2 Kings 1:10Elijah answered to the captain of fifty, "If I am 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.
The setting
Israel, ~850 BC. A hillside near Samaria. King Ahaziah sends soldiers to arrest the prophet Elijah...
The emotion here: righteous fury at ungodly authority
The original word
esh (אֵשׁ) — consuming fire, divine judgment made visible
Why it matters
A 'captain of fifty' was a military rank equivalent to a modern company commander
Read with care
What most readers miss in 2 Kings 1:10
Elijah says 'IF I am a man of God' — he's not boasting, he's letting God prove it
Common misconceptionPeople think Elijah was cruel, but he was enforcing divine justice. Ahaziah had rejected God and was trying to arrest His prophet.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 2 Kings 1:10
Bible Genome reading
2 Kings 1:10 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
2 Kings 1:10 comes from the book of 2 Kings, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Elijah. The dominant emotion in this verse is angry, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the dialogue genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine power, judgment, vindication. Notable phrases: If I am a man of God; let fire come down. This verse is a prayer.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same angry
“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'”
— Joel 3:10
“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!”
— Matthew 23:24
“Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husba…”
— Amos 4:1
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can't stand your solemn assemblies.”
— Amos 5:21
“Your eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
— Deuteronomy 19:21
Your reflection
What does 2 Kings 1:10 mean to you, today?
A short note. A question. A prayer. Saved privately to your Soul Garden, dated, and tied to this verse forever.
Speak your heart →Get 3 verses for "angry"
Delivered to your inbox right now. Free.