1 Kings 13

A Prophet of Juda prophecyeth against the altar at Bethel, vers. 1, & c. The Prophecy is confirmed by miracles, 3. The Prophet being invited by jerobeam, to eat with him, refuseth, 7. An old Prophet seduceth him, so that he turneth back, 11. He is for it reproved of God by the old Prophet from God, 20. And slain by a Lion, 23. The old Prophet hearing of it, burieth him, 25. And ratifieth his Prophecy, 31. Jerobeams obstinacy, 33.

1. And behold a man of God [See of this appellation Judg, 13. 6.]came out of Juda, by the word of the LORD, [i.e. by the command of the Lord; so in the following verse. Or with the word of the Lord, that is, with a certain charge, which he was to deliver unto King Jerobeam] unto Bethel: and Jerobeam stood by the Altar, to burn incense. [Compare above chapter 12. v. 32, 33. And the annotat, thereon, item below verse 4.]

2. And he cryed against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, altar, altar, [He speaketh to the altar, because the King hearkened no to this, an the like exhortations. In the men while the whole outward idol-worship is threatened by the word altar, which is sometimes taken for the whole outward divine worship, as Isaiah 19:19. 1 Cor, 9. 13.] thus saith the LORD, behold, a son shall be born [viz. About three hundred thirty years after this time] unto the house o David, whose name shall be Josia, he shall offer upon thee, the Priests of the high places, whereby the alter should be polluted, and the Priests that offered thereon be punished. See the fulfilling hereof, 2 Kin. 23. 15, &c.] that burn incense upon thee.

3. And he gave a token [i.e. he declared that straightway a miracle should happen, for confirmation of that which he foretold so below vers. And so doth Moses also speak. Duet. 18 on ver. 1.] the same day, saying; This is that token of which the LORD spake: behold, the altar shall be rent asunder, [i.e. of this own accord, no man laying a hand thereon] and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.

4. Now it came to pass, when the King heard the Word of the man of God, which he had cried against the altar at Bethel, that Jeroboam stretched forth his hand from the altar,[i.e. Wherewith he was busie upon, and about the altar; in offering and burning incense] saying, Lay hold on him ;but his hand which he had stretched forth against him,[meaning the man of God, that had threatened the Altar] withered,(so) that he could not pull it (in) again to him.

5. And the altar was rent asunder, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to that token, which the man of God had given, by the Word of the LORD.

6. Then the King answered, [Answering signifieth here to begin a speech, or discourse. See Judg. 18. on v. 14.] and said unto the man of God; Call now earnestly upon the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me that my band may come to me again: Then the man of God be sought the face of the LORD earnestly, and the Kings had come to him again, and became as it was before.

7. And the king spake to the man of God; come hence with me, and strengthen thyself, [the Hebrew word rendered here strengthening, signifieth properly under propping , which here is as much as to bring new strength to the body by the use of meat and drink compare Genesis 18:5 Judges 13:5,8 and Psalms 104:15] and I will give thee a present.

8. But the man of God said unto the king if thou wouldst give me the half of thine house , I would not go with thee [the like phrase doth Bileam use Numbers 22:18 but not with an upright heart] neither would I eat bread, nor drink water in this place [that is use no meat nor drink so below verse 9.16,17&c. Compare 1samuel 30.11 2Kings 6.22,23.]

9. For so the LORD charged me by his word, [Heb. So he charged me by the word of the LORD. That is, so he, to wit, the LORD, charged me by his Word. See the like phrase, Genesis 1:27. & 5. 1. And the annotate.] saying, Thou shalt eat no bread, nor drink water. [Namely, at Bethel. Compare the last foregoing verse: for this prohibition, as it was personal, so was it likewise to be understood in regard of the place unto which he was sent, and doubtless also of the time of this sending forth] neither shalt thou return by the way that thou wentest.

10. And he went another way; and turned not again by the way, that he came to Bethel.

11. Now an old Prophet [Old in days, and perhaps in office also, but herein not always honest and faithful: for though he had the gift of Prophecy, and some fear of God before his eyes, and seemeth to have been a lover of the true Prophets, as may appear by that which is related hereafter, vers. 20, 21, 22, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32. Yet here he is found in a lie and falsehood, vers. 18. Whereby he deceived the true Prophet, and brought him to suffering, vers. 24.] dwelt at Bethel; and his son came, and told him all the work which the man of God had done that day in Bethel, with the words which he had spoken unto the King; these they [viz. The fore-mentioned son with his brethren, who confirmed his relation] told also to their Father.

12. And their Father spoke unto them: What way went he? And his sons had seen the way which the man of God went, that came from Juda. [i.e. They had observed or taken notice which way he was gone, when he departed from Bethel, and told their Father of it.]

13. Then said he unto his son; Saddle me the ass; and they saddled him the ass, and he rode thereon.

14. And he went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: [The Prophet seemeth to have rested himself here through weariness, mixed with hunger] and he said unto him; Art thou the man of God, that camest from Juda? And he said, I am.

15. Then said he unto him; Come home with me, and eat bread.

16. But he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread, nor drink water with thee in this place. [viz. Bethel; as above verse 8.]

17. For a word (came) to me by the word of the LORD; [i.e. A command and charge was given me by the Lord’s speaking to me] Thou shalt neither eat bread there, nor drink water: thou shalt not turn again, going by the way, that thou camest.

18. And he said unto him, I am a Prophet also, as thou (art), and an Angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying; Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread, and drink water: (but) he lied unto him. [This old Prophet sinneth three ways, 1. Because he setteth God against himself. 2. Because he suffereth not the Prophet of Judah to perform the command given him of God. 3. Because he alledgeth a false revelation, or communication.]

19. And he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drink water. [Here this Prophet sinneth likewise, forsaking the true word of God, of which he was sure, and embracing the false one, which he could not be sure of.]

20. And it came to pass as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came [viz. Inwardly by revelation unto his mind] unto the Prophet, [meaning the old Prophet, that dwelt at Bethel. And hence may be gathered, that God used this man also as a Prophet] that had made him [viz. The Prophet of Judah] go back. [viz. From the place where he had found him on the way, unto the city of Bethel.]

21. And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, [i.e. he spake unto him with a loud, clear, and most audible voice] saying; thus saith the LORD: because thou hast been refractory unto the mouth of the LORD [i.e. to the command of the LORD, expressed here before v. 9. And 17. And again repeated v. 22.] and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God had commanded thee:

22. But camest back, and hast eaten bread, and drunk water at the place, of which he had spoken unto thee, thou shalt eat no bread, nor drink water; thy carcass shall not come into the sepulchre of thy Fathers, [which was held to be a judgement: not as if the place of burial could any wise either benefit or prejudice the party deceased, but because those that cannot attain to the ordinary place of their burial, have commonly more trouble before they die, and less civil honour when they are buried, and some of them have done some public and noted evil in their lifetime. See below chapter 14. V. 13. Isaiah 14:19, 29. Jerem. 22. 19 and 26. 24.]

23. And it came to pass after he [viz. The man of God, that was come from Juda] had eaten bread, and after he had drunk; that he [viz. The old Prophet of Bethel] saddled for him the ass, [which he did, either by his sons, or by himself, to show by this officiousness (as some conceive) the sorrow and grief that he had for the evil that he had done to the Prophet of Judah, desiring to continue still a friend] (to wit) for the Prophet, whom he had made go back.

24. So he went away, and a lion found [i.e. met] him on the way, and slew him; and his carcase lay cast on the way, and the ass stood by it, [as being stayed there by the hand of God’s providence to carry the dead body to be buried] the lion also stood by the carcase. [not as a beast of prey, to devour it; but as a guard to keep it for burial.]

25. And behold there passed men by, and saw the carcase cast on the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the City, wherein the old Prophet dwelt.

26. When the Prophet, that had made him turn back from the way, heard (this), then he said: it is this man of God, that was refractory unto the mouth of the mouth of the LORD; [see above on v. 21.] therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the Lion, that broke him, and slew him, according to the word of the LORD, [which he had spoken [viz. By me. See above on v. 22.] unto him.

27. Moreover, he spake unto his sons saying; saddle me the ass; and they saddled (him).

28. Then he went his way, and found his carcase cast on the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcase: the lion had not eaten the carcase, nor broken the ass. [i.e. not torn him, nor done him any hurt, to devour him.]

29. Then the Prophet took up the carcase of the man of God, and laid that on the ass, and carried that back; so the old Prophet came into the city to mourn, [see of the manner and custom of mourning over the dead, Gen. 23. On v. 2.] and to bury him.

30. And he laid his carcase in his grave, [viz. In his own grave, which he had there in the land of Israel. And hereby the prediction of God was fulfilled, mentioned above v. 22. For the body of the dead Prophet did not come into the grave of his fathers, but into the grave of a stranger, namely, of the old Prophet of Bethel] and they, [viz. Not only the old Prophet, but also his household, yea (as some conceive) many of the city likewise] made a lamentation over him, as my brother. [the opinion of some is, that these were the first words of a funeral song, that was sung over him.]

31. Now it came to pass after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying; when i shall be dead, then bury me in that grave, wherein the man of God is buried, and lay my bones by his bones. [Some conceive that he expressly gave this in charge, that his bones after his death might not get among the bones mentioned above v. 2.]

32. For the thing shall certainly come to pass, [Heb. Coming to pass, come to pass, or being be] which he proclaimed by the word of the LORD against the altar that is at Bethel; and against all the houses of the high places were, see Lev. 26. On v. 30.] which are in the cities of Samaria. [Heb. Schomeron (otherwise called Samaria) lying in it, and from a mountain of the same name, upon which King Omri built that city. Others understand this of the mountain itself, that by reason of its largeness and greatness, might have had many little towns or cities upon it. Compare below chapter 16. The annotate. On v. 24.]

33. After this passage [viz. After the miracles which God had wrought on Jerobeams hand, which suddenly withered, and was restored sound and whole again: on the altar, which of its self, without the hand or help of man, split and rent in twain, on the Prophet of Juda, who according to God’s prediction came not into the sepulchre of his Fathers] Jerobeam turned not from his evil way; but made again Priests of the High places [see above chapter 12. On ver. 31, 32.] of the meanest of the people, [see above ch. 12. On ver. 31.] whosoever would, [others, whom he would, & c.] he filled his hand, [i.e. he made him a Priest: see Exodus 28:41. & Lev. 7. On ver. 37.] and (he) became one of the Priests of the high places.

34. And he [Namely Jerobeam. Oth. And this, etc.] became in this thing, sin [that is, by this action of his he was the cause, that his posterity fell into abomination and idolatry, and that God’s judgement came upon them, whereby they were utterly destroyed; as in the following Chapters is described] unto the house of Jerobeam. [i.e. unto his own house: see above chapter 2. On v. 19.] to cause (the same) to be cut off, and to be destroyed from the earth.