9 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 .' " 10 Elijah replied to the captain of fifty , "If I am a man of God , let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty ." Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty . 11 So he again sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty . And he said to him, "O man of God , thus says the king , 'Come down quickly .' " 12 Elijah replied to them, "If I am a man of God , let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty ." Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty . 13 So he again sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty . When the third captain of fifty went up, he came and bowed down on his knees before Elijah , and begged him and said to him, "O man of God , please let my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight . 14 "Behold fire came down from heaven and consumed the first two captains of fifty with their fifties ; but now let my [1]life be precious in your sight ." 15 The angel of the Lord said to Elijah , "Go down with him; do not be afraid of him." So he arose and went down with him to the king . 16 Then he said to him, "Thus says the Lord , 'Because e you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub , the god of Ekron -is it because e there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word ?-therefore [2]you shall not come down from the bed where e you have gone up, but shall surely die .' " 17 So Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken . And because he had no son , Jehoram became king in his place in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat , king of Judah . 18 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did , are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles e of the Kings of Israel ?
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2 Kings 1:9-18
Commentary on 2 Kings 1:9-18
(Read 2 Kings 1:9-18)
Elijah called for fire from heaven, to consume the haughty, daring sinners; not to secure himself, but to prove his mission, and to reveal the wrath of God from heaven, against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Elijah did this by a Divine impulse, yet our Saviour would not allow the disciples to do the like, Luke 9:54. The dispensation of the Spirit and of grace by no means allowed it. Elijah was concerned for God's glory, those for their own reputation. The Lord judges men's practices by their principles, and his judgment is according to truth. The third captain humbled himself, and cast himself upon the mercy of God and Elijah. There is nothing to be got by contending with God; and those are wise for themselves, who learn submission from the fatal end of obstinacy in others. The courage of faith has often struck terror into the heart of the proudest sinner. So thunderstruck is Ahaziah with the prophet's words, that neither he, nor any about him, offer him violence. Who can harm those whom God shelters? Many who think to prosper in sin, are called hence like Ahaziah, when they do not expect it. All warns us to seek the Lord while he may be found.