Bible Strands
2 Kings 1:7
The king asked them, “What sort of man came up to meet you and spoke these words to you?”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The king of Israel questions the returning messengers immediately after they report Elijah’s warning to Ahaziah.
The words — מִשְׁפַּט (mishpat) denotes appearance or manner, and עָלָה ('alah) means he came up, together describing the prophet’s physical approach and demeanor.
The thread — This line of inquiry follows the same royal pattern found in Judges 8:18 and 1 Samuel 28:14, where rulers seek physical descriptions to identify unknown figures.
Why it lands — The text records the king asking for a description of the prophet before he processes the message, forcing a reader to confront whether attention to the messenger’s identity precedes submission to the message.
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 said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words?
Cross-references
- Judges 8:18 Next, Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?” “Men like you,” they answered, “each one resembling the son of a king.”
- 1 Samuel 28:14 “What does he look like?” asked Saul. “An old man is coming up,” she replied. “And he is wearing a robe.” So Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed facedown in reverence.