1 Kings 13:1

Jeroboam Warned, Stricken

1 Now behold, there came ¹a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, while Jeroboam was standing by the altar ²to burn incense.

1 Kings 13:1 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 13:1

And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah
Whom Josephus ^F24 calls Jadon, perhaps the same with Iddo, who is by the Jewish writers ^F25 generally thought to be this man of God, and which may seem to be countenanced by ( 2 Chronicles 9:29 ) but cannot be, because this man was quickly slain, whereas Iddo lived after Rehoboam, and wrote his acts, first and last, nay, after Ahijah his son, ( 2 Chronicles 13:22 ) and for the same reason Shemaiah cannot be the man of God, ( 1 Kings 12:22 ) , though Tertullian ^F26 calls him Sameas, and designs Shemaiah: but, whoever he was, he came

by the word of the Lord to Bethel:
that is, by his command:

and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense;
at the time he came, ( 1 Kings 12:33 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 8. c. 8. sect. 3.)
F25 Seder Olam Rabba, c. 20. Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 11. 1. Jarch & Kimchi in loc.
F26 De Jejuniis, c. 16.

1 Kings 13:1 In-Context

1 Now behold, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD , while Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense.

2 He cried against the altar by the word of the LORD , and said, "O altar, altar, thus says the LORD , 'Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.' "

3 Then he gave a sign the same day, saying, "This is the sign which the LORD has spoken, 'Behold, the altar shall be split apart and the ashes which are on it shall be poured out.' "

4 Now when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, "Seize him." But his hand which he stretched out against him dried up, so that he could not draw it back to himself.

5 The altar also was split apart and the ashes were poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD .

Cross References

• 1. 1 Kings 12:22; 2 Kings 23:17
• 2. 1 Kings 12:33