2 Kings 1:11

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 

2 Kings 1:9

1:9 The king ⁴  sent a captain and his fifty soldiers ⁵  to retrieve Elijah. ⁶  The captain ⁷  went up to him, while he was sitting on the top of a hill. ⁸  He told him, “Prophet, ⁹  the king says, ‘Come down!’”

[1:11]  ¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:11]  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.

[1:11]  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.

[1:9]  ⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:9]  ⁵ tn Heb “officer of fifty and his fifty.”

[1:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “to him.”

[1:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the captain) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:9]  ⁸ sn The prophet Elijah’s position on the top of the hill symbolizes his superiority to the king and his messengers.

[1:9]  ⁹ tn Heb “man of God” (also in vv. 10, 11, 12, 13).