2 Kings 12

2 Kings 12:1

40

2 Kings 12:2

41

2 Kings 12:4

42

2 Kings 12:5

43

2 Kings 12:6

44

45

2 Kings 12:7

46

2 Kings 12:8

47

48

49

2 Kings 12:9

50

51

2 Kings 12:12

1 sn This statement may fit better with the final paragraph of 1 Kgs 22.

2 Kings 12:13

2 map For location see Map2-B1; Map4-D3; Map5-E2; Map6-A4; Map7-C1.

3 tn Heb “and he sent messengers and said to them.”

4 tn That is, “seek an oracle from.”

5 sn Apparently Baal Zebub refers to a local manifestation of the god Baal at the Philistine city of Ekron. The name appears to mean “Lord of the Flies,” but it may be a deliberate scribal corruption of Baal Zebul, “Baal, the Prince,” a title known from the Ugaritic texts. For further discussion and bibliography, see HALOT 261 s.v. זְבוּב בַּעַל and M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 25.

2 Kings 12:14

6 tn Heb “Is it because there is no God in Israel [that] you are going to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron?” The translation seeks to bring out the sarcastic tone of the rhetorical question.

2 Kings 12:16

7 tn Heb “to him.”

sn The narrative is elliptical and telescoped here. The account of Elijah encountering the messengers and delivering the Lord’s message is omitted; we only here of it as the messengers report what happened to the king.

2 Kings 12:17

8 tn Heb “said to him.”

9 tn Heb “Is it because there is no God in Israel [that] you are sending to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron?” The translation seeks to bring out the sarcastic tone of the rhetorical question. In v. 3 the messengers are addressed (in the phrase “you are on your way” the second person plural pronoun is used in Hebrew), but here the king is addressed (in the phrase “you are sending” the second person singular pronoun is used).

2 Kings 12:18

10 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

11 tn Heb “What was the manner…?”

2 Kings 12:19

12 tn Heb “said to him.”

13 tn Heb “an owner of hair.” This idiomatic expression indicates that Elijah was very hairy. For other examples where the idiom “owner of” is used to describe a characteristic of someone, see HALOT 143 s.v. בַּעַל. For example, an “owner of dreams” is one who frequently has dreams (Genesis 37:19) and an “owner of anger” is a hot-tempered individual (Proverbs 22:24).

14 tn Heb “belt of skin” (i.e., one made from animal hide).

15 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

2 Kings 12:20

16 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

17 tn Heb “officer of fifty and his fifty.”

18 tn Heb “to him.”

19 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the captain) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

20 sn The prophet Elijah’s position on the top of the hill symbolizes his superiority to the king and his messengers.

21 tn Heb “man of God” (also in vv. 10, 11, 12, 13).

2 Kings 12:21

22 tn Heb “answered and said to the officer of fifty.”

23 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.