מלכים ב, פרק א׳, פסוק ה׳

A royal mission to seek guidance from foreign gods takes an unexpected turn when the messengers abruptly abandon their journey. Instead of continuing to their destination, they turn around and go straight back to the king [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This sudden change of plans occurs because they encounter a prophet on the road. Deeply affected by his words, they believe the message from God and choose to heed the prophet's warning rather than carry out their original assignment [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל].

The king is caught completely off guard by their sudden appearance and demands to know why they have come back so soon. Based on his own calculations, traveling to the city of Ekron and back requires significantly more time. It is impossible for the messengers to have completed their intended journey in such a brief period, making their unusually early return a cause for immediate confusion [ביאור שטיינזלץ].