מלכים ב, פרק א׳, פסוק ט״ז

Elijah the prophet stands face-to-face with the king, delivering a severe divine judgment in response to the monarch's decision to seek out a foreign god. The message repeats an earlier prophecy, but with a slight, intentional shift in the order of the statements. When addressing the king, Elijah begins with the direct accusation of sending messengers to consult the idol Baal-zebub, and only afterward delivers the rebuke about acting as if there is no God in Israel.

This specific sequence is meant to emphasize that the act of sending the messengers is the direct cause of the king's punishment. By stating the action first, Elijah prevents the king from making excuses, such as claiming he did not know where to find a prophet of God or whether that prophet would agree to seek guidance on his behalf. In contrast, when Elijah previously spoke to the messengers themselves, he began by questioning their lack of faith. This was done to make it clear to them that there is no reason to seek out Baal-zebub when the word of God is readily available [מלבי״ם].

As a result of this betrayal, the king's fate is sealed. The divine decree makes it clear that he will never recover from his illness or leave his sickbed, but will instead meet his death right where he lies [ביאור שטיינזלץ].