Bible Strands
2 Kings 1:6
They replied, “A man came up to meet us and said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him that this is what the LORD says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending these men to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.’”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The royal messengers report to King Ahaziah upon their return from the failed journey to inquire of Baal-zebub. They deliver the prophet’s message during the king’s direct inquiry about their sudden return.
The words — The verb לְכ֣וּ (le.Khu) commands “go,” and אִ֣ישׁ ('ish) identifies the prophet simply as “a man.” These terms ground the divine commission in a direct, unadorned encounter.
The thread — The rejection of foreign inquiry appears in Psalms 16:4, which warns against pursuing other gods, and echoes the judgment on Saul in 1 Chronicles 10:13 for consulting a medium. The narrative framework continues in 2 Kings 1:7, where the king presses for the prophet’s identity.
Why it lands — The text demands acknowledgment that seeking guidance from other deities reflects a failure to recognize the God of Israel. It requires the reader to choose exclusive loyalty to divine revelation over political or pagan shortcuts.
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 they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baal–zebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
Cross-references
- Psalms 16:4 Sorrows will multiply to those who chase other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood, or speak their names with my lips.
- 2 Kings 1:2 Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers and instructed them: “Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this injury.”
- 1 Chronicles 10:13 So Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance,
- Isaiah 41:22 “Let them come and tell us what will happen. Tell the former things, so that we may reflect on them and know the outcome. Or announce to us what is coming.