2 Kings 1:10

Wycliffe Bible

And Elie answeride, and seide to the prince of fifti men, If Y am the man of God, fier come doun fro heuene, and deuoure thee and thi fifti men. Therfor fier cam doun fro heuene, and deuouride hym, and the fifti men that weren with hym.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Elijah responded to the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.

Hebrew Names Version
Eliyah answered to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from the sky, and consume you and your fifty. Fire came down from the sky, and consumed him and his fifty.

King James Version
And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

English Standard Version
But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

New Century Version
Elijah answered the captain, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and burn up you and your fifty men." Then fire came down from heaven and burned up the captain and his fifty men.

New English Translation
Elijah replied to the captain, "If I am indeed a prophet, may fire come down from the sky and consume you and your fifty soldiers!" Fire then came down from the sky and consumed him and his fifty soldiers.

Amplified Bible
Elijah replied to the captain of fifty, "So if I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty [fighting men]." Then fire fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

New American Standard Bible
But Elijah replied to the captain of fifty, "If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.

Geneva Bible (1587)
But Eliiah answered, and saide to the captaine ouer the fiftie, If that I be a man of God, let fire come downe from the heauen, and deuoure thee and thy fiftie. So fire came downe from the heauen and deuoured him and his fiftie.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Elijah answered and spoke to the commander of fifty, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

Contemporary English Version
"If I am a man of God," Elijah answered, "God will send down fire on you and your fifty soldiers." Fire immediately came down from heaven and burned up the officer and his men.

Complete Jewish Bible
Eliyahu answered the commander of fifty, "If I am in fact a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and burn you up, along with your fifty men." Fire came down from heaven, and it burned up him and his fifty men.

Darby Translation
And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, And if I be a man of God, let fire come down from the heavens and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from the heavens, and consumed him and his fifty.

Easy-to-Read Version
Elijah answered the captain of 50, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and destroy you and your 50 men!" So fire came down from heaven and destroyed the captain and his 50 men.

George Lamsa Translation
And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I am a prophet of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty. And there came down fire from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

Good News Translation
"If I am a man of God," Elijah answered, "may fire come down from heaven and kill you and your men!" At once fire came down and killed the officer and his men.

Lexham English Bible
Then Elijah answered and said to the commander of the fifty, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty!" Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

Literal Translation
And Elijah answered and said to the commander of fifty, And if I am a man of God, fire will come down from the heavens and consume you and your fifty. And fire came down from the heavens and consumed him and his fifty.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Elias answered the captayne ouer fyftye, and sayde vnto him: Yf I be a man of God, the fyre fall downe then from heauen, and cosume the and thy fyftie. Then fell there fire from heauen, and consumed him and his fyftye.

American Standard Version
And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

Bible in Basic English
And Elijah in answer said to the captain of fifty, If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven on you and on your fifty men, and put an end to you. Then fire came down from heaven and put an end to him and his fifty men.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Elias aunswered and saide to the captaine ouer the fiftie: If I be a man of God, let fyre come downe from heauen & consume thee & thy fiftie. And there came fyre from heauen, and consumed him and his fiftie.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty: 'If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty.' And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

King James Version (1611)
And Eliiah answered, and said to the captaine of fiftie, If I be a man of God, then let fire come downe from heauen, and consume thee and thy fiftie. And there came downe fire from heauen, and consumed him and his fiftie.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Eliu answered and said to the captain of fifty, And if I am a man of God, fire shall come down out of heaven, and devour thee and thy fifty. And fire came down out of heaven, and devoured him and his fifty.

English Revised Version
And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

Berean Standard Bible
Elijah answered the captain, "If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men." And fire came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his men.

Young's Literal Translation
And Elijah answereth and speaketh unto the head of the fifty, `And if I [am] a man of God, fire doth come down from the heavens, and consume thee and thy fifty;' and fire cometh down from the heavens, and consumeth him and his fifty.

Update Bible Version
And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume you and your fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I [am] a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

World English Bible
Elijah answered to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from the sky, and consume you and your fifty. Fire came down from the sky, and consumed him and his fifty.

New King James Version
So Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, "If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men." And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

New Living Translation
But Elijah replied to the captain, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and destroy you and your fifty men!" Then fire fell from heaven and killed them all.

New Life Bible
Elijah said to the captain of fifty men, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and destroy you and your fifty men." Then fire came down from heaven and destroyed him and his fifty men.

New Revised Standard
But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." Then fire came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Elijah responded and said unto the captain of fifty, If, then, a man of God, I am, let fire come down out of the heavens, and devour thee and thy fifty. So there came down fire out of the heavens, and devoured him and his fifty.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Elias answering, said to the captain of fifty: If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume thee, and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven and consumed him, and the fifty that were with him.

Revised Standard Version
But Eli'jah answered the captain of fifty, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." Then fire came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

THE MESSAGE
Elijah answered the captain of the fifty, "If it's true that I'm a ‘holy man,' lightning strike you and your fifty men!" Out of the blue lightning struck and incinerated the captain and his fifty.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Elijah replied to the captain of fifty, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

Contextual Overview

⁹ And he sente to Elie a prince of fifti, and fifti men that weren vndur hym. Which prince stiede to hym, and seide to hym, sittynge in the cop of the hil, Man of God, the kyng comaundith, that thou come doun. ¹⁰ And Elie answeride, and seide to the prince of fifti men, If Y am the man of God, fier come doun fro heuene, and deuoure thee and thi fifti men. Therfor fier cam doun fro heuene, and deuouride hym, and the fifti men that weren with hym. ¹¹ Eft he sente to Elie another prince of fifti, and fifti men with hym, which spak to Helye, Man of God, the kyng seith these thingis, Haste thou, come thou doun. ¹² Elie answeride, and seide, If Y am the man of God, fier come doun fro heuene, and deuoure thee and thi fifti men. Therfor the fier of God cam doun fro heuene, and deuouride hym and hise fifti men. ¹³ Eft he sente the thridde prince of fifti men, and fifti men that weren with hym. And whanne this prynce hadde come, he bowide the knees ayens Elie, and preiede hym, and seide, Man of God, nyle thou dispise my lijf, and the lyues of thi seruauntis that ben with me. ¹⁴ Lo! fier cam doun fro heuene, and deuouride tweyne, the firste princis of fifti men, and the fifti men that weren with hem; but now, Y biseche, that thou haue mercy on my lijf. ¹⁵ Forsothe the aungel of the Lord spak to Helie of Thesbi, and seide, Go thou doun with hym; drede thou not. Therfor Elie roos, and cam doun with hym to the kyng; ¹⁶ and he spak to the kyng, The Lord seith thes thingis, For thou sentist messangeris to counsele Belzebub, god of Acharon, as if no God were in Israel, of whom thow myytist axe a word; therfor thou schalt not go doun of the bed, on which thou stiedist, but thou schalt die bi deeth. ¹⁷ Therfor he was deed bi the word of the Lord, which word Elie spak; and Joram, hys brothir, regnyde for hym, in the secounde yeer of Joram, the sone of Josephat, kyng of Juda; for Ocozie hadde no sone. ¹⁸ Sotheli the residue of wordis of Ocozie, whiche he wrouyte, whether these ben not writun in the book of wordis of daies of the kyngis of Israel?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

If I be a man: 2 Kings 2:23, 2 Kings 2:24, Numbers 16:28-30, 1 Kings 18:36-38, 1 Kings 22:28, 2 Chronicles 36:16, Psalms 105:15, Matthew 21:41, Matthew 23:34-37, Acts 5:3-10

let fire: Or, rather, as the original literally imports, and the LXX render, ךבפבגחףופבי נץס, fire shall come down; Elijah's words being simply declarative, and not imprecatory. Numbers 11:1, Numbers 16:35, Job 1:16, Psalms 106:18, Luke 9:54, Hebrews 12:29, Revelation 11:5

consumed: Daniel 3:22, Daniel 3:25, Daniel 6:24, Acts 12:19

Reciprocal: Leviticus 10:2 - fire 1 Kings 19:12 - a fire 2 Kings 1:12 - General 2 Kings 1:14 - Behold 2 Kings 8:7 - The man of God Job 38:35 - Canst Psalms 29:7 - flames Jeremiah 5:14 - I will make Acts 5:5 - hearing Revelation 13:13 - he maketh Revelation 20:9 - and fire

Cross-References

Genesis 1:4
And God seiy the liyt, that it was good, and he departide the liyt fro derknessis; and he clepide the liyt,

Deuteronomy 32:4
The werkis of God ben perfit, and alle hise weies ben domes; God is feithful, and without ony wickidnesse; God is iust and riytful.

Psalms 104:31
The glorie of the Lord be in to the world; the Lord schal be glad in hise werkis.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, if I be a man of God,.... As I am, and thou shalt know it by the following token, though thou callest me so jeeringly:

then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty; this he said not in a passion, and from a private spirit of revenge, but for the vindication of the honour and glory of God, and under the impulse of his spirit, who was abused through the insult on him as his prophet:

and there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty; a flash of lightning, which destroyed them at once; the Lord hearkening to the voice of his prophet, in vindication of him in his office, and of his own glory.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The charge of cruelty made against Elijah makes it needful to consider the question: What was Elijah’s motive? And the answer is: Sharply to make a signal example, to vindicate God’s honor in a striking way. Ahaziah had, as it were, challenged Yahweh to a trial of strength by sending a band of fifty to arrest one man. Elijah was not Jesus Christ, able to reconcile mercy with truth, the vindication of God’s honor with the utmost tenderness for erring men, and awe them merely by His presence (compare John 18:6). In Elijah the spirit of the Law was embodied in its full severity. His zeal was fierce; he was not shocked by blood; he had no softness and no relenting. He did not permanently profit by the warning at Horeb (1 Kings 19:12 note). He continued the uncompromising avenger of sin, the wielder of the terrors of the Lord, such exactly as he had shown himself at Carmel. He is, consequently, no pattern for Christian men Luke 9:55; but his character is the perfection of the purely legal type. No true Christian after Pentecost would have done what Elijah did. But what he did, when he did it, was not sinful. It was but executing strict, stern justice. Elijah asked that fire should fall - God made it fall; and, by so doing, both vindicated His own honor, and justified the prayer of His prophet.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 1:10. And there came down fire — Some have blamed the prophet for destroying these men, by bringing down fire from heaven upon them. But they do not consider that it was no more possible for Elijah to bring down fire from heaven, than for them to do it. God alone could send the fire; and as he is just and good, he would not have destroyed these men had there not been a sufficient cause to justify the act. It was not to please Elijah, or to gratify any vindictive humour in him, that God thus acted; but to show his own power and justice. No entreaty of Elijah could have induced God to have performed an act that was wrong in itself. Elijah, personally, had no concern in the business. God led him simply to announce on these occasions what he himself had determined to do. If I be a man of God, i.e., as surely as I am a man of God, fire SHALL come down from heaven, and SHALL consume thee and thy fifty. This is the literal meaning of the original; and by it we see that Elijah's words were only declarative, and not imprecatory.