2 Kings 1:3

2Ki 1:3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, [Is it] not because [there is] not a God in Israel, [that] ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?

Ver. 3. Is it not because there is not a God in Israel,] God scorneth that it should be thought that he had "said unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain": that is enough for dumb idols. {Isa 45:16-19}

That ye go to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?] To their own Baal they sent not, belike, either because he had lately deceived his father Ahab to the loss of his life, or because men are apt to admire foreign things.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ki 1:3. 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 Israel? That is, Do you not plainly declare that 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, Deu 18:14-15.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1:3-4 The angel of the Lord does not seem to be a christophany in the book of Kings, as in other Old Testament texts (e.g., Judg 6:11-18). • Elijah, who had previously confronted Ahaziah’s father, Ahab, had a twofold message for the king: a condemnation for failure to acknowledge that Yahweh, not Baal, is God (see 1 Kgs 18:16-18), and a pronouncement of doom (see 1 Kgs 21:17-24).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

He showeth that idolaters have not the true God, for else they would seek to none but to him alone.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

the angel of the Lord--not an angel, but the angel, who carried on all communications between the invisible God and His chosen people [HENGSTENBERG]. This angel commissioned Elijah to meet the king's messengers, to stop them peremptorily on the idolatrous errand, and convey by them to the king information of his approaching death. This consultation of an idol, being a breach of the fundamental law of the kingdom (Exo 20:3; Deu 5:7), was a daring and deliberate rejection of the national religion. The Lord, in making this announcement of his death, designed that he should see in that event a judgment for his idolatry.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(3) But the angel . . . said.—Rather, Now the angel . . . had said. “The angel” is right. (Comp. 2Ki_19:35.) Reuss strangely renders: “Mais une révélation de l’Eternel parla;” and adds the note, “Et non pas un ange” (!).

Arise, go up.—Samaria lay on a hill, and the prophet was to meet the messengers at the gates.

King of Samaria.—Not Israel, a mark of Judæan feeling.

And say.—Literally, speak. LXX., Vulgate, and Arabic add “saying,” but comp. 1Ki_21:5-6.

Is it not because.—Omit “not.” So 2Ki_1:6.

Ye go.—Are going.

A God in Israel.—Comp. Mic_4:5 : “For all peoples will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of Jehovah our God for ever and ever.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3. Elijah the Tishbite] See on 1Ki_17:1. For a similar message to the prophet cf. 1Ki_21:17. We know from 2Ki_4:25 that Elisha was often to be found on Mt Carmel where there was most likely a school of the prophets (see 2Ki_2:25). It may be that Elijah also made his most settled dwelling there. At this time he went and took up a position on some height (see below, verse 9) which commanded the road by which the messengers were journeying from Samaria to Ekron.

the king of Samaria] When the city of Samaria had been built and made the royal residence, the name ‘Samaria’ soon came to be used as the equivalent of ‘Israel’ for the kingdom of the ten tribes. See before 1Ki_21:1.

Is it not because there is not a God in Israel] R.V. Is it because there is no God in Israel. The Hebrew could employ a double negative, as the Greek sometimes does, but the sense intended is given in English by the single one. This rendering the A.V. employs in Exo_14:11 where the original is in the same form as in the verse before us: ‘Because there were no graves in Egypt’; and for a similar double negative in the Hebrew of Ecc_3:11 the A.V. gives ‘so that no man can find out’. The same form of phrase is repeated below in verses 6 and 16.

The LXX. takes away the first word of the Hebrew in the next sentence, וִלָכֵן = Now therefore, from its connexion and renders it as a separate phrase, and as if it had been וְלֹא כֵן = καὶ οὐχ οὔτως, putting ὄτι, which has nothing to represent it in the Hebrew, as the connecting particle of the next clause. The same misreading occurs in verses 6 and 16.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But the angel of the Lord said unto Elijah,.... One of the ministering spirits sent by the Lord to him:

arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria: that is, the king of Israel, whose capital city was Samaria:

is it not because there is not a God in Israel; known, acknowledged, and worshipped there, of whom there had been sufficient proof of his deity and divine perfections, as omniscience, omnipotence, &c.

that ye go to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? about future things, when they had God nigh unto them, fully acquainted with them, as this message shows.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Is it not because there is not a God in Israel? Dost thou not by this action cast contempt upon the God of Israel, as if he were either ignorant of the event of thy disease, or un able to give thee any relief, and as if Baal-zebub had more skill and power than he?

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

3. Not a god in Israel — This inquiry of a strange god was at once a violation of the first commandment of the decalogue (Exo_20:3) and an utter rejection of Jehovah, and deserved the judgment of death.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The angel of the Lord. It would be better to translate, with the LXX, an angel (aggelov, not oJ aggelov). An angel had appeared to Elijah on a previous occasion. (1Ki_19:5, 1Ki_19:7) Elijah the Tishbite 1Ki_17:1 1Ki_21:17, 1Ki_21:28; 2Ki_1:8; and for the meaning of the expression, hat-Tishbi, see the comment on 1Ki_17:1. Arise, go up. Elijah was, apparently, in the low tract of the Shefelah, or in Sharon, when the messengers started, and was thus commanded to go up and meet them, or intercept them on their journey before they descended into the plain. God would not have the insult to his majesty, carried out. Is it not because there is not a God in Israel? rather, Is it that there is no God at all in Israel? The double negative is intensitive, and implies that the king"s consultation of Baal-zebub, god of Ekron, is a complete and absolute denial of the Divinity of Jehovah. To consult a foreign oracle is equivalent to raying that the voice of God is wholly silent in one"s own land. This was going further in apostasy than Ahab had gone. (see 1Ki_22:6-9)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And say - Dost thou not cast contempt on the God of Israel, as if he were either ignorant of the event of thy disease, or unable to give thee relief; and as if Baal-zebub had more skill and power than he?

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

angel

(See Scofield "Heb 1:4").

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Yahweh

This is the name of God that he revealed to his people in the Old Testament. See the translationWord page about Yahweh concerning how to translate this.

the Tishbite

This refers to someone from the city of Tishbe. (See: How to Translate Names)

Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to consult with Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?

This rhetorical question is asked as a rebuke for consulting Baal-Zebub. This may be written as a statement. This is irony because they are definitely aware of the God of Israel. AT: "You fools! You know there is a God in Israel, but you were acting as though you did not know when you sent men to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron!" (See: Rhetorical Question and Irony)

consult with Baal-Zebub

The word "consult" means to get the opinion of someone about a question.

Therefore Yahweh says

This is Yahweh's message to King Ahaziah. AT: "Therefore Yahweh says to King Ahaziah" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

You will not come down from the bed to where you have gone up

When King Ahaziah was injured, he was placed in a bed. Yahweh said that he will never become well and be able to get out of the bed. AT: "You will not recover and you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

angel

Yahweh

Elijah

king

God

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.