And it came to pass, when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the
man of God, who had cried against the altar in Bethel
He was highly provoked: so that he put forth his hand from the altar; on which he was burning incense:
saying, lay hold on him;
he put forth his hand, and either shook it at the prophet, threatening what he would do to him; or as beckoning to the people to seize him, and which he also expressed:
and his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he
could not pull it in again to him;
he could not move it one way nor another, but it remained in the same position, the nerves and muscles being shrunk; which was a further confirmation of the prophet's mission from God, being one of those concerning whom he says, "do my prophets no harm", and a fresh token of the certain performance of what he had said.