Then he said to them, “What kind of man was it who came up to meet you and told you these words?”
Parallel translations
- WEB He said to them, “What kind of man was he who came up to meet you, and told you these words?”
- KJV And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words?
- BSB The king asked them, “What sort of man came up to meet you and spoke these words to you?”
- NASB Then he said to them, “What did the man look like, who came up to meet you and spoke these words to you?”
- NLT “What sort of man was he?” the king demanded. “What did he look like?”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The king asks what kind of man delivered this message, seeking to identify the prophet. His question shows he suspects who confronted him.
Overview
Ahaziah's inquiry about the man's appearance reflects a recognition that this was no ordinary messenger. The detail moves the account toward the unmasking of Elijah, the persistent thorn in his father's house. It highlights that the royal family knew the prophet of Yahweh well, yet still resisted him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- Judg 8:18Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?” They answered, “They were like you. Each one resembled the children of a king.”
- 1 Sam 28:14He said to her, “What does he look like?” She said, “An old man comes up. He is covered with a robe.” Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and showed respect.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Amid the long decline toward exile, the promise to David's house refuses to die; the flickering lamp kept burning anticipates the coming King who will not fail or be cut off.
How 2 Kings 1:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.