2 Kings 7:2

7:2 An officer who was the king’s right-hand man ¹  responded to the prophet, ²  “Look, even if the Lord made it rain by opening holes in the sky, could this happen so soon?” ³  Elisha ⁴  said, “Look, you will see it happen with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of the food!” ⁵ 

2 Kings 7:19

7:19 But the officer replied to the prophet, “Look, even if the Lord made it rain by opening holes in the sky, could this happen so soon?” ⁶  Elisha ⁷  said, “Look, you will see it happen with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of the food!” ⁸ 

2 Kings 17:16

17:16 They abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God; they made two metal calves and an Asherah pole, bowed down to all the stars in the sky, ⁹  and worshiped ¹⁰  Baal.

2 Kings 19:15

19:15 Hezekiah prayed before the Lord: “Lord God of Israel, who is enthroned on the cherubs! ¹¹  You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the sky ¹²  and the earth.

2 Kings 21:3

21:3 He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he set up altars for Baal and made an Asherah pole just like King Ahab of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the stars in the sky ¹³  and worshiped ¹⁴  them.

2 Kings 23:5

23:5 He eliminated ¹⁵  the pagan priests whom the kings of Judah had appointed to offer sacrifices ¹⁶  on the high places in the cities of Judah and in the area right around Jerusalem. (They offered sacrifices ¹⁷  to Baal, the sun god, the moon god, the constellations, and all the stars in the sky.)

¹ tn Heb “the officer on whose hand the king leans.”

² tn Heb “man of God.”

³ tn Heb “the Lord was making holes in the sky, could this thing be?” Opening holes in the sky would allow the waters stored up there to pour to the earth and assure a good crop. But, the officer argues, even if this were to happen, it would take a long time to grow and harvest the crop.

⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁵ tn Heb “you will not eat from there.”

⁶ tn Heb “the Lord was making holes in the sky, could this thing be?” See the note at 7:2.

⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁸ tn Heb “you will not eat from there.”

¹¹ tn The phrase כָל צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם (khol tsÿva’ hashamayim), traditionally translated “all the host of heaven,” refers to the heavenly lights, including stars and planets. In 1 Kgs 22:19 these heavenly bodies are pictured as members of the Lord’s royal court or assembly, but many other texts view them as the illegitimate objects of pagan and Israelite worship.

¹² tn Or “served.”

¹⁶ sn This refers to the cherub images that were above the ark of the covenant.

¹⁷ tn Or “the heavens.”

²¹ sn See the note at 2 Kgs 17:16.

²² tn Or “served.”

²⁶ tn Perhaps, “destroyed.”

²⁷ tn Or “burn incense.”

²⁸ tn Or “burned incense.”