Ahazya (Part 10)

As in many other biblical narratives where God's word stands the test of prevailing over its opponents, here too the root d-b-r appears as the key word in the story.  The key word appears in our narrative in groups, usually with one d-b-r paired against another:  The word of God as opposed to the word of the king, or the word of the king contrasting with the word of Eliyahu. The ultimate victory of the word of God comes in the wake of the victory of its bearer, the prophet, over his opponents.  Eliyahu announces God's word to Ahazya himself, and this word of God is soon fulfilled in reality, as the prophet had "spoken" it.