Worthy.Bible » STRONG » 1 Kings » Chapter 13 » Verse 1-10

1 Kings 13:1-10 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

1 And, behold, there came H935 a man H376 of God H430 out of Judah H3063 by the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 unto Bethel: H1008 and Jeroboam H3379 stood H5975 by the altar H4196 to burn incense. H6999

2 And he cried H7121 against the altar H4196 in the word H1697 of the LORD, H3068 and said, H559 O altar, H4196 altar, H4196 thus saith H559 the LORD; H3068 Behold, a child H1121 shall be born H3205 unto the house H1004 of David, H1732 Josiah H2977 by name; H8034 and upon thee shall he offer H2076 the priests H3548 of the high places H1116 that burn incense H6999 upon thee, and men's H120 bones H6106 shall be burnt H8313 upon thee.

3 And he gave H5414 a sign H4159 the same day, H3117 saying, H559 This is the sign H4159 which the LORD H3068 hath spoken; H1696 Behold, the altar H4196 shall be rent, H7167 and the ashes H1880 that are upon it shall be poured out. H8210

4 And it came to pass, when king H4428 Jeroboam H3379 heard H8085 the saying H1697 of the man H376 of God, H430 which had cried H7121 against the altar H4196 in Bethel, H1008 that he put forth H7971 his hand H3027 from the altar, H4196 saying, H559 Lay hold H8610 on him. And his hand, H3027 which he put forth H7971 against him, dried up, H3001 so that he could H3201 not pull it in again H7725 to him.

5 The altar H4196 also was rent, H7167 and the ashes H1880 poured out H8210 from the altar, H4196 according to the sign H4159 which the man H376 of God H430 had given H5414 by the word H1697 of the LORD. H3068

6 And the king H4428 answered H6030 and said H559 unto the man H376 of God, H430 Intreat H2470 now the face H6440 of the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 and pray H6419 for me, that my hand H3027 may be restored me again. H7725 And the man H376 of God H430 besought H2470 H6440 the LORD, H3068 and the king's H4428 hand H3027 was restored him again, H7725 and became as it was before. H7223

7 And the king H4428 said H1696 unto the man H376 of God, H430 Come H935 home H1004 with me, and refresh H5582 thyself, and I will give H5414 thee a reward. H4991

8 And the man H376 of God H430 said H559 unto the king, H4428 If thou wilt give H5414 me half H2677 thine house, H1004 I will not go in H935 with thee, neither will I eat H398 bread H3899 nor drink H8354 water H4325 in this place: H4725

9 For so was it charged H6680 me by the word H1697 of the LORD, H3068 saying, H559 Eat H398 no bread, H3899 nor drink H8354 water, H4325 nor turn again H7725 by the same way H1870 that thou camest. H1980

10 So he went H3212 another H312 way, H1870 and returned H7725 not by the way H1870 that he came H935 to Bethel. H1008

Commentary on 1 Kings 13 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


CHAPTER 13

1Ki 13:1-22. Jeroboam's Hand Withers.

1. there came a man of God out of Judah—Who this prophet was cannot be ascertained, He came by divine authority. It could not be either Iddo or Ahijah, for both were alive after the events here related.

Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense—It was at one of the annual festivals. The king, to give interest to the new ritual, was himself the officiating priest. The altar and its accompaniments would, of course, exhibit all the splendor of a new and gorgeously decorated temple. But the prophet foretold its utter destruction [1Ki 13:3].

2-9. he cried against the altar—which is put for the whole system of worship organized in Israel.

Behold, a child shall be born … Josiah by name—This is one of the most remarkable prophecies recorded in the Scriptures; and, in its clearness, circumstantial minuteness, and exact prediction of an event that took place three hundred sixty years later, it stands in striking contrast to the obscure and ambiguous oracles of the heathen. Being publicly uttered, it must have been well known to the people; and every Jew who lived at the accomplishment of the event must have been convinced of the truth of a religion connected with such a prophecy as this. A present sign was given of the remote event predicted, in a visible fissure being miraculously made on the altar. Incensed at the man's license of speech, Jeroboam stretched out his hand and ordered his attendants to seize the bold intruder. That moment the king's arm became stiff and motionless, and the altar split asunder, so that the fire and ashes fell on the floor. Overawed by the effects of his impiety, Jeroboam besought the prophet's prayer. His request was acceded to, and the hand was restored to its healthy state. Jeroboam was artful, and invited the prophet to the royal table, not to do him honor or show his gratitude for the restoration of his hand, but to win, by his courtesy and liberal hospitality, a person whom he could not crush by his power. But the prophet informed him of a divine injunction expressly prohibiting him from all social intercourse with any in the place, as well as from returning the same way. The prohibition not to eat or drink in Beth-el was because all the people had become apostates from the true religion, and the reason he was not allowed to return the same way was lest he should be recognized by any whom he had seen in going.

11. Now there dwelt an old prophet in Beth-el—If this were a true prophet, he was a bad man.

18. an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord—This circuitous mode of speaking, instead of simply saying, "the Lord spake to me," was adopted to hide an equivocation, to conceal a double meaning—an inferior sense given to the word "angel"—to offer a seemingly superior authority to persuade the prophet, while really the authority was secretly known to the speaker to be inferior. The "angel," that is, "messenger," was his own sons, who were worshippers, perhaps priests, at Beth-el. As this man was governed by self-interest, and wished to curry favor with the king (whose purpose to adhere to his religious polity, he feared, might be shaken by the portents that had occurred), his hastening after the prophet of Judah, the deception he practised, and the urgent invitation by which, on the ground of a falsehood, he prevailed on the too facile man of God to accompany him back to his house in Beth-el, were to create an impression in the king's mind that he was an impostor, who acted in opposition to his own statement.

21. he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah—rather, "it cried," that is, the word of the Lord.

1Ki 13:23-32. The Disobedient Prophet Slain by a Lion.

24. a lion met him by the way, and slew him—There was a wood near Beth-el infested with lions (2Ki 2:24). This sad catastrophe was a severe but necessary judgment of God, to attest the truth of the message with which the prophet had been charged. All the circumstances of this tragic occurrence (the undevoured carcass, the untouched ass, the passengers unmolested by the lion, though standing there) were calculated to produce an irresistible impression that the hand of God was in it.

31. bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried—His motive in making this request was either that his remains might not be disturbed when the predicted events took place (see 2Ki 23:18), or he had some superstitious hope of being benefited at the resurrection by being in the same cave with a man of God.