1 Kings 13:5-15

5 The altar also broke into pieces, and its ashes fell to the ground. This was the sign the Lord had told the man of God to give.

6 Then the king said to the man of God, "Please pray to the Lord your God for me, and ask him to heal my arm." So the man of God prayed to the Lord, and the king's arm was healed, becoming as it was before.

7 Then the king said to the man of God, "Please come home and eat with me, and I will give you a gift."

8 But the man of God answered the king, "Even if you gave me half of your kingdom, I would not go with you. I will not eat or drink anything in this place.

9 The Lord commanded me not to eat or drink anything nor to return on the same road by which I came."

10 So he took a different road and did not return on the same road by which he had come to Bethel.

11 Now an old prophet was living in Bethel. His sons came and told him what the man of God had done there that day. They also told their father what he had said to King Jeroboam.

12 The father asked, "Which road did he use when he left?" So his sons showed him the road the man of God from Judah had taken.

13 Then the prophet told his sons to put a saddle on his donkey. So they saddled the donkey, and he left.

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

15 The prophet said, "Please come home and eat with me."

1 Kings 13:5-15 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.