Bible Strands
2 Kings 1:13
So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. And the third captain went up, fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, “Man of God, may my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours please be precious in your sight.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The king dispatches a third captain with fifty soldiers to confront Elijah after two previous commanders were consumed by fire. The captain approaches Elijah on his knees, explicitly begging for his own life and the lives of his men to be valued.
The words — וַ/יָּ֗שָב (va/i.Ya.shov) means "and he returned," and שַׂר־ (sar-) means "a commander of." These terms mark the shift from royal military escalation to a subordinate's direct approach.
The thread — The captain's desperate plea mirrors the submission pattern in Exodus 11:8 where officials bow before Moses, and Numbers 12:11 where Aaron pleads for mercy after sin. Isaiah 1:5 stands in contrast by condemning continued rebellion despite repeated divine correction.
Why it lands — The passage records that military force yields to divine authority only when met with explicit humility. It requires the reader to accept that survival depends on submitting to God's representative rather than relying on human power.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight.
Cross-references
- Isaiah 1:5 Why do you want more beatings? Why do you keep rebelling? Your head has a massive wound, and your whole heart is afflicted.
- Exodus 11:8 And all these officials of yours will come and bow before me, saying, ‘Go, you and all the people who follow you!’ After that, I will depart.” And hot with anger, Moses left Pharaoh’s presence.
- Numbers 12:11 and said to Moses, “My lord, please do not hold against us this sin we have so foolishly committed.
- 1 Samuel 26:21 Then Saul replied, “I have sinned. Come back, David my son. I will never harm you again, because today you considered my life precious. I have played the fool and have committed a grave error!”
- 1 Kings 13:6 Then the king responded to the man of God, “Intercede with the LORD your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored.” So the man of God interceded with the LORD, and the king’s hand was restored to him as it was before.
- Job 15:25 For he has stretched out his hand against God and has vaunted himself against the Almighty,
- Psalms 72:14 He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their blood is precious in his sight.
- Psalms 102:17 He will turn toward the prayer of the destitute; He will not despise their prayer.
- Proverbs 27:22 Though you grind a fool like grain with mortar and a pestle, yet his folly will not depart from him.
- Ecclesiastes 9:3 This is an evil in everything that is done under the sun: There is one fate for everyone. Furthermore, the hearts of men are full of evil and madness while they are alive, and afterward they join the dead.