2 Kings 1:5 kjv
And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back?
2 Kings 1:5 nkjv
And when the messengers returned to him, he said to them, "Why have you come back?"
2 Kings 1:5 niv
When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, "Why have you come back?"
2 Kings 1:5 esv
The messengers returned to the king, and he said to them, "Why have you returned?"
2 Kings 1:5 nlt
When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, "Why have you returned so soon?"
2 Kings 1 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Prov 19:21 | Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. | God's ultimate sovereignty over human intentions. |
| Ps 33:10-11 | The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples...The counsel of the Lord stands forever... | God's plans always prevail over human/pagan schemes. |
| Isa 44:25 | ...who frustrates the omens of liars and makes fools of diviners; who turns wise men back and makes their knowledge foolish; | God's opposition to and invalidation of divination. |
| Dan 4:35 | all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand... | God's absolute dominion over all creation and actions. |
| Exod 20:3 | You shall have no other gods before me. | Direct commandment against worshipping other deities. |
| Deut 18:10-12 | There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering...or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things... | Strong condemnation of practices like consulting pagan gods. |
| 1 Kgs 18:21-40 | Elijah's contest on Mount Carmel demonstrated Yahweh's supremacy over Baal. | Illustrates God's powerlessness of false gods. |
| Isa 30:1-3 | "Ah, stubborn children," declares the Lord, "who carry out a plan, but not mine, and who make a covenant, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin..." | Folly of relying on sources other than God for help. |
| Jer 10:1-16 | ...learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens...For the customs of the peoples are worthless. A tree from the forest is cut down... | Idolatry is vain and powerless compared to the true God. |
| Ps 115:4-8 | Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see...Those who make them become like them... | Depiction of idols as powerless and their worshippers as foolish. |
| Rom 1:21-25 | For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. | Explains the degradation and blindness that come from rejecting God for idols. |
| Deut 28:15ff | "But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments...then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you..." | Consequences, including illness, for disobeying God. |
| 1 Kgs 14:15-16 | ...the Lord will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and he will uproot Israel...because they have made their Asherim, provoking the Lord to anger. | Judgment for widespread apostasy and idolatry in Israel. |
| Hos 4:12 | My people inquire of a piece of wood, and their walking staff gives them guidance. For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray... | Idolatry and divination as spiritual unfaithfulness. |
| 2 Kgs 1:16 | And [Elijah] said to him, "Thus says the Lord, 'Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word?..." | Immediate prophetic declaration of judgment on Ahaziah for seeking a pagan god. |
| 2 Kgs 1:3-4 | But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel...?" | Direct divine command to Elijah to intercept the messengers. |
| Amos 3:7 | For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. | God's usual method of communication through prophets. |
| Jer 25:4 | "The Lord has sent to you all his servants the prophets, again and again, but you have not listened..." | God's consistent sending of prophets to guide and warn. |
| Ps 7:16 | His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends. | Negative actions often have consequences for the doer. |
| John 3:19 | And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light... | People's preference for darkness (paganism/sin) over God's light. |
| Acts 9:3-6 | Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him...and a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" | Dramatic, immediate divine interruption of human plans. |
2 Kings 1 verses
2 Kings 1 5 Meaning
King Ahaziah, who had sent messengers to consult a pagan deity about his recovery from an injury, expresses confusion and surprise upon their unexpected and rapid return. This query signifies the king's initial unawareness of the divine intervention that prevented his messengers from reaching their destination, highlighting God's immediate and sovereign interception of his apostate actions.
2 Kings 1 5 Context
The events of 2 Kings 1:5 immediately follow King Ahaziah of Israel sustaining a severe injury from a fall (2 Kgs 1:2). Rather than seeking the Lord God, Ahaziah demonstrated his apostasy by dispatching messengers to Ekron to consult Baal-zebub, the Philistine god, regarding his prognosis (2 Kgs 1:2). Unbeknownst to the king, God intercepted his messengers via the prophet Elijah (2 Kgs 1:3-4). This verse thus marks the crucial point of return for the messengers, signifying the divine disruption of Ahaziah's pagan consultation and setting the stage for Elijah's direct pronouncement of judgment against the king. It highlights the unexpectedness of this divine intervention from the king's perspective, who was expecting information from Ekron, not his messengers' prompt return.
2 Kings 1 5 Word analysis
When they came back: This phrase signals an unexpected turn of events. The Hebrew verb for "came back" (שׁוּב, shuv) literally means to turn back, return, or repent. Here, it denotes a physical return, but its deeper implication is the subversion of the king's original mission. The return happens rapidly, showcasing divine swiftness.
to the king, Ahaziah: The king of Israel, son of the infamous Ahab and Jezebel, continuing their idolatrous reign. His title here underscores the gravity of his choices; even a monarch's will can be overruled by God.
he asked them,: The Hebrew uses "vay'dabber aleihem" (וַיְדַבֵּר אֲלֵיהֶם), literally "and he spoke to them," which in context forms a question. The king's query suggests bewilderment and perhaps frustration, as his explicit instructions were to proceed to Ekron.
"Why have you returned?": The interrogative "Why" (לָמָּה, lammah) is pivotal. It articulates Ahaziah's profound surprise and demand for an explanation. The repetition of the concept of "returning" (שׁוּב, shuv), emphasizing that their mission was unfinished, highlights the disruptive force at play. This question underscores Ahaziah's reliance on his human plans and his unawareness of the higher power (God through Elijah) that directly intervened, rendering his pagan inquiry pointless.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "When they came back to the king,": This group emphasizes the swift and unexpected deviation from the king's plan. The messengers' mission was not completed; they were divinely diverted. This creates immediate tension and suspense.
- "he asked them,": This simple statement portrays the king's reaction: not rage, but an immediate need for an explanation. It suggests his plans were being thwarted in an unprecedented manner.
- "“Why have you returned?”": This full direct question summarizes Ahaziah's bewilderment. It implies that their early return was both uncommanded and defies his rational expectations, setting the stage for the revelation of God's intervening word through Elijah. It highlights the clash between human intention (Ahaziah's pagan inquiry) and divine will (God's authoritative interception).
2 Kings 1 5 Bonus section
The rapidity of the messengers' return from the outset of their journey emphasizes the extraordinary nature of Elijah's intervention. They hadn't even left Israelite territory or drawn close to Ekron when they met the prophet, signifying God's pre-emptive action. This swift interception contrasts sharply with the long, often fruitless, and misleading responses expected from pagan oracles, demonstrating Yahweh's immediate and decisive control over events. It further highlights that God is not a distant deity but one who actively intervenes in the affairs of His people and their rulers.
2 Kings 1 5 Commentary
2 Kings 1:5 serves as a crucial hinge in the narrative, moving from King Ahaziah's desperate apostasy to the dramatic confrontation with God's prophet, Elijah. Ahaziah's question, "Why have you returned?", reveals his utterly human perspective: he anticipates news from a pagan deity, but instead, he is met with an unexplained reversal of his plans. This surprise underscores God's sovereignty, demonstrating that even a king's ill-conceived schemes, intended to bypass God, cannot escape divine intervention.
The messengers' swift return without completing their journey is not an accident but a direct result of Elijah's divinely mandated interception. This act inherently critiques the efficacy of Baal-zebub and pagan divination; God did not allow Ahaziah to even consult his false god, asserting His immediate and unchallengeable authority over both the physical journey and the spiritual destiny of Israel's king. The scene highlights God's jealous nature (Exod 20:3), punishing those who turn away from Him to consult lesser, powerless deities. It is a sharp polemic against syncretism, proclaiming that there is no true god apart from Yahweh in Israel (2 Kgs 1:3).