarmed prophet, revealing the fear and hostility that existed in Ahaziah’s heart. A guilty conscience often imagines that spiritual authority must be met with overwhelming force.
This action also exposes Ahaziah’s attempt to exert political power over the Word of God. Instead of submitting to the message, he tries to silence the messenger. Scripture consistently demonstrates that kings who resist the Word of the Lord find themselves resisting God Himself. The king sends armed men against a prophet who is seated calmly on a hill. The picture emphasizes the futility of human strength against divine authority.
b. “Man of God, the king hath said, Come down”
The captain twice acknowledges Elijah as a “man of God.” His words admit Elijah’s divine commission. Yet the captain still demands that the prophet obey the king rather than God. This is a theological contradiction. If Elijah is truly a man of God, then he stands under God’s authority, not the king’s authority.
The captain’s acknowledgment increases his guilt. He knew Elijah was God’s representative. He knew Elijah spoke God’s Word. Still he tries to compel Elijah to obey a command that is in direct opposition to God. This reflects the spiritual condition of Israel under Ahaziah. The people knew the truth but suppressed it in unrighteousness. This is the same principle taught in Romans 1:18, which explains that mankind often knows God’s truth but resists it willingly.
The men had a duty to refuse this order. Scripture affirms submission to governing authorities in Romans 13:1-2, but submission is never absolute. When rulers command what God forbids or forbid what God commands, the believer must obey God rather than men. This principle is clearly stated in Acts 5:29, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” The captain and his men violated this divine priority.
c. “If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven”
Elijah does not resist physically and does not argue. He places the matter entirely before God. By invoking fire from heaven, Elijah submits the question of authority to the Lord. If Elijah is indeed God’s prophet, then the captain is guilty of confronting divine authority. If Elijah is an impostor, no fire will fall. Elijah leaves everything in God’s hands.
The issue is not Elijah defending his pride. It is God defending His Word. The insult is aimed at the Lord more than at the prophet. These soldiers were coming against God’s message through God’s man. Their demand was therefore rebellion against the God of Israel.
As commentators rightly note, Elijah could not summon fire by personal power. Only God could answer such a request. God answered because the king’s command was an attack on divine authority. Those who touched the prophet touched the one whom God sent.
d. “And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty”
God’s response is immediate and decisive. He vindicates Elijah and judges the rebel soldiers. This is not capricious anger. It is covenant judgment. Israel had embraced idolatry and rejected the Word of God. The king was commanding men to arrest God’s prophet. Therefore, God defended His honor through supernatural judgment.
The captain demanded Elijah come down, but Elijah did not come down. Instead the fire of the Lord came down. This reversal highlights divine supremacy. Earthly kings give orders, but only the Lord commands heavenly fire.
God’s consuming fire also recalls previous acts of judgment, including the fire on Mount Carmel. In both cases fire from heaven validated God’s truth and exposed the impotence of idolatry. Ahaziah sought Baal Zebub for guidance, but Baal Zebub could send no fire. The Lord alone demonstrates power.
2. (2 Kings 1:11-12) Judgment also comes upon a second captain
2 Kings 1:11-12
“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.
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.”
a. “O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly”
The second captain repeats the same rebellion but with even greater arrogance. The first captain said “Come down.” This captain says “Come down quickly,” intensifying the defiance. This second officer has full knowledge of what happened to the first company. He has heard of the fire from heaven and still approaches Elijah with boldness and disrespect.
Instead of fearing God, he behaves as if the Lord were powerless. This reflects the widespread spiritual blindness in Israel. The people had embraced idols so long that they treated the living God as if He were no different from their pagan gods. Their theology had decayed to the point that they believed their king’s authority could override the authority of the Lord Himself.
The second captain knowingly follows a wicked command and leads his men into danger. There is no humility, no fear, and no recognition of divine power. His hardened attitude reveals the depth of Israel’s rebellion.
b. “If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men”
Elijah again submits the matter entirely to God. He does not take personal vengeance. Instead, he leaves judgment to the Lord. The request is identical to the first, proving Elijah is not acting impulsively or emotionally. He is deferring to God’s evaluation of the situation.
c. “And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty”
The repetition of judgment confirms the righteousness of God’s response. The fire is now described specifically as “the fire of God.” It is not random, nor is it natural lightning. It is deliberate supernatural judgment from the Lord.
The deaths of the second captain and his men serve as a warning to all who treat God with contempt, who attempt to silence His Word, or who imagine that political power can override divine authority. The Lord will not be mocked.
3. (2 Kings 1:13-15) The third captain comes in humility and Elijah goes with him
2 Kings 1:13-15
“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.
Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties, therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight.
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.”
a. “Fell on his knees before Elijah, and pleaded with him”
The third captain demonstrates a completely different spirit from the first two officers. Instead of approaching Elijah with arrogance or authority, he comes in humility and reverence. His posture speaks volumes. He kneels, acknowledging Elijah’s divine commission and the seriousness of the situation. This officer had witnessed or heard of the fiery judgment that consumed the previous two groups. He understood that opposition to God’s prophet was opposition to God Himself.
The third captain also recognizes that Elijah is truly a man of God. This means he understands that Elijah does not act independently. If Elijah calls fire from heaven, it is because God commands it. Therefore, the issue is not personal authority but divine authority. His humility reflects a proper fear of the Lord, which the other captains lacked.
This man acknowledges that he and his fifty soldiers are “thy servants.” He does not pretend to stand above Elijah by virtue of royal authority. He identifies himself and his men as those who now submit to the Lord’s prophet. This is the posture that averts judgment: humility before God and submission to His Word.
b. “Look, fire has come down from heaven and burned up the first two captains of fifties”
The third captain appeals to historical evidence. He does not deny the power of God nor does he ignore what has already happened. He takes the judgment of God seriously. He does not repeat the folly of the first two captains who acted as though nothing had happened. His humility is grounded in truth. The blackened remains of two companies testify that the Lord is not to be mocked.
The leader is pleading not only for himself but for his men. He exhibits compassion and responsibility. He recognizes the weight of leadership and the danger in leading others into sin. His request acknowledges the sovereignty of God, the authority of His prophet, and the reality of divine judgment. His words reflect a sincere desire to do what is right.
c. “And the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, Go down with him, do not be afraid of him”
The Lord responds to true humility. The first two captains came in defiance and were judged. The third comes in reverence, and God grants mercy. This shows that divine judgment and divine mercy operate according to God’s righteous character. The Lord resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
The instruction “do not be afraid of him” shows that the hostility of Ahaziah and his commanders had created a legitimate danger. Elijah had reason to be cautious. Ahaziah was the son of Ahab and Jezebel, two of the most wicked rulers in Israel’s history. He may have intended to force Elijah to change the prophecy or silence him permanently. But God assures Elijah of divine protection. When the Lord commands His servant to go, He also secures his safety.
It is important to notice that God was not preventing Elijah from meeting Ahaziah. God was preventing Elijah from submitting to an ungodly command delivered in arrogance and rebellion. Once the approach came with humility and respect for divine authority, Elijah was free to go. The Lord honors humility even in fallen men, and He defends His servants when wicked rulers attempt to use force against them.
4. (2 Kings 1:16) Elijah delivers the same message to Ahaziah
2 Kings 1:16
“And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baal zebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to enquire of His word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.”
a. “Is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word”
Elijah repeats the exact message he delivered earlier. The Word of God does not change. Ahaziah had hoped to silence the prophet or force a reversal of the prophecy. He receives neither. The judgment is final because the king’s sin is deliberate. Ahaziah sent messengers to a pagan god in open rejection of the Lord. He lived as though the God of Israel did not exist. His behavior displayed practical atheism. The Lord confronts him with this truth. There is a God in Israel, but Ahaziah refused to seek Him.
The king’s attempt to seek a softer word from a false god is exposed as rebellion. God does not revise His judgment to accommodate human preferences. Elijah delivers the unchanged warning: the king will not recover. He will die in the bed to which he was confined, because he rejected the Word of the Lord.
Elijah stands before Ahaziah not as a negotiator but as a prophet. He does not plead. He does not soften the message. He speaks the Word of the Lord plainly. The Word is final. The king’s authority has no power to overturn the authority of God.
5. (2 Kings 1:17-18) Ahaziah dies and leaves no successor
2 Kings 1:17-18
“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.
Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.”
a. “So he died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken”
The prophecy that Elijah delivered was fulfilled exactly. This is the chief evidence that Elijah was indeed a man of God. True prophets are validated by the accuracy of their words. The Lord had declared that Ahaziah would not rise from his bed and that he would surely die. The king attempted to oppose the Word of the Lord through idolatry and attempted coercion, but none of his actions had any effect. God’s Word stood firm.
Ahaziah’s death was not random. It was judicial. It was the direct result of his deliberate rebellion against the Lord. After his injury he was given an opportunity to repent and seek God. Instead he sought Baal Zebub. He sent soldiers to seize Elijah. He hardened his heart. He died without repentance, without healing, and without hope.
Dilday’s summary of his life is fitting. His entire reign reflects spiritual weakness, moral compromise, and foolish decisions. He allowed Moab to rebel, he injured himself through carelessness, he sent soldiers to arrest God’s prophet, and he sought guidance at a pagan shrine. His death reveals the tragic end of a king who lived in rebellion against God.
The fulfillment of Elijah’s prophecy also confirms the reliability of the Word of God. The Lord always performs what He declares. Ahaziah’s death reinforces this principle for Israel and for all who read the Scriptures. The Lord is not mocked. His warnings are real. His judgments are certain.
b. “Because he had no son, Jehoram became king”
Because Ahaziah left no heir, the throne passed to his brother Jehoram. Both men were sons of Ahab. This succession continues the dynasty of Ahab temporarily, although judgment against that dynasty had already been announced by Elijah in earlier chapters.
The text notes that Jehoram began to reign in Israel during the second year of another Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, who reigned in Judah. This overlap in names sometimes creates confusion, but careful reading shows that two different men named Jehoram ruled in the two kingdoms. Israel’s Jehoram was the son of Ahab. Judah’s Jehoram was the son of Jehoshaphat. The overlap reflects the complicated political landscape during the divided monarchy.
Ahaziah’s lack of a son is significant theologically. It reflects the weakening of the dynasty of Ahab. God had already judged Ahab’s house because of idolatry and rebellion. The absence of a son for Ahaziah limits the future of his branch of the royal line. This stands in contrast to the Davidic line in Judah, which God preserved faithfully despite the flaws of many kings.
God’s judgment removes wicked dynasties and preserves the line through which His promises will be fulfilled. Ahaziah’s childlessness is part of the unraveling of Ahab’s house, which will be fully judged later in the ministry of Elisha and the rise of Jehu.
c. “Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did”
This closing formula follows the pattern seen throughout the books of Kings. The inspired record focuses on the spiritual significance of the king’s life rather than the political or military details. The earthly achievements of Ahaziah, whatever they may have been, were not worthy of mention because his reign was marked by spiritual failure.
The Chronicles referred to here are the royal records of the Northern Kingdom, not the biblical book of Chronicles which covers the Southern Kingdom. These archives contained the political and administrative details of Ahaziah’s reign, but spiritually his life is summed up by rebellion, idolatry, and judgment.
His legacy is one of warning. He serves as an example of a man who had access to the truth, who knew the history of God’s dealings with Israel, who was aware of the prophetic ministry of Elijah, and yet rejected God to his own destruction. His end is a solemn reminder that those who treat God lightly will face His judgment.
