1 Kings 13:9-19

9 For thus I was commanded by the word of the Lord: You shall not eat food, or drink water, or return by the way that you came."

10 So he went another way, and did not return by the way that he had come to Bethel.

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

12 Their father said to them, "Which way did he go?" And his sons showed him the way that the man of God who came from Judah had gone.

13 Then he said to his sons, "Saddle a donkey for me." So they saddled a donkey for him, and he mounted it.

14 He went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak tree. He said to him, "Are you the man of God who came from Judah?" He answered, "I am."

15 Then he said to him, "Come home with me and eat some food."

16 But he said, "I cannot return with you, or go in with you; nor will I eat food or drink water with you in this place;

17 for it was said to me by the word of the Lord: You shall not eat food or drink water there, or return by the way that you came."

18 Then the other said to him, "I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord: Bring him back with you into your house so that he may eat food and drink water." But he was deceiving him.

19 Then the man of God went back with him, and ate food and drank water in his house.

1 Kings 13:9-19 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Heb [he]
• [b]. Heb [he]