2 Kings 1:5
New International Version
When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you come back?”

New Living Translation
When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you returned so soon?”

English Standard Version
The messengers returned to the king, and he said to them, “Why have you returned?”

Berean Standard Bible
When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you returned?”

King James Bible
And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back?

New King James Version
And when the messengers returned to him, he said to them, “Why have you come back?”

New American Standard Bible
When the messengers returned to Ahaziah, he said to them, “Why have you returned?”

NASB 1995
When the messengers returned to him he said to them, “Why have you returned?”

NASB 1977
When the messengers returned to him he said to them, “Why have you returned?”

Legacy Standard Bible
So the messengers returned to him, and he said to them, “Why have you returned?”

Amplified Bible
When the messengers returned to Ahaziah, he said to them, “Why have you returned [so soon]?”

Christian Standard Bible
The messengers returned to the king, who asked them, “Why have you come back? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The messengers returned to the king, who asked them, “Why have you come back?”

American Standard Version
And the messengers returned unto him, and he said unto them, Why is it that ye are returned?

Contemporary English Version
When the messengers returned to Ahaziah, he asked, "Why are you back so soon?"

English Revised Version
And the messengers returned unto him, and he said unto them, Why is it that ye are returned?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When the messengers returned, the king asked them, "Why have you come back so soon?"

Good News Translation
and the messengers returned to the king. "Why have you come back?" he asked.

International Standard Version
The messengers returned to the king and he asked them, "What's this? You've come back?"

Majority Standard Bible
When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, ?Why have you returned??

NET Bible
When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, "Why have you returned?"

New Heart English Bible
The messengers returned to him, and he said to them, "Why is it that you have returned?"

Webster's Bible Translation
And when the messengers turned back to him, he said to them, Why have ye now returned?

World English Bible
The messengers returned to him, and he said to them, “Why is it that you have returned?”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the messengers return to him, and he says to them, “What [is] this—you have turned back!”

Young's Literal Translation
And the messengers turn back unto him, and he saith unto them, 'What is this -- ye have turned back!'

Smith's Literal Translation
And the messengers will turn back to him, and he will say to them, Why this ye turned back?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the messengers turned back to Ochozias. And he said to them: Why are you come back?

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the messengers returned to Ahaziah. And he said to them, “Why have you returned?”

New American Bible
The messengers then returned to Ahaziah, who asked them, “Why have you returned?”

New Revised Standard Version
The messengers returned to the king, who said to them, “Why have you returned?”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And when the messengers returned to Ahaziah, he said to them, Why have you turned back?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the Messengers returned to Ekhazyah, and Ekhazyah said to them: “Why have you returned?”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the messengers returned unto him, and he said unto them: 'Why is it that ye are returned?'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the messengers returned to him, and he said to them, Why have ye returned?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Elijah Denounces Ahaziah
4Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘You will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.’ ” So Elijah departed. 5When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you returned?” 6They replied, “A man came up to meet us and said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him that this is what the LORD says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending these men to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.’ ”…

Cross References
1 Kings 18:7-14
Now as Obadiah went on his way, Elijah suddenly met him. When Obadiah recognized him, he fell facedown and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?” / “It is I,” he answered. “Go tell your master, ‘Elijah is here!’” / But Obadiah replied, “How have I sinned, that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to put me to death? ...

2 Kings 1:16
And Elijah said to King Ahaziah, “This is what the LORD says: Is there really no God in Israel for you to inquire of His word? Is that why you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.”

2 Kings 5:10-14
Then Elisha sent him a messenger, who said, “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored, and you will be clean.” / But Naaman went away angry, saying, “I thought that he would surely come out, stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the spot to cure my leprosy. / Are not the Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not have washed in them and been cleansed?” So he turned and went away in a rage. ...

1 Kings 17:18-24
“O man of God,” said the woman to Elijah, “what have you done to me? Have you come to remind me of my iniquity and cause the death of my son?” / But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. / Then he cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on this widow who has opened her home to me, by causing her son to die?” ...

2 Kings 2:15-18
When the sons of the prophets who were watching him from Jericho saw what had happened, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him. / “Look now,” they said to Elisha, “we your servants have fifty valiant men. Please let them go and search for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and put him on one of the mountains or in one of the valleys.” “Do not send them,” Elisha replied. / But when they pressed him to the point of embarrassment, he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find Elijah. ...

2 Kings 6:32-33
Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door to keep him out. Is not the sound of his master’s footsteps behind him?” / While Elisha was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, “This calamity is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?”

2 Kings 7:1-2
Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD! This is what the LORD says: ‘About this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria, a seah of fine flour will sell for a shekel, and two seahs of barley will sell for a shekel.’” / But the officer on whose arm the king leaned answered the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” replied Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it.”

2 Kings 8:7-15
Then Elisha came to Damascus while Ben-hadad king of Aram was sick, and the king was told, “The man of God has come here.” / So the king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand, go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD through him, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’” / So Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him a gift of forty camel loads of every good thing from Damascus. And he went in and stood before him and said, “Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’” ...

2 Kings 9:1-3
Now Elisha the prophet summoned one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak under your belt, take this flask of oil, and go to Ramoth-gilead. / When you arrive, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go in, get him away from his companions, and take him to an inner room. / Then take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and declare, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run. Do not delay!”

2 Kings 20:1-11
In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’” / Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying, / “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. ...

Matthew 3:7-10
But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his place of baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? / Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance. / And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ...

Matthew 11:14
And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.

Mark 6:14-16
Now King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.” / Others were saying, “He is Elijah,” and still others, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” / But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen from the dead!”

Luke 1:17
And he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Luke 9:52-56
He sent messengers on ahead, who went into a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. / But the people there refused to welcome Him, because He was heading for Jerusalem. / When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” ...


Treasury of Scripture

And when the messengers turned back to him, he said to them, Why are you now turned back?

Jump to Previous
Messengers Turn Turned
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Messengers Turn Turned
2 Kings 1
1. Moab rebels
2. Ahaziah, sending to Baal-Zebub, has his judgement by Elijah
5. Elijah twice brings fire from heaven on those Ahaziah sent to apprehend him.
13. He pities the third captain,
15. and, encouraged by an angel, tells the king of his death
17. Jehoram succeeds Ahaziah














When the messengers returned
The term "messengers" in Hebrew is "mal'akhim," which can also mean "angels" or "envoys." In the context of ancient Israel, messengers were often sent on behalf of a king to deliver important communications or to seek guidance. The return of these messengers signifies a pivotal moment, as they were sent to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, regarding King Ahaziah's recovery. Their unexpected return suggests an interruption in their mission, hinting at divine intervention. This moment underscores the sovereignty of God over the affairs of men, as He redirects the course of events to fulfill His purposes.

to the king
The king in question is Ahaziah, the son of Ahab and Jezebel, who reigned over Israel. His reign is marked by idolatry and a departure from the worship of Yahweh, following in the footsteps of his parents. The mention of "the king" here is a reminder of the authority and responsibility that comes with leadership. In the biblical narrative, kings are often judged by their faithfulness to God. Ahaziah's reliance on a foreign deity rather than the God of Israel sets the stage for the unfolding drama and divine judgment.

he asked them
The act of asking indicates a moment of inquiry and expectation. Ahaziah's question reveals his anticipation of news regarding his fate. In the broader biblical context, questions often serve as a narrative device to reveal character and intent. Here, Ahaziah's inquiry exposes his anxiety and reliance on pagan practices, contrasting with the faith and trust in God that is expected of Israel's leaders.

Why have you returned?
This question is loaded with surprise and perhaps suspicion. The king's expectation was that the messengers would complete their journey to Ekron and return with an oracle from Baal-Zebub. Their premature return suggests an encounter that altered their course. This moment is crucial as it sets the stage for the revelation of God's message through Elijah. Theologically, it highlights the futility of seeking guidance from false gods and the ultimate authority of the God of Israel. Historically, it reflects the tension between the worship of Yahweh and the encroaching influence of surrounding pagan cultures.

(5) Turned back unto him.--Unto Ahaziah, as the Syriac and Vulgate actually read. Literally, And the messengers returned unto him, and he said, &c. Though Elijah was unknown to the envoys, such a menacing interposition would certainly be regarded as' a Divine warning, which it was perilous to disregard.

Why are ye now turned back?--Why have ye returned? with emphasis on the "Why."

Verse 5. - And when the messengers turned back; rather, when the messengers returned; i.e. when they reached the presence of Ahaziah, he perceived at once that they could not have been to Ekron and come back in the time. He therefore inquired of them, Why are ye now turned back? "Why have ye not completed your journey?"

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When the messengers
הַמַּלְאָכִ֖ים (ham·mal·’ā·ḵîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4397: A messenger, of God, an angel

returned
וַיָּשׁ֥וּבוּ (way·yā·šū·ḇū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

to the king,
אֵלָ֑יו (’ê·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

he asked them,
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Why
מַה־ (mah-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

have you returned?”
שַׁבְתֶּֽם׃ (šaḇ·tem)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again


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OT History: 2 Kings 1:5 The messengers returned to him and he (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
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