2 Kings 1:9
New International Version
Then he sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down!’”

New Living Translation
Then he sent an army captain with fifty soldiers to arrest him. They found him sitting on top of a hill. The captain said to him, “Man of God, the king has commanded you to come down with us.”

English Standard Version
Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty men with his fifty. He went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’”

Berean Standard Bible
Then King Ahaziah sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. So the captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down!’ ”

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. So he went up to him; and there he was, sitting on the top of a hill. And he spoke to him: “Man of God, the king has said, ‘Come down!’ ”

New American Standard Bible
Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. And he went up to him, and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. And he said to him, “You man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’”

NASB 1995
Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him, and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. And he said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’”

NASB 1977
Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him, and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. And he said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the king sent to him a commander of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him, and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. And he said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’”

Amplified Bible
Then the king sent to Elijah a captain of fifty with his fifty [fighting men to seize the prophet]. And he went up to him, and behold, he was sitting on the top of a hill. And the captain said to him, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’”

Christian Standard Bible
So King Ahaziah sent a captain with his fifty men to Elijah. When the captain went up to him, he was sitting on top of the hill. He announced, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down! ’ ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So King Ahaziah sent a captain of 50 with his 50 men to Elijah. When the captain went up to him, he was sitting on top of the hill. He announced, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down!’”

American Standard Version
Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. And he spake unto him, O man of God, the king hath said, Come down.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he sent a Captain of fifty against him and fifty of his people, and they went up to him, and he sat on the top of a mountain, and he said to him: “Prophet of God! The King says, ‘come down!’”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he sent to him a captain of fifty and his fifty; and he went up to him: and, behold, Eliu sat on the top of a mountain. And the captain of fifty spoke to him, and said, O man of God, the king has called thee, come down.

Contemporary English Version
So at once he sent an army officer and 50 soldiers to meet Elijah. Elijah was sitting on top of a hill at the time. The officer went up to him and said, "Man of God, the king orders you to come down and talk with him."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he sent to him a captain of fifty, and the fifty men that were under him. And he went up to him, and as he was sitting on the top of a hill, said to him: Man of God, the king hath commanded that thou come down.

English Revised Version
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 the hill. And he spake unto him, O man of God, the king hath said, Come down.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The king sent an army officer with 50 men to Elijah. When the officer found Elijah sitting on top of a hill, he told Elijah, "Man of God, the king says, 'Come down.'"

Good News Translation
Then he sent an officer with fifty men to get Elijah. The officer found him sitting on a hill and said to him, "Man of God, the king orders you to come down."

International Standard Version
So the king sent out 50 men, along with their leader. The leader approached Elijah, who was sitting at the top of a hill. He ordered Elijah, "Hey, man of God! The king orders you to come down!"

JPS Tanakh 1917
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 the hill. And he spoke unto him: 'O man of God, the king hath said: Come down.'

Literal Standard Version
And he sends to him a head of fifty and his fifty, and he goes up to him (and behold, he is sitting on the top of the hill), and he speaks to him, “O man of God, the king has spoken, Come down.”

Majority Standard Bible
Then King Ahaziah sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. So the captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down!’”

New American Bible
Then the king sent a captain with his company of fifty men after Elijah. The prophet was seated on a hilltop when he found him. He said, “Man of God, the king commands you, ‘Come down.’ ”

NET Bible
The king sent a captain and his fifty soldiers to retrieve Elijah. The captain went up to him, while he was sitting on the top of a hill. He told him, "Prophet, the king says, 'Come down!'"

New Revised Standard Version
Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. He went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’”

New Heart English Bible
Then the king sent a captain of fifty with his fifty to him. He went up to him; and look, he was sitting on the top of the hill. He said to him, "Man of God, the king has said, 'Come down.'"

Webster's Bible Translation
Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and behold, he sat on the top of a hill. And he spoke to him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down.

World English Bible
Then the king sent a captain of fifty with his fifty to him. He went up to him; and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. He said to him, “Man of God, the king has said, ‘Come down!’”

Young's Literal Translation
And he sendeth unto him a head of fifty and his fifty, and he goeth up unto him (and lo, he is sitting on the top of the hill), and he speaketh unto him, 'O man of God, the king hath spoken, Come down.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Elijah Denounces Ahaziah
8“He was a hairy man,” they answered, “with a leather belt around his waist.” “It was Elijah the Tishbite,” said the king. 9Then King Ahaziah sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. So the captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down!’” 10Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his fifty men.…

Cross References
Luke 9:54
When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?"

2 Kings 6:13
So the king said, "Go and see where he is, that I may send men to capture him." On receiving the report, "Elisha is in Dothan,"

2 Kings 6:14
the king of Aram sent horses, chariots, and a great army. They went there by night and surrounded the city.

Jeremiah 35:4
and I brought them into the house of the LORD, to a chamber occupied by the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God. This room was near the chamber of the officials, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah son of Shallum the doorkeeper.


Treasury of Scripture

Then the king sent to 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 spoke to him, You man of God, the king has said, Come down.

sent unto

2 Kings 6:13,14
And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan…

1 Kings 18:4,10
For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) …

1 Kings 19:2
Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.

he sat

1 Kings 18:42
So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,

Luke 6:11,12
And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus…

Thou man

Amos 7:12
Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:

Matthew 26:68
Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?

Matthew 27:29,41-43
And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! …

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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














(9) Then the king sent.--Heb., And he sent. With hostile intentions, as is proved by his sending soldiers, and by the words of the angel in 2Kings 1:15. (Comp. 1Kings 18:8; 1Kings 22:26, seq.)

He sat.--Was sitting. The LXX. has "Elias was sitting," which is probably original.

A captain of fifty.--The army of Israel was organised by thousands, hundreds, and fifties, each of which had its "captain" (sar). (Comp. Numbers 31:14; Numbers 31:48; 1Samuel 8:12.) . . .

Verse 9. - The king sent unto him a captain of fifty. "Captains of fifties" were first instituted in the wilderness by the advice of Jethro (Exodus 18:21-25). Though not expressly mentioned in the military organization of David, they probably formed a part of it, and so passed into the institutions of the kingdom of Israel. With his fifty. Some recognition of Elijah's superhuman power would seem to have led Ahaziah to send so large a body. His doing so was a sort of challenge to the prophet to show whether Ahaziah or the God whom he represented was the stronger. The circumstances recall those of the "band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees" (John 18:3), which was sent, "with swords and staves," to arrest another righteous Person. He sat on the top of a hill; literally, on the top of the hill (ἐπὶ τῆς κορυφῆς τοῦ ὄρους, LXX.). The high ground where Elijah had met the messengers (ver. 3) seems to be intended. When they were gone, the prophet took his seat on the highest point, conspicuous on all sides, so avoiding any attempt at concealment, and awaiting the next step that the king would take, calmly and quietly. He spake unto him; Thou man of God. The captain is thought by some to have spoken ironically; but there is no evidence of this. The address is respectful, submissive. The miraculous powers of Elijah (1 Kings 17:22; 1 Kings 18:38) were probably known to the officer, who hoped by the tone of his address to escape the prophet's anger. In the same spirit he avoids issuing any command of his own, and prefers simply to deliver the king's command - The king hath said, Come down.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then King Ahaziah sent
וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח (way·yiš·laḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

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

a captain
שַׂר־ (śar-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8269: Chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince

with his company of fifty men.
וַחֲמִשָּׁ֑יו (wa·ḥă·miš·šāw)
Conjunctive waw | Number - common plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2572: Fifty

So the captain went up
וַיַּ֣עַל (way·ya·‘al)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

to [Elijah],
אֵלָ֗יו (’ê·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

who was sitting
יֹשֵׁב֙ (yō·šêḇ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

top
רֹ֣אשׁ (rōš)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7218: The head

of a hill,
הָהָ֔ר (hā·hār)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2022: Mountain, hill, hill country

and said
וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר (way·ḏab·bêr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

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

“Man
אִ֚ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

of God,
הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים (hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

the king
הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

declares,
דִּבֶּ֖ר (dib·ber)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

‘Come down!’”
רֵֽדָה׃ (rê·ḏāh)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend


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OT History: 2 Kings 1:9 Then the king sent to him (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
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