2 Kings 1:2 kjv
And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.
2 Kings 1:2 nkjv
Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria, and was injured; so he sent messengers and said to them, "Go, inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury."
2 Kings 1:2 niv
Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, "Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury."
2 Kings 1:2 esv
Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay sick; so he sent messengers, telling them, "Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this sickness."
2 Kings 1:2 nlt
One day Israel's new king, Ahaziah, fell through the latticework of an upper room at his palace in Samaria and was seriously injured. So he sent messengers to the temple of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether he would recover.
2 Kings 1 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exo 20:3 | “You shall have no other gods before Me.” | First Commandment: Exclusive worship of YHWH. |
| Deut 6:14 | “You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you.” | Prohibition against foreign deity worship. |
| Deut 28:22 | “The Lord will strike you with consumption and with fever, with inflammation... and with the sword, with blight and with mildew.” | Consequences of disobedience and turning from God, including sickness. |
| 1 Sam 5:10 | “So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came about that when the ark of God came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying, ‘They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people!’” | Ekron's previous experience with the God of Israel's power. |
| 1 Sam 28:6 | “When Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by prophets.” | Seeking answers from sources other than God when God is silent. |
| 2 Chr 16:12 | “In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa became diseased in his feet. His disease was severe, yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians.” | A king who did not seek the Lord in his sickness (though physicians are not condemned). |
| Psa 107:17-19 | “Fools, because of their rebellious way... were afflicted... Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them...” | Those afflicted by their own ways are healed when they cry out to God. |
| Isa 1:4-6 | “Ah, sinful nation... They have forsaken the Lord... The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.” | Description of Israel's spiritual sickness and physical consequences due to sin. |
| Jer 2:27 | “Who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’” | The folly and futility of idolatry. |
| Jer 8:22 | “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has not the health of the daughter of my people been restored?” | Pleading for divine healing when people have turned away from God. |
| Hos 4:12 | “My people inquire of their wooden idol, and their divining rod informs them.” | Israel seeking answers from idols and divination, a theme parallel to Ahaziah. |
| Matt 10:25 | “If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!” | NT reference to Beelzebul, likely a derivative or corruption of Baal-zebub. |
| Matt 12:24-27 | “But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, ‘This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.’” | Baal-zebub (Beelzebul) associated with Satan or the prince of demons in NT. |
| Mark 5:26 | “And had suffered much under many physicians and had spent all that she had, and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse.” | A woman seeking help outside of Jesus (though not an idol) until she finds healing through Him. |
| Jam 5:14-16 | “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him... The prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick.” | Biblical instruction to seek divine healing through faith and prayer within the community of faith. |
| Psa 91:1-3 | “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will abide under the shadow of the Almighty... For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.” | The safety and deliverance from affliction for those who trust in God. |
| Pro 3:5-6 | “Trust in the Lord with all your heart... And He will direct your paths.” | Instruction to trust God rather than human understanding or foreign gods. |
| Jer 29:13 | “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” | God's promise to be found by those who earnestly seek Him. |
| 2 Kgs 5:7 | “When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, ‘Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy?’” | Implies only God can bring true healing and restoration of life. |
| Acts 19:18-19 | “Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices. And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them...” | Repentance from idolatry and magic upon conversion to Christ. |
2 Kings 1 verses
2 Kings 1 2 Meaning
The second verse of 2 Kings chapter 1 describes King Ahaziah of Israel suffering a serious injury from a fall through a lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria. In his sickness, instead of seeking the Lord, he dispatches messengers to consult Baal-zebub, the deity of Ekron, to inquire about his recovery. This act highlights Ahaziah's profound spiritual failure and the continuation of the idolatrous practices that characterized his father Ahab’s reign.
2 Kings 1 2 Context
2 Kings chapter 1 immediately follows the account of Elijah's powerful ministry in 1 Kings, setting the stage during the brief reign of King Ahaziah of Israel, son of the notorious King Ahab and Jezebel. Ahaziah inherited and continued their idolatrous legacy, worshiping Baal. The preceding chapters chronicle Elijah's challenges to Baal worship, including the dramatic showdown on Mount Carmel (1 Kgs 18), establishing YHWH's sole claim as the true God of Israel. Despite these profound demonstrations of YHWH's power and supremacy, Ahaziah, when faced with personal crisis, chooses to seek help from a foreign deity. The Philistine city of Ekron was one of the five major Philistine cities, and its god, Baal-zebub, was part of the wider Canaanite pantheon associated with Baal worship. Consulting such deities for omens, health prognoses, or future events was a common ancient Near Eastern practice, often involving diviners or priests who would interpret signs. Ahaziah's inquiry to Baal-zebub rather than YHWH constitutes a deliberate rejection of the covenant God of Israel and His demonstrated power, particularly poignant given the fresh memory of Elijah's recent interventions.
2 Kings 1 2 Word analysis
- And Ahaziah: Introduces the subject, King of Israel (Northern Kingdom), son of Ahab and Jezebel (1 Kgs 22:52). His reign was short (two years) and marked by persistent idolatry (1 Kgs 22:53), indicating a deep-seated spiritual rebellion that continued his parents' legacy, despite the significant prophetic ministry of Elijah.
- fell down through a lattice: Implies an accident, a structural failure, or perhaps a pre-existing weakness in the building. The Hebrew term `sᵉbhakhah` (סְבָכָה) can refer to a lattice, grating, or net, suggesting an opening in the floor or roof of the upper chamber, possibly for ventilation, light, or an ornate railing that failed. The mundane nature of the accident itself becomes the catalyst for a profound theological crisis.
- in his upper chamber: Hebrew `aliyâh` (עֲלִיָּה), referring to an elevated room, often on the roof of a house. Such chambers could be used for privacy, contemplation, or summer sleeping. This specific location gives a personal, isolated context to Ahaziah's fall and subsequent decision, though as king, his decisions had national implications.
- that was in Samaria: Identifies the capital city of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, built by Omri and strengthened by Ahab. Samaria became a significant center of idolatry under Ahab and Jezebel, embodying the nation's spiritual apostasy. Ahaziah’s location there emphasizes the persistent national rebellion against YHWH.
- and was sick: The immediate consequence of the fall, signaling the severity of his injury. This sickness is the direct cause for his subsequent actions and prompts his search for divine guidance concerning his health and fate.
- and he sent messengers: An active, deliberate royal decree. The king uses his authority to seek external consultation. Sending messengers indicated the gravity of his concern and the established protocol for royal inquiries in the ancient world.
- and said unto them, Go, inquire: A direct command from Ahaziah. The verb "inquire" is `darash` (דָּרַשׁ) in Hebrew, meaning "to seek," "to inquire," "to consult." This verb is often used in scripture for seeking God's will (e.g., Ps 27:8, Isa 8:19) or His prophets (1 Kgs 22:5), highlighting the theological irony that Ahaziah directs this act of "seeking" toward an idol rather than the true God.
- of Baal-zebub: Identifies the specific pagan deity. "Baal" (בַּעַל) means "lord" or "master." "Zebub" (זְבוּב) means "fly" or "flies." This name is widely believed to be a deliberate, derogatory alteration by Israelite writers from an original Philistine name like "Baal-zebul" (Lord/Prince Baal) or "Baal of the exalted dwelling," turning a grand title into a pejorative one ("Lord of the Flies"), polemically mocking the deity. It emphasizes the contempt and emptiness of pagan worship in the eyes of YHWH's prophets. In the New Testament, this name evolves into "Beelzebul" and is associated with the prince of demons or Satan (Matt 12:24-27).
- the god of Ekron: Further specifies the deity and his domain. Ekron (עֶקְרוֹן) was one of the five major Philistine cities, and its cult was well-established. By seeking counsel from a god of an enemy, foreign nation, Ahaziah demonstrated a profound lack of faith in and rejection of YHWH, the God of Israel, who had delivered Israel from the Philistines numerous times. This highlights the apostasy of both king and kingdom.
- whether I shall recover of this sickness: The explicit question driving Ahaziah's desperate inquiry. His focus is on personal survival and health. This reflects a common human concern in the face of illness but also shows his ultimate trust was in an unholy source, highlighting his spiritual blindness and failure to turn to the one true God for life and healing.
2 Kings 1 2 Bonus section
The immediate and definitive prophetic response through Elijah in the subsequent verses highlights YHWH's sovereignty over sickness and health, and life and death. Ahaziah's seeking Baal-zebub essentially questions YHWH's ultimate authority and mocks His omnipotence. The polemical renaming of Baal-zebub to "Lord of the Flies" suggests a deliberate degradation of the deity by the biblical author, contrasting the impotence of the false god with the majestic power of YHWH. Ahaziah's action reflects a rejection of all the spiritual lessons and warnings his parents received and a continued reliance on pagan religious systems rather than the covenant God. This specific episode demonstrates that YHWH will not tolerate such spiritual compromise and actively intervenes to counter pagan influences and assert His unique deity.
2 Kings 1 2 Commentary
2 Kings 1:2 starkly illustrates Ahaziah’s fatal spiritual misstep. A mundane physical accident, a fall through a lattice, becomes the catalyst for a revealing theological moment. Instead of seeking the God of Israel, YHWH—the God who had miraculously intervened multiple times in recent history through Elijah to demonstrate His supreme power over Baal (e.g., Mount Carmel)—Ahaziah turned to Baal-zebub, the local god of the Philistine city of Ekron. This act was not merely a tactical error but a profound betrayal of Israel's covenant with YHWH and a direct continuation of his parents' defiant idolatry. Ahaziah's action underscored the deep-seated spiritual rebellion in the Northern Kingdom. It revealed a king who preferred divination from a pagan deity to seeking the true God for his life and health, demonstrating a tragic spiritual blindness that inevitably led to divine judgment as pronounced by Elijah. The episode serves as a powerful reminder of the consequence of unfaithfulness and seeking guidance from anything other than the Almighty.