1 Kings 13:4-14

4 And it came to pass, when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God who had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, "Lay hold on him!" And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in back to him.

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

6 And the king answered and said unto the man of God, "Entreat now the face of the LORD thy God and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me again." And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king's hand was restored to him again, and became as it was before.

7 And the king said unto the man of God, "Come home with me and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward."

8 And the man of God said unto the king, "If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place.

9 For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, `Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.'"

10 So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel.

11 Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel, and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.

12 And their father said unto them, "What way went he?" For his sons had seen which way the man of God went who came from Judah.

13 And he said unto his sons, "Saddle me the ass." So they saddled him the ass; and he rode thereon,

14 and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak. And he said unto him, "Art thou the man of God who camest from Judah?" And he said, "I am."

1 Kings 13:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 13

In this chapter is an account of a man of God being sent to exclaim against Jeroboam's altar, and threaten its destruction, of which he gave a sign, which was accomplished, and with it the withering of the king's hand, which was healed upon the prophet's prayer for him, 1Ki 13:1-7, who would have entertained him at his house, but he refused the offer, and departed, 1Ki 13:8-10, but an old prophet in Bethel hearing of him, rode after him, and fetched him back to eat bread with him, through a lie he told him, 1Ki 13:11-19 upon which the word came to the old prophet, threatening the man of God with death for disobeying his command, and which was accordingly executed by a lion that met him in the way, and slew him, 1Ki 13:20-24, of which the old prophet being informed, went and took up his carcass, and buried it in his own sepulchre, where he charged his sons to bury him also when dead, believing that all the man of God had said would be fulfilled, 1Ki 13:25-30 and the chapter is closed with observing the continuance of Jeroboam in his idolatry, 1Ki 13:33,34.