1:16 Elijah 3 said to the king, 4 “This is what the Lord says, ‘You sent messengers to seek an oracle from Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron. You must think there is no God in Israel from whom you can seek an oracle! 5 Therefore you will not leave the bed you lie on, for you will certainly die.’” 6
5:8 When Elisha the prophet 7 heard that the king had torn his clothes, he sent this message to the king, “Why did you tear your clothes? Send him 8 to me so he may know there is a prophet in Israel.”
5:15 He and his entire entourage returned to the prophet. Naaman 9 came and stood before him. He said, “For sure 10 I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel! Now, please accept a gift from your servant.”
5:1 Now Naaman, the commander of the king of Syria’s army, was esteemed and respected by his master, 11 for through him the Lord had given Syria military victories. But this great warrior had a skin disease. 12
17:1 In the twelfth year of King Ahaz’s reign over Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria 13 for nine years.
17:1 In the twelfth year of King Ahaz’s reign over Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria 14 for nine years.
For the music director; to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm of Asaph, a song.
76:1 God has revealed himself in Judah; 16
in Israel his reputation 17 is great.
1 tn Heb “said to him.”
2 tn Heb “Is it because there is no God in Israel [that] you are sending to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron?” The translation seeks to bring out the sarcastic tone of the rhetorical question. In v. 3 the messengers are addressed (in the phrase “you are on your way” the second person plural pronoun is used in Hebrew), but here the king is addressed (in the phrase “you are sending” the second person singular pronoun is used).
3 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elijah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
4 tn Heb “him”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 tn Heb “Because you sent messengers to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron, is there no God in Israel to inquire of his word?”
6 sn For the third time in this chapter we read the Lord’s sarcastic question to king and the accompanying announcement of judgment. The repetition emphasizes one of the chapter’s main themes. Israel’s leaders should seek guidance from their own God, not a pagan deity, for Israel’s sovereign God is the one who controls life and death.
7 tn Heb “man of God” (also in vv. 15, 20).
8 tn Heb “Let him come.”
9 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Naaman) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10 tn Heb “look.”
11 tn Heb “was a great man before his master and lifted up with respect to the face.”
12 tn For a discussion of מְצֹרָע (mÿtsora’), traditionally translated “leprous,” see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 63. Naaman probably had a skin disorder of some type, not leprosy/Hansen’s disease.
13 map For location see Map2-B1; Map4-D3; Map5-E2; Map6-A4; Map7-C1.
14 map For location see Map2-B1; Map4-D3; Map5-E2; Map6-A4; Map7-C1.
15 sn Psalm 76. The psalmist depicts God as a mighty warrior who destroys Israel’s enemies.
16 tn Or “God is known in Judah.”
17 tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.