2 Kings 1 · Verse 2

2 Kings 1:2

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 Baal–zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.

2 Kings 1:2, King James Version

2 Kings 1:2 in other translations

BSB	Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers and instructed them: “Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this injury.”
WEB	Ahaziah fell down through the lattice in his upper room that was in Samaria, and was sick. So he sent messengers, and said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this sickness.”
ASV	And Ahaziah fell down through the lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover of this sickness.
YLT	and Ahaziah falleth through the lattice in his upper chamber that is in Samaria, and is sick, and sendeth messengers, and saith unto them, ‘Go ye, inquire of Baal-Zebub god of Ekron if I recover from this sickness.'
DARBY	And Ahaziah fell down through the lattice in his upper chamber which was in Samaria, and was sick; and he sent messengers and said to them, Go, inquire of Baal-zebub thegod of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this disease.
BBE	Now Ahaziah had a fall from the window of his room in Samaria, and was ill. And he sent men, and said to them, Put a question to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, about the outcome of my disease, to see if I will get well or not.
Webster	And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said to them, Go, inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this disease.

What does 2 Kings 1:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Kings 1:2-8

2-8. Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber--This lattice was either a part of the wooden parapet, or fence, which surrounds the flat roofs of houses, and over which the king was carelessly leaning when it gave way; or it might be an opening like a skylight in the roof itself, done over with lattice-work, which, being slender or rotten, the king stepped on and slipped through. This latter supposition is most probably the true one, as Ahaziah did not fall either into the street or the court, but "in his upper chamber." inquire of Baalzebub--Anxious to learn whether he should recover from the effects of this severe fall, he sent to consult Baalzebub, that is, the god of flies, who was considered the patron deity of medicine. A temple to that idol was erected at Ekron, which was resorted to far and wide, though it afterwards led to the destruction of the place (Zec 9:5; Am 1:8; Zep 2:4). "After visiting Ekron, 'the god of flies' is a name that gives me no surprise. The flies there swarmed, in fact so innumerably, that I could hardly get any food without these troublesome insects getting into it" [Van De Velde].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 2 Fell down through a lattice - Perhaps either through the flat root of his house, or over or through the balustrades with which the roof was surrounded. Go, inquire of Baal-zebub - Literally, the fly-god, or master of flies. The Septuagint has βααλ μυιαν, Baal the fly. He was the tutelary god of Ekron, and probably was used at first as a kind of telesm, to drive away flies. He became afterwards a very respectable devil, and was supposed to have great power and influence. In the New Testament Beelzebub is a common name for Satan himself, or the prince of devils. See my notes on Mat 10:25 (note).

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Kings 1:1-8

When Ahaziah rebelled against the Lord, Moab revolted from him. Sin weakens and impoverishes us. Man's revolt from God is often punished by the rebellion of those who owe subjection to him. Ahaziah fell through a lattice, or railing. Wherever we go, there is but a step between us and death. A man's house is his castle, but not to secure him against God's judgments. The whole creation, which groans under the burden…

Read the full comment on 2 Kings 1:1-8 →

2 Kings 1:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּפֹּ֨לvai.yi.Poland he fellH5307

אֲחַזְיָ֜ה'a.chaz.YahAhaziahH274

בְּעַ֣דbe.'AdthroughH1157

הַשְּׂבָכָ֗הha.se.va.Khahthe window-latticeH7639

בַּעֲלִיָּת֛וֹba.'a.li.ya.Toin upper room hisH5944

אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhichH834

בְּשֹׁמְר֖וֹןbe.sho.me.Ron[was] in SamariaH8111

וַיָּ֑חַלvai.Ya.chaland he became illH2470

וַיִּשְׁלַ֣חvai.yish.Lachand he sentH7971

מַלְאָכִ֔יםmal.'a.KhimmessengersH4397

וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559

אֲלֵהֶם֙'a.le.Hemto themH413

לְכ֣וּle.KhugoH1980

דִרְשׁ֗וּdir.ShuconsultH1875

בְּבַ֤עַלbe.Va.'al<in> BaalH1176

זְבוּב֙ze.VuvZebubH1176

אֱלֹהֵ֣י'e.lo.Hei[the] god ofH430

עֶקְר֔וֹןek.RonEkronH6138

אִם\־'im-ifH518

אֶחְיֶ֖ה'ech.YehI will liveH2421

מֵחֳלִ֥יme.cho.Lifrom sicknessH2483

זֶֽה\׃\ \סZehthisH2088

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Kings 1:2

2 Kings 1:16
And he said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baal–zebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to enquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
2 Kings 8:7-10
And Elisha came to Damascus; and Ben–hadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither. And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and enquire of the Lord by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Ben–hadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the Lord hath shewed me that he shall surely die.
Mark 3:22
And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.
Matthew 10:25
It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
Isaiah 37:19
And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.
Luke 11:15
But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.
1 Kings 11:33
Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.
Isaiah 37:12
Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar?
2 Kings 1:6
And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baal–zebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
2 Kings 1:3
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 unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baal–zebub the god of Ekron?
1 Kings 14:3
And take with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey, and go to him: he shall tell thee what shall become of the child.
Judges 5:28
The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

a lattice.The flat roofs of the eastern houses are generally surrounded by a parapet wall breast high; but instead of this, some terraces are guarded with balustrades only, or latticed work. Of the same kind, probably, was the lattice, or net, as the term {shevacha} seems to import, through which Ahaziah fell into the court. This incident proves the necessity of the law for the formation of battlements for roof, (De 22:8,) which God graciously dictated from Sinai, which furnishes a beautiful example of his paternal care and goodness; for the terrace was a place where many offices of the family were performed, and business frequently transacted.
Jud 5:28; So 2:9; Ac 20:9
was sick.
1Ki 22:34; *marg:
2Ch 21:14,15; Job 31:3
Baal-zebub.
3,6,16; Mt 10:25; 12:24-27; Mr 3:22; Lu 11:15
Beelzebub. god.
Jud 11:24; 1Sa 5:10; 1Ki 11:33; Isa 37:12,19
whether.
8:7-10; 1Ki 14:3

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

2 Kings 1:1
Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.
2 Kings 1:2
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 Baal–zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.
2 Kings 1:3
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 unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baal–zebub the god of Ekron?

Read all of 2 Kings 1

2 Kings 1:2 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y Ochôzías cayó por las celosías de una sala de la casa que tenía en Samaria; y estando enfermo envió mensajeros, y díjoles: Id, y consultad á Baal-zebub dios de Ecrón, si tengo de sanar de esta mi enfermedad.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et Achazia tomba par le treillis de sa chambre haute qui était à Samarie, et en fut malade. Et il envoya des messagers, et leur dit: Allez, consultez Baal-Zebub, dieu d’Ékron, pour savoir si je relèverai de cette maladie.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und Ahasja fiel durch das Gitter an seinem Obergemach zu Samaria und wurde krank. Und er sandte Boten und sprach zu ihnen: Gehet hin, befraget Baal-Sebub, den Gott von Ekron, ob ich von dieser Krankheit genesen werde.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Ceciditque Ochozias per cancellos cœnaculi sui, quod habebat in Samaria, et ægrotavit: misitque nuntios, dicens ad eos: Ite, consulite Beelzebub deum Accaron, utrum vivere queam de infirmitate mea hac.