2 Kings 1:7

And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words?

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(7) He said.—Spake. (See Note on 2Kings 1:3.)

What manner of man?—See margin. The word mishpat here denotes the external characteristics and visible peculiarities by which a man is distinguished (shāphat) from his fellows. (Comp. our expressions “sort,” “fashion,” “style,” and the Vulgate, “Cujus figuræ et habitus est vir ille?” LXX., ἡ κρίσις. Syriac, “appearance,” “look.” Targum, νόμος.)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

1:1-8 When Ahaziah rebelled against the Lord, Moab revolted from him. Sin weakens and impoverishes us. Man's revolt from God is often punished by the rebellion of those who owe subjection to him. Ahaziah fell through a lattice, or railing. Wherever we go, there is but a step between us and death. A man's house is his castle, but not to secure him against God's judgments. The whole creation, which groans under the burden of man's sin, will, at length, sink and break under the weight like this lattice. He is never safe that has God for his enemy. Those that will not inquire of the word of God for their comfort, shall hear it to their terror, whether they will or no.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Therefore ... - As a punishment for this insult to Yahweh.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

5. the messengers turned back—They did not know the stranger; but his authoritative tone, commanding attitude, and affecting message determined them at once to return.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

No text from Poole on this verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And he said unto them, what manner of man was he,.... What appearance or figure did he make? what his habit or clothing?

which came up to meet you, and told you these words? they had related to him.

Geneva Study Bible

And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words?

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

7. What manner of man was he?] The Hebrew noun which is usually rendered ‘judgement’ is applied sometimes to external appearances of things. Thus Exodus 26:30, ‘Thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee’. From the answer of the messengers it is clear that the dress and external peculiarities are what is here meant. From them Ahaziah was able to judge who the man must be.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 7. - What manner of man was he? literally, what was the manner of the man? What was his appearance? Were there any marks about him by which he might be recognized and known? Ahaziah may have already suspected that the man who had denounced woe on him would be the same who had denounced woe on his father (see 1 Kings 21:20-22). 2 Kings 1:7

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The messengers did not recognise Elijah, but yet they turned back and reported the occurrence to the king, who knew at once, from the description they gave of the habitus of the man in reply to his question, that it was Elijah the Tishbite. האישׁ משׁפּט מה: "what was the manner of the man?" משׁפּט is used here to denote the peculiarity of a person, that which in a certain sense constitutes the vital law and right of the individual personality; figura et habitus (Vulg.). The servants described the prophet according to his outward appearance, which in a man of character is a reflection of his inner man, as שׂער בּעל אישׁ, vir pilosus, hirsutus. This does not mean a man with a luxuriant growth of hair, but refers to the hairy dress, i.e., the garment made of sheep-skin or goat-skin or coarse camel-hair, which was wrapped round his body; the אדּרת (2 Kings 2:8; 1 Kings 19:13), or שׂער אדּרת (Zechariah 13:4, cf. Matthew 3:4; Hebrews 11:37), which was worn by the prophets, not as mere ascetics, but as preachers of repentance, the rough garment denoting the severity of the divine judgments upon the effeminate nation, which revelled in luxuriance and worldly lust. And this was also in keeping with "the leather girdle," עור אזור, ζώνη δερματίνη (Matthew 3:4), whereas the ordinary girdle was of cotton or linen, and often very costly.