1:11 The king 1 sent another captain and his fifty soldiers to retrieve Elijah. He went up and told him, 2 “Prophet, this is what the king says, ‘Come down at once!’” 3
1 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 tc The MT reads, “he answered and said to him.” The verb “he answered” (וַיַּעַן, vayya’an) is probably a corruption of “he went up” (וַיַּעַל, vayya’al). See v. 9.
3 sn In this second panel of the three-paneled narrative, the king and his captain are more arrogant than before. The captain uses a more official sounding introduction (“this is what the king says”) and the king adds “at once” to the command.
4 tn Or “covenant.”
5 sn That is, the descendants of Jacob/Israel (see v. 35b).
7 tn Or “burned incense.”
8 tn Heb “angering me with all the work of their hands.” The translation assumes that this refers to idols they have manufactured (note the preceding reference to “other gods,” as well as 19:18). However, it is possible that this is a general reference to their sinful practices, in which case one might translate, “angering me by all the things they do.”