Again he sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. The third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, and said to him, “Man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty of your servants, be precious in your sight.
Parallel Translations
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Again he sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. The third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, and said to him, “Man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty of your servants, be precious in your sight.
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And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight.
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And again he sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him: 'O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight.
Cross-references (14)
Passages linked to 2 Kings 1:13 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Isaiah 1:5 Why should you be beaten more, that you revolt more and more? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
- Exodus 11:8 All these servants of yours will come down to me, and bow down themselves to me, saying, “Get out, with all the people who follow you;” and after that I will go out.’ ” He went out from Pharaoh in hot anger.
- Numbers 12:11-13 Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, please don’t count this sin against us, in which we have done foolishly, and in which we have sinned. Let her not, I pray, be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb.” Moses cried to Yahweh, saying, “Heal her, God, I beg you!”
- 1 Samuel 26:21 Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David; for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes today. Behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.”
- 1 Kings 13:6 The king answered the man of God, “Now intercede for the favor of Yahweh your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again.” The man of God interceded with Yahweh, and the king’s hand was restored to him again, and became as it was before.
- Job 15:25-26 Because he has stretched out his hand against God, and behaves himself proudly against the Almighty, he runs at him with a stiff neck, with the thick shields of his bucklers,
- Psalms 72:14 He will redeem their soul from oppression and violence. Their blood will be precious in his sight.
- Psalms 102:17 He has responded to the prayer of the destitute, and has not despised their prayer.
- Proverbs 27:22 Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, yet his foolishness will not be removed from him.
- Ecclesiastes 9:3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yes also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
- Isaiah 60:14 The sons of those who afflicted you will come bowing to you; and all those who despised you will bow themselves down at the soles of your feet. They will call you Yahweh’s City, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
- Isaiah 66:2 For my hand has made all these things, and so all these things came to be,” says Yahweh: “but I will look to this man, even to he who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word.
- James 4:7 Be subject therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
- Revelation 3:9 Behold, I give some of the synagogue of Satan, of those who say they are Jews, and they are not, but lie—behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (13 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain That is, spare my life, and let me not…
That is, spare my life, and let me not die as the other two.
Which humble myself before God and his servant.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 2Ki 1:13 And he sent again a captain of…
2Ki 1:13 And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight.
Ver. 13. And he sent again a captain.] Another pentacontarch; but of a better make than the former. Some think it was good Obadiah, whom be knew to be gracious with the prophet, and could prevail with him to come to the king.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Fell on his knees, and besought him; expressing both…
Fell on his knees, and besought him; expressing both reverence to his person, and a belief of his power, and a dread of God’s judgments.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Besought - Expressing both reverence to his person, and…
Besought - Expressing both reverence to his person, and a dread of God's judgments. There is nothing to be got by contending with God: if we would prevail with him, it must be by supplication. And those are wise who learn submission from the fatal consequences of obstinacy in others.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain 2Ki 1:13. And fell on his knees before Elijah,…
2Ki 1:13. And fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him — Expressing both reverence for his person, and a dread of God’s judgments, being struck with the fate of the two other captains and their fifties. There is nothing to be got by contending with God: if we would prevail with him, it must be by supplication. And those are wise that learn submission from the fatal consequences of obstinacy in others.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Again. This third captain is commonly supposed to be…
Again. This third captain is commonly supposed to be Abdias, (3 Kings xviii. 3.) though without much reason. (Calmet) --- John of Jerus, (c. 15) says he left the court, and became a disciple of Elias, and a prophet. (Menochius) --- But he is very different from the prophet, whose writings are still extant. (Calmet) --- The report of the two miracles had come to his ears, and filled him with fear. (Menochius) --- Despise not. Hebrew, "let my life....be precious in thy sight," 1 Kings xxvi. 21., and Psalm cxv. 15.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 13. Fell on his knees before Elijah — This…
13. Fell on his knees before Elijah — This was very different from the manner of the two former.
These fifty thy servants — Not Ahaziah’s servants, but Elijah’s. This humble and reverential manner showed becoming respect for Elijah and his God, and turned away the fierce anger of Jehovah. Had the former captains observed like respect, the penal fire had not fallen.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 13. a captain of the [R.V. a] third fifty]…
13. a captain of the [R.V. a] third fifty] The LXX. omits the number ‘third’, and the grammar in the Hebrew is not quite regular.
came and fell on his knees] He utters no command, but as a suppliant recognises the power of which Elijah was the representative. Josephus makes him admit that he has only come because the king commanded it.
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be precious in thy sight] A common phrase about a life that is spared. Cf. 1Sa_26:21; Psa_72:14.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (13) A captain of the third fifty.—Literally, a captain…
(13) A captain of the third fifty.—Literally, a captain of a third fifty. But 2Ki_1:11, “another captain of fifty,” and the phrase which follows here, “the third captain of fifty,” indicate the right reading, “a third captain of fifty.” (So LXX. and Vulg.)
Fell.—Margin. (Comp. Isa_46:1, “Bel boweth down.”)
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Besought him.—Begged favour, grace, or compossion of him (Gen_42:21; Hos_12:5).
These fifty thy servants.—Or, these thy servants, fifty (men), laying stress on the number of lives.
Be precious in thy sight.—Comp. Psa_72:14; 1Sa_26:21.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain A captain of the third fifty; rather, the captain…
A captain of the third fifty; rather, the captain of a third fifty (see the Revised Version). This captain went upi.e. ascended the hill on which Elijah was still seated, and there fell on his knees, or bowed himself down, before the prophet, as suppliants were wont to do, beseeching his compassion. The fate of the two former captains had become known to him by some means or other, and this induced him to assume an attitude, not of command, but of submission. He acknowledged that the prophet held his life and the lives of his fifty men at his free disposal, and begged that they might be precious in his sight, or, in other words, that he would spare them. What response Elijah would have made, had he been left to himself, is uncertain. But he was not left to himself. An angel of God again appeared to him, and directed his course of action.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain Let my life, and the life of these fifty…
2Ki_1:13
Let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants be precious in thy sight.
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The preciousness of life
Question naturally arises, Is life precious? How does God value it? And how should His servants regard it?
I. This question seems to be answered in the negative.
1. By the general tenor of the Old Testament. Sinai thundered and lightened. The sight thereof was terrible. The voice was death. The Flood. Destruction of Sodom. Overthrows in the wilderness. Death of the two captains with their fifties.
2. By Gods continued judgments on the impenitent. The Galileans in our Lords day. Except ye repent (Luk_13:1-5). Many instances of this in the New Testament: Ananias and Sapphira; Herod Agrippa, in Act_12:1-25.
II. But for two reasons the reply is in the affirmative.
1. Because many lives were spared in the Old Testament.
(1) Through entreaty, as in the case of this captain. So Abraham entreated for Sodom. Moses and Aaron for the children of Israel (Num_14:15-20; Num_16:22).
(2) Through Gods sovereign mercy. People of Nineveh.
2. Because the greatest life of all has been given for all the children of men. Herein the Mosaic law fulfilled, which said, A life for a life. Nothing so highly esteemed of God as the precious blood of Christ. It was the full price of our salvation, and its efficacy is eternal (Psa_49:8; Heb_9:12).
Application.
1. There is no need that you should doubt whether God will receive you. You need not even retreat, Let my life be precious in Thy sight. It is precious. The best proof of this has been given.
2. Do not manifest an un-Christlike spirit. Vengeance is mine. Our duty is plain, to be like Christ in valuing the lives of our brethren. He came not to destroy life, but to save. (J. G. Tanner, M. A.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 fifty warriors
fifty warriors
"50 warriors" or "50 soldiers" (See: Numbers)
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implored him
"begged him"
these fifty servants of yours
The captain says that his servants are Elijah's servants to show him honor. AT "my fifty soldiers" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
let my life and the life of ... be precious in your sight
Here Elijah's "sight" represents him judgement or evaluation. The captain is pleading with Elijah to let them live. AT: "please consider my life and the life of ... as precious to you" or "consider my life and the life of ... to be of worth to you and do not kill us" (See: Metaphor and Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
let my life be precious in your sight
Here Elijah's "sight" represents him judgement or evaluation. The captain is repeating his request for Elijah to show kindness to him and let him live. AT: "please be kind to me" or "please allow me to live" (See: Metaphor and Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
translationWords
life
servant
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 1:13-14 In contrast to the first two officers, the…
1:13-14 In contrast to the first two officers, the third commander pleaded for mercy before Elijah and God.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.