2 Raja-raja 1:1-4

Elijah Confronts the King and His Commanders

1:1 After Ahab died, Moab rebelled against Israel. ¹  1:2 Ahaziah fell through a window lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria ²  and was injured. He sent messengers with these orders, ³  “Go, ask ⁴  Baal Zebub, ⁵  the god of Ekron, if I will survive this injury.”

1:3 But the Lord’s angelic messenger told Elijah the Tishbite, “Get up, go to meet the messengers from the king of Samaria. Say this to them: ‘You must think there is no God in Israel! That explains why you are on your way to seek an oracle from Baal Zebub the god of Ekron. ⁶  1:4 Therefore this is what the Lord says, “You will not leave the bed you lie on, for you will certainly die!”’” So Elijah went on his way.

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

[1:2]  ² map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.

[1:2]  ³ tn Heb “and he sent messengers and said to them.”

[1:2]  ⁴ tn That is, “seek an oracle from.”

[1:2]  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.

[1:3]  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.