2 Kings 1:13

Verse

So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. And the third captain went up, fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, “Man of God, may my life and the lives of these fifty servants please be precious in your sight.

American Standard Version (1901)

And again he sent the captain of a 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.

Bible in Basic English

Then he sent a third captain of fifty with his fifty men; and the third captain of fifty went up, and falling on his knees before Elijah, requesting mercy of him, said, O man of God, let my life and the life of these your fifty servants be of value to you.

Douay-Rheims 1899

Again he sent a third captain of fifty men, and the fifty that were with him. And when he was come, he fell upon his knees, before Elias, and besought him and said: Man of God, despise not my life, and the lives of thy servants that are with me.

Free Bible Version

So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. The third captain went up, kneeled before Elijah, and pleaded with him, “Man of God, please value my life and the lives of these fifty men.

Geneva Bible 1599

Yet againe he sent the third captaine ouer fiftie with his fiftie. And the thirde captaine ouer fiftie went vp, and came, and fell on his knees before Eliiah, and besought him, and saide vnto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life and the life of these thy fiftie seruants be precious in thy sight.

King James (Authorized) Version

¶ 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.

Translation for Translators

When the king heard about that he sent another officer with 50 more soldiers. They went to where Elijah was, and the officer prostrated himself in front of Elijah, and said to him, “Prophet, I plead with you, be kind to me and my 50 soldiers, and ◄do not kill us/allow us to remain alive►!

Unlocked Literal Bible

Yet again the king sent a third group of fifty warriors. This captain went up, fell on his knees before Elijah, and implored him and said to him, “You, man of God, I ask you, let my life and the life of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight.

Noah Webster Bible

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 to him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight.

World English Bible

Again he sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. The third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, and said to him, “Man of God, please let my life and the life of these fifty of your servants be precious in your sight.

Young's Literal Translation

And he turneth and sendeth a third head of fifty and his fifty, and the third head of fifty goeth up, and cometh in, and boweth on his knees over-against Elijah, and maketh supplication unto him, and speaketh unto him, 'O man of God, let be precious, I pray thee, my soul and the soul of thy servants — these fifty — in thine eyes.

Context

Elijah Denounces Ahaziah

¹²Again Elijah replied, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his fifty men.¹³So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. And the third captain went up, fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, “Man of God, may my life and the lives of these fifty servants please be precious in your sight.¹⁴Behold, fire has come down from heaven and consumed the first two captains of fifty, with all their men. But now may my life be precious in your sight.”

Summary

In this verse, the prophet Elijah confronts King Ahaziah's messengers who were sent to inquire of a pagan god for his impending recovery. Elijah boldly declares the word of the Lord, revealing God's judgment upon the king for seeking counsel from a false deity instead of the one true God. This event underscores the importance of trusting in the Lord alone for guidance and healing, rather than turning to idols or other sources. Elijah's unwavering faith and obedience to God's commands serve as a powerful example for believers to rely on God's wisdom and sovereignty in all circumstances. The narrative highlights the contrast between the faithfulness of God and the folly of human reliance on false gods, emphasizing the consequences of forsaking the Lord for idolatry.

Commentary

Keil-Delitzsch
Tyndale

Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary

The king, disregarding the punishing hand of the Lord, which, even if it might possibly have been overlooked in the calamity that befell the captain who was first sent and his company, could not be misunderstood when a similar fate befell the second captain with his fifty men, sent a third company, in his defiant obduracy, to fetch the prophet. (שׁלשׁים after חמשּׁים is apparently an error of the pen for שׁלישׁי, as the following word השּׁלישׁי shows). But the third captain was better than his king, and wiser than his two predecessors. He obeyed the command of the king so far as to go to the prophet; but instead of haughtily summoning him to follow him, he bent his knee before the man of God, and prayed that his own life and the lives of his soldiers might be spared.