2 Kings 1 Moab rebelleth against Israel, 2 Kings 1:1. Ahaziah being sick sendeth to Baal-zebub; Elijah foretelleth his death, 2 Kings 1:2–4. Ahaziah hearing it, sendeth twice captains of fifty, to bring Elijah to him; upon whom he bringeth fire from heaven, 2 Kings 1:5–12.

Moab; which had been subdued by David, 2 Sam. 8:2, as Edom was; and upon the division of this kingdom into two Moab was adjoined to that of Israel, and Edom to that of Judah, each to that kingdom upon which it bordered.

In his upper chamber; in which the lattice might be left to convey light into the lower room; which if it now seem to be absurd in a king’s palace, we must not think it was so then, when the world was not arrived to that height of curiosity and art in which now it is.

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?

Now therefore; for this was a very heinous crime, to deny the perfections of God, and to transfer them to an idol. See Lev. 19:31, Lev. 20:6, Lev. 20:27, Deut. 18:10.

Before you have been at Ekron; which he easily knew by their quick return.

An hairy man; either, 1. As to his body; the hair of his head and beard being through neglect grown long, and spread over much of his time. Or rather, 2.

Thou man of God; so he calls him in way of scorn and contempt: q.d. Thou that vauntest as if thou wast more than a mere man. The king hath said, Come down; the king commands thee to come to him; which if thou refusest, I am here to carry thee to him by force.

Elijah’s desire did not proceed from a carnal and malicious passion; but from a pure zeal to vindicate God’s name and honour, which was so horribly abused; and from the motion of God’s Spirit, as is evident from God’s miraculous answer to his desire.

Wherein he discovers more petulancy and impudence than the former, and shows how little he was moved or affrighted by the former example.

Fell on his knees, and besought him; expressing both reverence to his person, and a belief of his power, and a dread of God’s judgments.

Not fearing the rage of the king, nor of Jezebel, nor of all their forces; wherein he gives an eminent example of his faith and obedience; and withal, of his growth in grace since that time that he fled for fear of Jezebel, 1 Kings 19:3.

And he said unto him; to his very face. Nor durst the king lay hands upon him, being daunted with the prophet’s presence, and great courage, and confidence; and affrighted by the late dreadful evidence of his power with God and over men: and withal, struck with a Divine and extraordinary terror.

Jehoram; Ahaziah’s brother, 2 Kings 3:1, for he had no son to succeed him, as it here follows. In the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat: other passages of Scripture seem to clash with this, as that Ahaziah, who reigned but two years, begun his reign in Jehoshaphat’s seventeenth year, 1…