2 Kings 1:9-11

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. 2 Kings 1:9 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2. 2 Kings 1:9 tn Heb “officer of fifty and his fifty.”
3. 2 Kings 1:9 tn Heb “to him.”
4. 2 Kings 1:9 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the captain) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5. 2 Kings 1:9 sn The prophet Elijah’s position on the top of the hill symbolizes his superiority to the king and his messengers.
6. 2 Kings 1:9 tn Heb “man of God” (also in vv. 10, 11, 12, 13).
7. 2 Kings 1:10 tn Heb “answered and said to the officer of fifty.”
8. 2 Kings 1:10 tn Wordplay contributes to the irony here. The king tells Elijah to “come down” (Hebrew יָרַד, yarad), but Elijah calls fire down (יָרַד) on the arrogant king’s officer.
9. 2 Kings 1:11 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10. 2 Kings 1:11 tc The MT reads, “he answered and said to him.” The verb “he answered” (וַיַּעַן, vayyaʿan) probably should be emended to “he went up” (וַיַּעַל, vayyaʿal). See v. 9. One Hebrew ms, the LXX, and Vulgate support וַיַּעַל (vayyaʿal, “he went up”).
11. 2 Kings 1:11 sn In this second panel of the three-paneled narrative, the king and his captain are more arrogant than before. The captain uses a more official sounding introduction (“this is what the king says”) and the king adds “at once” to the command.