Then the king sent. — Heb., And he sent. With hostile intentions, as is proved by his sending soldiers, and by the words of the angel in 2 Kings 1:15. (Comp. 1 Kings 18:8; 1 Kings 22:26, seq.)
He sat. — Was sitting. The LXX. has “Elias was sitting,” which is probably original.
A captain of fifty. — The army of Israel was organised by thousands, hundreds, and fifties, each of which had its “captain” (sar). (Comp. Numbers 31:14; Numbers 31:48; 1 Samuel 8:12.)
On the top of an hill. — Rather, the hill, i.e., above Samaria. Others think, Carmel, from 1 Kings 18:42; 2 Kings 2:25.
He spake. — LXX., “the captain of fifty spake.”
Thou man of God. — Heb., man of the god, i.e., the true God. (So in 2 Kings 1:11; 2 Kings 1:13, infra.)
The king. — In the Hebrew emphatic, as if to say, the king’s power is irresistible, even by a man of God. The true God was thus insulted in the person of His prophet.
Come down. — Or, Pray come down — in a tone of ironical politeness (rçdâh‚ precative).