2 Reyes 1:5

AHAZIAH LEARNED ELIJAH'S IDENTITY FROM THE MESSENGERS

"And the messengers returned unto him, and he said unto them, Why is it that ye are returned? And they said unto him, There came up a man to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again to the king that sent you, and say unto him, Is it because there is no God in Israel, that thou sendest to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from the bed whither thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And he said unto them, What manner of man was he that came up to meet you, and told you these words? And they answered him, He was a hairy man, and was girt with a girdle of leather around his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite."

There can be little doubt that Ahaziah's seeking Elijah's identity was for one purpose only - that of putting the prophet to death.

"He was a hairy man" (2 Kings 1:8). The RSV is doubtless correct in its rendition of this clause as, He wore a garment of hair-cloth. This was the traditional clothing of God's prophets, for Zechariah wrote of false prophets, "Who put on a hairy mantle to deceive" (Zechariah 13:4). "Also John the Baptist's garb of camel's hair and a leather girdle (Matthew 3:4) in imitation of his forerunner is sufficient commentary on this phrase."[9] It was not intended to be a comfortable garment, because, "It was one of professional austerity."[10]