John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 2. And Ahaziah fell down a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria , etc.] Which was either a window or lattice in the form of network, to let in light; or rather were the rails of a balcony or battlement on the roof of his palace, in this form, on which leaning, it broke down, and he fell into the garden or court yard; or walking on the roof of his house, and treading unawares on a sky light, which let in light into a room underneath, he fell through it into it: and was sick ; the fall perhaps threw him into a fever, and which seemed threatening, being violent: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, go inquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover of this disease ; not to heal him of it, but to know the issue of it; a vain curiosity this! Ekron was one of the principalities of the Philistines, and this idol was the god they worshipped, which signifies a master fly: which some think was a large metallic fly; made under a planet that rules over flies; and the Heathens had deities they called Myiodes, Myagros, and apomuiov , which signifies a driver away of flies; as Jupiter and Hercules were called by the Eleans and Romans, and worshipped and sacrificed to by them on that account f1 ; and so the Cyreneans, a people of Lybia, worshipped the god Achor, which seems to be a corruption of the word Ekron, because he freed them from flies, after they had been infested with a pestilence through them f2 ; and Ekron being a place near the sea, and both hot and moist, might be much infested with those creatures. Within the haven of Ptolemais, or Acco, was formerly a temple of Baalzebub, called in later times “the tower of flies”, and used as a Pharus f3 .
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 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 throug a lattice, or railing. Wherever we go, there is but a step between u and death. A man's house is his castle, but not to secure him agains 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 thi lattice. He is never safe that has God for his enemy. Those that wil not inquire of the word of God for their comfort, shall hear it to their terror, whether they will or no.
Original Hebrew ויפל5307 אחזיה274 בעד1157 השׂבכה7639 בעליתו5944 אשׁר834 בשׁמרון8111 ויחל2470 וישׁלח7971 מלאכים4397 ויאמר559 אלהם413 לכו1980 דרשׁו1875 בבעל זבוב1176 אלהי430 עקרון6138 אם518 אחיה2421 מחלי2483 זה׃2088
