2 Kings 1:16

1:16 Elijah ¹  said to the king, ²  “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! ³  Therefore you will not leave the bed you lie on, for you will certainly die.’” ⁴ 

2 Kings 3:11

3:11 Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here that we might seek the Lord’s direction?” ⁵  One of the servants of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shapat is here; he used to be Elijah’s servant.” ⁶ 

2 Kings 9:25

9:25 Jehu ordered ⁷  his officer Bidkar, “Pick him up and throw him into the part of the field that once belonged to Naboth of Jezreel. Remember, you and I were riding together behind his father Ahab, when the Lord pronounced this judgment on him,

[1:16]  ¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elijah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:16]  ² tn Heb “him”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:16]  ³ 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?”

[1:16]  ⁴ 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.

[3:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “that we might inquire of the Lord through him?”

[3:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “who poured water on the hands of Elijah.” This refers to one of the typical tasks of a servant.

[9:25]  ⁹ tn Heb “said to.”