1 And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
2 And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.
3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.
4 And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.
5 The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.
6 And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Entreat now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.
7 And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.
8 And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place:
9 For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.
10 So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel.
11 Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.
12 And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.
13 And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon,
14 And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.
15 Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.
16 And 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:
17 For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.
18 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.
19 So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.
20 And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back:
21 And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee,
22 But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcass shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.
23 And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back.
24 And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcass was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcass.
25 And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcass cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcass: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.
26 And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him.
27 And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him.
28 And he went and found his carcass cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcass: the lion had not eaten the carcass, nor torn the ass.
29 And the prophet took up the carcass of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back: and the old prophet came to the city, to mourn and to bury him.
30 And he laid his carcass in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother!
31 And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones:
32 For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.
33 After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places.
34 And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.
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
11 Now there dwelt H3427 an H259 old H2205 prophet H5030 in Bethel; H1008 and his sons H1121 came H935 and told H5608 him all the works H4639 that the man H376 of God H430 had done H6213 that day H3117 in Bethel: H1008 the words H1697 which he had spoken H1696 unto the king, H4428 them they told H5608 also to their father. H1
12 And their father H1 said H1696 unto them, What way H1870 went H1980 he? For his sons H1121 had seen H7200 what H335 way H1870 the man H376 of God H430 went, H1980 which came H935 from Judah. H3063
13 And he said H559 unto his sons, H1121 Saddle H2280 me the ass. H2543 So they saddled H2280 him the ass: H2543 and he rode H7392 thereon,
14 And went H3212 after H310 the man H376 of God, H430 and found H4672 him sitting H3427 under an oak: H424 and he said H559 unto him, Art thou the man H376 of God H430 that camest H935 from Judah? H3063 And he said, H559 I am.
15 Then he said H559 unto him, Come H3212 home H1004 with me, and eat H398 bread. H3899
16 And he said, H559 I may H3201 not return H7725 with thee, nor go in H935 with thee: neither will I eat H398 bread H3899 nor drink H8354 water H4325 with thee in this place: H4725
17 For it was said H1697 to me by the word H1697 of the LORD, H3068 Thou shalt eat H398 no bread H3899 nor drink H8354 water H4325 there, nor turn again H7725 to go H3212 by the way H1870 that thou camest. H1980
18 He said H559 unto him, I am a prophet H5030 also as thou art; and an angel H4397 spake H1696 unto me by the word H1697 of the LORD, H3068 saying, H559 Bring him back H7725 with thee into thine house, H1004 that he may eat H398 bread H3899 and drink H8354 water. H4325 But he lied H3584 unto him.
19 So he went back H7725 with him, and did eat H398 bread H3899 in his house, H1004 and drank H8354 water. H4325
20 And it came to pass, as they sat H3427 at the table, H7979 that the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came unto the prophet H5030 that brought him back: H7725
21 And he cried H7121 unto the man H376 of God H430 that came H935 from Judah, H3063 saying, H559 Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Forasmuch as H3282 thou hast disobeyed H4784 the mouth H6310 of the LORD, H3068 and hast not kept H8104 the commandment H4687 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 commanded H6680 thee,
22 But camest back, H7725 and hast eaten H398 bread H3899 and drunk H8354 water H4325 in the place, H4725 of the which the LORD did say H1696 to thee, Eat H398 no bread, H3899 and drink H8354 no water; H4325 thy carcase H5038 shall not come H935 unto the sepulchre H6913 of thy fathers. H1
23 And it came to pass, after H310 he had eaten H398 bread, H3899 and after H310 he had drunk, H8354 that he saddled H2280 for him the ass, H2543 to wit, for the prophet H5030 whom he had brought back. H7725
24 And when he was gone, H3212 a lion H738 met H4672 him by the way, H1870 and slew H4191 him: and his carcase H5038 was cast H7993 in the way, H1870 and the ass H2543 stood H5975 by H681 it, the lion H738 also stood H5975 by the carcase. H5038
25 And, behold, men H582 passed by, H5674 and saw H7200 the carcase H5038 cast H7993 in the way, H1870 and the lion H738 standing H5975 by H681 the carcase: H5038 and they came H935 and told H1696 it in the city H5892 where the old H2205 prophet H5030 dwelt. H3427
26 And when the prophet H5030 that brought him back H7725 from the way H1870 heard H8085 thereof, he said, H559 It is the man H376 of God, H430 who was disobedient H4784 unto the word H6310 of the LORD: H3068 therefore the LORD H3068 hath delivered H5414 him unto the lion, H738 which hath torn H7665 him, and slain H4191 him, according to the word H1697 of the LORD, H3068 which he spake H1696 unto him.
27 And he spake H1696 to his sons, H1121 saying, H559 Saddle H2280 me the ass. H2543 And they saddled H2280 him.
28 And he went H3212 and found H4672 his carcase H5038 cast H7993 in the way, H1870 and the ass H2543 and the lion H738 standing H5975 by H681 the carcase: H5038 the lion H738 had not eaten H398 the carcase, H5038 nor torn H7665 the ass. H2543
29 And the prophet H5030 took up H5375 the carcase H5038 of the man H376 of God, H430 and laid H3240 it upon the ass, H2543 and brought it back: H7725 and the old H2205 prophet H5030 came H935 to the city, H5892 to mourn H5594 and to bury H6912 him.
30 And he laid H3240 his carcase H5038 in his own grave; H6913 and they mourned H5594 over him, saying, Alas, H1945 my brother! H251
31 And it came to pass, after H310 he had buried H6912 him, that he spake H559 to his sons, H1121 saying, H559 When I am dead, H4191 then bury H6912 me in the sepulchre H6913 wherein the man H376 of God H430 is buried; H6912 lay H3240 my bones H6106 beside H681 his bones: H6106
32 For the saying H1697 which he cried H7121 by the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 against the altar H4196 in Bethel, H1008 and against all the houses H1004 of the high places H1116 which are in the cities H5892 of Samaria, H8111 shall surely come to pass.
33 After H310 this thing H1697 Jeroboam H3379 returned H7725 not from his evil H7451 way, H1870 but made H6213 again H7725 of the lowest H7098 of the people H5971 priests H3548 of the high places: H1116 whosoever would, H2655 he consecrated H4390 H3027 him, and he became one of the priests H3548 of the high places. H1116
34 And this thing H1697 became sin H2403 unto the house H1004 of Jeroboam, H3379 even to cut it off, H3582 and to destroy H8045 it from off the face H6440 of the earth. H127
1 And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of Jehovah unto Beth-el: and Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense.
2 And he cried against the altar by the word of Jehovah, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith Jehovah: Behold, a son shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he sacrifice the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall they burn upon thee.
3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which Jehovah hath spoken: Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.
4 And it came to pass, when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Beth-el, that Jeroboam put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back again to him.
5 The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of Jehovah.
6 And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Entreat now the favor of Jehovah thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God entreated Jehovah, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.
7 And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.
8 And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thy house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place;
9 for so was it charged me by the word of Jehovah, saying, Thou shalt eat no bread, nor drink water, neither return by the way that thou camest.
10 So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Beth-el.
11 Now there dwelt an old prophet in Beth-el; and one of his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Beth-el: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them also they told unto their father.
12 And their father said unto them, What way went he? Now his sons had seen what way the man of God went, that came from Judah.
13 And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So 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; and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.
15 Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.
16 And 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:
17 for it was said to me by the word of Jehovah, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.
18 And he said unto him, I also am a prophet as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of Jehovah, saying, Bring him back with thee into thy house, that he may eat bread and drink water. `But' he lied unto him.
19 So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.
20 And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of Jehovah came unto the prophet that brought him back;
21 and he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith Jehovah, Forasmuch as thou hast been disobedient unto the mouth of Jehovah, and hast not kept the commandment which Jehovah thy God commanded thee,
22 but camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which he said to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy body shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.
23 And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, `to wit', for the prophet whom he had brought back.
24 And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his body was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it; the lion also stood by the body.
25 And, behold, men passed by, and saw the body cast in the way, and the lion standing by the body; and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.
26 And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the mouth of Jehovah: therefore Jehovah hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of Jehovah, which he spake unto him.
27 And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled it.
28 And he went and found his body cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the body: the lion had not eaten the body, nor torn the ass.
29 And the prophet took up the body of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back; and he came to the city of the old prophet, to mourn, and to bury him.
30 And he laid his body in his own grave; and they mourned over him, `saying', Alas, my brother!
31 And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones.
32 For the saying which he cried by the word of Jehovah against the altar in Beth-el, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.
33 After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again from among all the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, that there might be priests of the high places.
34 And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.
1 And lo, a man of God hath come from Judah, by the word of Jehovah, unto Beth-El, and Jeroboam is standing by the altar -- to make perfume;
2 and he calleth against the altar, by the word of Jehovah, and saith, `Altar! altar! thus said Jehovah, Lo, a son is born to the house of David -- Josiah his name -- and he hath sacrificed on thee the priests of the high places who are making perfume on thee, and bones of man are burnt on thee.'
3 And he hath given on that day a sign, saying, `This `is' the sign that Jehovah hath spoken, Lo, the altar is rent, and the ashes poured forth that `are' on it.'
4 And it cometh to pass, at the king's hearing the word of the man of God that he calleth against the altar in Beth-El, that Jeroboam putteth forth his hand from off the altar, saying, `Catch him;' and his hand is dried up that he hath put forth against him, and he is not able to bring it back unto him,
5 and the altar is rent, and the ashes poured forth from the altar, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of Jehovah.
6 And the king answereth and saith unto the man of God, `Appease, I pray thee, the face of Jehovah thy God, and pray for me, and my hand doth come back unto me;' and the man of God appeaseth the face of Jehovah, and the hand of the king cometh back unto him, and it is as at the beginning.
7 And the king speaketh unto the man of God, `Come in with me to the house, and refresh thyself, and I give to thee a gift.'
8 And the man of God saith unto the king, `If thou dost give to me the half of thine house, I do not go in with thee, nor do I eat bread, nor do I drink water, in this place;
9 for so He commanded me by the word of Jehovah, saying, Thou dost not eat bread nor drink water, nor turn back in the way that thou hast come.'
10 And he goeth on in another way, and hath not turned back in the way in which he came in unto Beth-El.
11 And a certain aged prophet is dwelling in Beth-El, and his son cometh and recounteth to him all the deed that the man of God hath done to-day in Beth-El, the words that he hath spoken unto the king, -- yea, they recount them to their father.
12 And their father saith unto them, `Where `is' this -- the way he hath gone?' and his sons see the way that the man of God hath gone who came from Judah.
13 And he saith unto his sons, `Saddle for me the ass,' and they saddle for him the ass, and he rideth on it,
14 and goeth after the man of God, and findeth him sitting under the oak, and saith unto him, `Art thou the man of God who hast come from Judah?' and he saith, `I `am'.'
15 And he saith unto him, `Come with me to the house, and eat bread.'
16 And he saith, `I am not able to turn back with thee, and to go in with thee, nor do I eat bread or drink with thee water in this place,
17 for a word `is' unto me by the word of Jehovah, Thou dost not eat bread nor drink there water, thou dost not turn back to go in the way in which thou camest.'
18 And he saith to him, `I also `am' a prophet like thee, and a messenger spake unto me by the word of Jehovah, saying, Bring him back with thee unto thy house, and he doth eat bread and drink water;' -- he hath lied to him.
19 And he turneth back with him, and eateth bread in his house, and drinketh water.
20 And it cometh to pass -- they are sitting at the table -- and a word of Jehovah is unto the prophet who brought him back,
21 and he calleth unto the man of God who came from Judah, saying, `Thus said Jehovah, Because that thou hast provoked the mouth of Jehovah, and hast not kept the command that Jehovah thy God charged thee,
22 and turnest back and dost eat bread and drink water in the place of which He said unto thee, Thou dost not eat bread nor drink water -- thy carcase cometh not in unto the burying-place of thy fathers.'
23 And it cometh to pass, after his eating bread, and after his drinking, that he saddleth for him the ass, for the prophet whom he had brought back,
24 and he goeth, and a lion findeth him in the way, and putteth him to death, and his carcase is cast in the way, and the ass is standing near it, and the lion is standing near the carcase.
25 And lo, men are passing by, and see the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing near the carcase, and they come and speak `of it' in the city in which the old prophet is dwelling.
26 And the prophet who brought him back out of the way heareth and saith, `It `is' the man of God who provoked the mouth of Jehovah, and Jehovah giveth him to the lion, and it destroyeth him, and putteth him to death, according to the word of Jehovah that he spake to him.'
27 And he speaketh unto his sons saying, `Saddle for me the ass,' and they saddle `it'.
28 And he goeth and findeth his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion are standing near the carcase -- the lion hath not eaten the carcase nor destroyed the ass.
29 And the prophet taketh up the carcase of the man of God, and placeth it on the ass, and bringeth it back, and the old prophet cometh in unto the city to mourn and to bury him,
30 and he placeth his carcase in his own grave, and they mourn for him, `Oh, my brother!'
31 And it cometh to pass, after his burying him, that he speaketh unto his sons, saying, `At my death -- ye have buried me in the burying-place in which the man of God is buried; near his bones place my bones;
32 for the word certainly cometh to pass that he called by the word of Jehovah concerning the altar which `is' Beth-El, and concerning all the houses of the high places that `are' in cities of Samaria.'
33 After this thing Jeroboam hath not turned from his evil way, and turneth back, and maketh of the extremities of the people priests of high places; he who is desirous he consecrateth his hand, and he is of the priests of the high places.
34 And in this thing is the sin of the house of Jeroboam, even to cut `it' off, and to destroy `it' from off the face of the ground.
1 And behold, there came a man of God from Judah, by the word of Jehovah, to Bethel; and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
2 And he cried against the altar by the word of Jehovah, and said, O altar, altar! thus saith Jehovah: Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he sacrifice the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burned upon thee.
3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign that Jehovah hath spoken: Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.
4 And it came to pass when the king heard the word of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Bethel, that Jeroboam stretched forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand which he stretched out against him dried up, so that he could not bring it back again to him.
5 And the altar was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of Jehovah.
6 And the king answered and said to the man of God, Intreat now Jehovah thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me again. And the man of God intreated Jehovah, and the king's hand was restored to him again, and became as before.
7 And the king said to the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a present.
8 And the man of God said to the king, If thou wilt give me half thy house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place;
9 for so was it charged me by the word of Jehovah, saying, Thou shalt eat no bread, nor drink water, nor return by the way that thou shalt go.
10 So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he had come to Bethel.
11 Now there dwelt a certain old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; the words that he had spoken to the king, them they told also to their father.
12 And their father said to them, Which way went he? for his sons had seen which way the man of God went, who came from Judah.
13 And he said to his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass; and he rode thereon,
14 and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under a terebinth; and he said to him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.
15 And he said to him, Come home with me, and eat bread.
16 And he said, I cannot return with thee, nor go in with thee; neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place.
17 For it was said to me by the word of Jehovah, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou wentest.
18 And he said to him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spoke to me by the word of Jehovah saying, Bring him back with thee into thy house, that he may eat bread and drink water. He lied unto him.
19 Then he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water.
20 And it came to pass as they sat at the table, that the word of Jehovah came to the prophet that brought him back;
21 and he cried to the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith Jehovah: Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the word of Jehovah, and hast not kept the commandment that Jehovah thy God commanded thee,
22 but camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which he said to thee, Eat no bread and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come to the sepulchre of thy fathers.
23 And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled the ass for him, for the prophet that he had brought back;
24 and he departed. And a lion met him by the way and slew him; and his corpse was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it; the lion also stood by the corpse.
25 And behold, men passed by, and saw the corpse cast in the way and the lion standing by the corpse; and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.
26 And the prophet that brought him back from the way heard [of it] and said, It is the man of God who was disobedient to the word of Jehovah; therefore Jehovah has delivered him to the lion, which has torn him and slain him, according to the word of Jehovah which he spoke to him.
27 And he spoke to his sons saying, Saddle me the ass; and they saddled it.
28 And he went and found his corpse cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the corpse: the lion had not eaten the corpse, nor torn the ass.
29 And the prophet took up the corpse of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back; and the old prophet came into the city, to mourn and to bury him.
30 And he laid his corpse in his own sepulchre; and they mourned over him [saying], Alas, my brother!
31 And it came to pass after he had buried him, that he spoke to his sons saying, When I am dead, bury me in the sepulchre in which the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones.
32 For the word that he cried by the word of Jehovah against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places that are in the cities of Samaria, shall certainly come to pass.
33 After this thing Jeroboam turned not from his evil way, but made again from all classes of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became [one] of the priests of the high places.
34 And by this thing there was sin on the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.
1 Behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of Yahweh to Beth El: and Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense.
2 He cried against the altar by the word of Yahweh, and said, altar, altar, thus says Yahweh: Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on you shall he sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men's bones shall they burn on you.
3 He gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which Yahweh has spoken: Behold, the altar shall be torn, and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.
4 It happened, when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Bethel, that Jeroboam put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. His hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back again to him.
5 The altar also was torn, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of Yahweh.
6 The king answered the man of God, Entreat now the favor of Yahweh your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. The man of God entreated Yahweh, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.
7 The king said to the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.
8 The man of God said to the king, If you will give me half your house, I will not go in with you, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place;
9 for so was it charged me by the word of Yahweh, saying, You shall eat no bread, nor drink water, neither return by the way that you came.
10 So he went another way, and didn't return by the way that he came to Bethel.
11 Now there lived an old prophet in Bethel; and one of his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken to the king, them also they told to their father.
12 Their father said to them, Which way did he go? Now his sons had seen which way the man of God went, who came from Judah.
13 He said to his sons, Saddle me the donkey. So they saddled him the donkey; and he rode thereon.
14 He went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak; and he said to him, Are you the man of God who came from Judah? He said, I am.
15 Then he said to him, Come home with me, and eat bread.
16 He said, I may not return with you, nor go in with you; neither will I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place:
17 for it was said to me by the word of Yahweh, You shall eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that you came.
18 He said to him, I also am a prophet as you are; and an angel spoke to me by the word of Yahweh, saying, Bring him back with you into your house, that he may eat bread and drink water. [But] he lied to him.
19 So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water.
20 It happened, as they sat at the table, that the word of Yahweh came to the prophet who brought him back;
21 and he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, Thus says Yahweh, Because you have been disobedient to the mouth of Yahweh, and have not kept the commandment which Yahweh your God commanded you,
22 but came back, and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which he said to you, Eat no bread, and drink no water; your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.
23 It happened, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the donkey, [to wit], for the prophet whom he had brought back.
24 When he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and killed him: and his body was cast in the way, and the donkey stood by it; the lion also stood by the body.
25 Behold, men passed by, and saw the body cast in the way, and the lion standing by the body; and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet lived.
26 When the prophet who brought him back from the way heard of it, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient to the mouth of Yahweh: therefore Yahweh has delivered him to the lion, which has torn him, and slain him, according to the word of Yahweh, which he spoke to him.
27 He spoke to his sons, saying, Saddle me the donkey. They saddled it.
28 He went and found his body cast in the way, and the donkey and the lion standing by the body: the lion had not eaten the body, nor torn the donkey.
29 The prophet took up the body of the man of God, and laid it on the donkey, and brought it back; and he came to the city of the old prophet, to mourn, and to bury him.
30 He laid his body in his own grave; and they mourned over him, [saying], Alas, my brother!
31 It happened, after he had buried him, that he spoke to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the tomb in which the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones.
32 For the saying which he cried by the word of Yahweh against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely happen.
33 After this thing Jeroboam didn't return from his evil way, but made again from among all the people priests of the high places: whoever would, he consecrated him, that there might be priests of the high places.
34 This thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the surface of the earth.
1 Then a man of God came from Judah by the order of the Lord to Beth-el, where Jeroboam was by the altar, burning offerings.
2 And by the order of the Lord he made an outcry against the altar, saying, O altar, altar, the Lord has said, From the seed of David will come a child, named Josiah, and on you he will put to death the priests of the high places, who are burning offerings on you, and men's bones will be burned on you.
3 The same day he gave them a sign, saying, This is the sign which the Lord has given: See, the altar will be broken and the burned waste on it overturned.
4 Then the king, hearing the man of God crying out against the altar at Beth-el, put out his hand from the altar, saying, Take him prisoner. And his hand, stretched out against him, became dead, and he had no power of pulling it back.
5 And the altar was broken and the burned waste on it overturned; this was the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.
6 Then the king made answer and said to the man of God, Make a prayer now for the grace of the Lord your God, and for me, that my hand may be made well. And in answer to the prayer of the man of God, the king's hand was made well again, as it was before.
7 And the king said to the man of God, Come with me to my house for food and rest, and I will give you a reward.
8 But the man of God said to the king, Even if you gave me half of all you have, I would not go in with you, and I would not take food or a drink of water in this place;
9 For so I was ordered by the word of the Lord, who said, You are not to take food or a drink of water, and you are not to go back the way you came.
10 So he went another way, and not by the way he came to Beth-el.
11 Now there was an old prophet living in Beth-el; and one of his sons came and gave him word of all the man of God had done that day in Beth-el, and they gave their father an account of the words he had said to the king.
12 Then their father said to them, Which way did he go? Now his sons had seen which way the man of God who came from Judah had gone.
13 So the prophet said to his sons, Make ready an ass for me. So they made an ass ready, and he got on it,
14 And went after the man of God, and came up with him while he was seated under an oak-tree. And he said to him, Are you the man of God who came from Judah? And he said, I am.
15 Then he said to him, Come back to the house with me and have a meal.
16 But he said, I may not go back with you or go into your house; and I will not take food or a drink of water with you in this place;
17 For the Lord said to me, You are not to take food or water there, or go back again by the way you came.
18 Then he said to him, I am a prophet like you; and an angel said to me by the word of the Lord, Take him back with you and give him food and water. But he said false words to him.
19 So he went back with him, and had a meal in his house and a drink of water.
20 But while they were seated at the table, the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had taken him back;
21 And crying out to the man of God who came from Judah, he said, The Lord says, Because you have gone against the voice of the Lord, and have not done as you were ordered by the Lord,
22 But have come back, and have taken food and water in this place where he said you were to take no food or water; your dead body will not be put to rest with your fathers.
23 Now after the meal he made ready the ass for him, for the prophet whom he had taken back.
24 And he went on his way; but on the road a lion came rushing at him and put him to death; and his dead body was stretched in the road with the ass by its side, and the lion was there by the body.
25 And some men, going by, saw the body stretched out in the road with the lion by its side; and they came and gave news of it in the town where the old prophet was living.
26 Then the prophet who had made him come back, hearing it, said, It is the man of God, who went against the word of the Lord; that is why the Lord has given him to the lion to be wounded to death, as the Lord said.
27 And he said to his sons, Make ready the ass for me. And they did so.
28 And he went and saw the dead body stretched out in the road with the ass and the lion by its side: the lion had not taken the body for its food or done any damage to the ass.
29 Then the prophet took up the body of the man of God and put it on the ass and took it back; and he came to the town to put the body to rest with weeping.
30 And he put the body in the resting-place made ready for himself, weeping and sorrowing over it, saying, O my brother!
31 And when he had put it to rest, he said to his sons, When I am dead, then you are to put my body into the earth with the body of this man of God, and put me by his bones so that my bones may be kept safe with his bones.
32 For the outcry he made by the word of the Lord against the altar in Beth-el and against all the houses of the high places in the towns of Samaria, will certainly come about.
33 After this Jeroboam, not turning back from his evil ways, still made priests for his altars from among all the people; he made a priest of anyone desiring it, so that there might be priests of the high places.
34 And this became a sin in the family of Jeroboam, causing it to be cut off and sent to destruction from the face of the earth.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » John Gill's Exposition of the Bible » Commentary on 1 Kings 13
Commentary on 1 Kings 13 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
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, 1 Kings 13:1, who would have entertained him at his house, but he refused the offer, and departed, 1 Kings 13:8, 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, 1 Kings 13:11 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, 1 Kings 13:20, 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, 1 Kings 13:25 and the chapter is closed with observing the continuance of Jeroboam in his idolatry, 1 Kings 13:33.
And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah,.... Whom JosephusF24Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 8. c. 8. sect. 3.) calls Jadon, perhaps the same with Iddo, who is by the Jewish writersF25Seder Olam Rabba, c. 20. Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 11. 1. Jarch & Kimchi in loc. generally thought to be this man of God, and which may seem to be countenanced by 2 Chronicles 9:29 but cannot be, because this man was quickly slain, whereas Iddo lived after Rehoboam, and wrote his acts, first and last, nay, after Ahijah his son, 2 Chronicles 13:22 and for the same reason Shemaiah cannot be the man of God, 1 Kings 12:22, though TertullianF26De Jejuniis, c. 16. calls him Sameas, and designs Shemaiah: but, whoever he was, he came
by the word of the Lord to Bethel: that is, by his command:
and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense; at the time he came, 1 Kings 12:33.
And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord,.... By his order and command:
and said, O altar, altar; addressing himself not to Jeroboam, but the altar, thereby reproving his stupidity, the altar being as ready to hear as he; and because that was what moved the indignation of the Lord; and the word is repeated, to show the vehemency of the prophet's spirit, and his zeal against it; though the Jews commonly say it respects both altars, that at Dan, as well as this at Bethel:
thus saith the Lord, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; who was not born until three hundred years after this, according to the Jewish writersF1Pirke Eliezer, c. 17. : but it is generally reckoned to be more, even three hundred and fifty or three hundred and sixty years; this is a clear proof of the prescience, predetermination, and providence of God with respect to future events, contingent ones, such as depend upon the will of men; for what more so than giving a name to a child?
upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee; all which was fulfilled by Josiah, 2 Kings 23:15, it may be read, "the bones of a man", which the Jews understand of Jeroboam; but may only signify that, instead of the bones of beasts, which were burnt on it, the bones of men should be burnt, and even of the priests themselves; a glaring proof this of the truth of prophecy, and of divine revelation.
And he gave a sign the same day, saying, this is the sign which the Lord hath spoken,.... As a confirmation of the truth of what the prophet had said, and for the proof of his being a true prophet of the Lord:
behold, the altar shall be rent; of itself, by an invisible hand, by the power of God:
and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out; signifying it should be entirely demolished, not only shaken but destroyed, so as not to be capable of retaining the ashes on it; this was an emblem of the utter abolition of idolatry here in future times.
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.
The altar also was rent,.... Split into two parts perhaps, and one fell one way, and the other another;
and the ashes poured out from the altar; the ashes of the burnt offering, these were spilled on the ground; all which was done without any outward force, or any visible means thereof:
according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord; by his direction and order.
And the king answered and said unto the man of God,.... In another tone than when he bid the people lay hold on him; not in a haughty, but humble manner; not as threatening, but supplicating:
entreat now the face of the Lord thy God; he does not say "my God", for he had apostatized from him, and served other gods, but "thy" God, whose prophet he was, and who had an interest in him, as clearly appeared by what he had said and done by him;
and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again; not that the anger of God might be turned away from him, and he enjoy the divine favour, and have an application of pardoning grace made to him, only to have this outward mercy, this temporal favour restored to him, the use of his hand:
and the man of God besought the Lord; not rendering evil for evil; but being of a forgiving spirit, though the king had stretched out his hand against him, he lifted up his hands to heaven for him:
and the king's hand was restored again, and became as it was before; which was another instance of divine power, and a further proof of the prophet's divine mission; from whence it might be concluded, that what he had prophesied of would be fulfilled, and was an instance also of divine goodness to the king, which should have led him to repentance, but did not.
And the king said unto the man of God, come home with me, and refresh thyself,.... By eating a meal with him, after such a journey he had taken, and delivered his prophecies, and put up his prayers for the king:
and I will give thee a reward; for his prayers, by means of which his hand was restored to him; but takes no notice of the Lord, the author of this miraculous cure, nor expresses the least degree of thankfulness and gratitude to him.
And the man of God said unto the king,.... In answer to his civility to him, to assure him it was not out of contempt to him, or ill will to him, or slight of his favour, but in obedience to the will of God:
if thou wilt give half of thine house; of the riches in it, and even of his kingdom:
I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place; this idolatrous place; the reason follows.
For so it was charged me by the word of the Lord,.... The command of the Lord, by which he came to Bethel, and cried against the altar there, 1 Kings 13:1.
saying, eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest: signifying that no communion was to be had with idolaters, nor any example to be set and followed; but the way to them, and to their idolatry, was to be shunned and avoided.
So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel. Neither ate nor drank with the king, though that is not expressed; nor did he go back the same way he came; but in each particular observed the divine command, and was obedient to it.
Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel,.... The Targum is, a false prophet, so JosephusF2Antiqu. l. 8. c. 9. sect. 1. ; it is hard to say what he was, a good man or a bad man; if a good man, he was guilty of many things which are not in his favour, as dwelling in such an idolatrous place suffering his sons to attend idolatrous worship, and telling the man of God a premeditated lie; and yet there are several things which seem contrary to his being a bad man, and of an ill character, since he is called an old prophet, did not attend idolatrous worship, showed great respect to the man of God, had the word of God sent unto him concerning him, believed that what he had prophesied should come to pass, buried the man of God in his own grave, and desired his sons to bury him with him. In some copies his name is said to be Micah, as Kimchi observes, and other Jewish writersF3T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 104. 1. say the same; though some take him to be Amaziah the priest of Bethel, and others Gersom the son of MosesF4Shalshalet Hakabala, ut supra. (fol. 11. 1.) Shirhalbirim Rabba, fol. 10. 2. , but without any foundation; though he now dwelt at Bethel, he was originally of Samaria, 2 Kings 23:18,
and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; that the altar was rent, and the ashes poured out, as he had said, and that Jeroboam's hand withered, and was restored upon his prayer to God:
the words which he had spoken unto the king; that one should be born of the family of David, Josiah by name, that should offer the idolatrous priests, and burn the bones of men upon that altar, and that that should be rent, and its ashes poured forth, which was done:
them they told also their father; gave him a particular account of his actions and words.
And their father said unto them, what way went he?.... Having a strong inclination to see him, and converse with him:
for his sons had seen what way the man of God went which came from Judah; they took notice of it; and, as the Targum, they showed it to their father.
And he said unto his sons, saddle me the ass,.... Which he used to ride on; intimating he had a mind to ride after him, and overtake him, as he might reasonably think he might, since the man of God was on foot:
so they saddled him the ass, and he rode thereon; after the man of God, taking the way his sons directed.
And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak,.... To shelter him from the heat, and being faint, hungry, and thirsty; so the ancients of old made use of oaks for a covering, before houses were inventedF5Suidas in voce δενδρυαζειν. ; thus Abraham pitched his tent in the plain, or under the oak, of Mamre, Genesis 13:18.
and he said unto him, art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? which he might guess at from his habit, and from the description his sons had given of him:
and he said, I am; owned himself to be the person he inquired after.
Then said he unto him, come home with me, and eat bread. In which invitation no doubt he was hearty, and might have no ill design in it, only to have some conversation with him, as being a good man, and a prophet of the Lord, especially upon the subject of his prophecies at Bethel.
And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee,.... Into the city, and into his house in it, being such an idolatrous place, and especially being forbidden of God:
neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place; he was resolute and determined to abide by the commandment of the Lord, though there is reason to believe that he was now both hungry and thirsty.
For it was said to me by the word of the Lord,.... By the angel that was sent to him, who gave him his message and instructions; which he was persuaded came from the Lord himself, and therefore looked upon himself under obligation to regard them as such:
thou shall eat no bread, &c. the same that he observed to the king, 1 Kings 13:9.
And he said unto him,.... That is, the old prophet said to the man of God:
I am a prophet also as thou art; meaning, that he was a prophet of the true God, and not of any idol deity; that he not only believed in him, and was a worshipper of him, but had revelations from him, and of the same things this man of God had, and that he believed that what he had prophesied of would certainly come to pass:
and an angel spoke unto me by the word of the Lord; was sent and dispatched by the order of the Lord with the following message:
saying, bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water; and so be refreshed, and be fit to proceed on in his journey:
but he lied unto him; no messenger nor message being sent to him by the Lord, but was wholly a device and stratagem of his own to persuade the man of God to return with him, that he might have his company and conversation.
So he went back with him,.... In which he sinned; for as he had most certainly the command of God not to eat and drink in that place, he ought to have had the countermand from the Lord, and not trusted to another person. There are some things indeed which may be said in his favour, and be an apology for him, as that this man was an ancient prophet of the Lord, as he appeared to him; and that though he was forbid to eat and drink with idolaters, yet he thought he might with a prophet of the Lord, and especially as he affirmed he had the direction of an angel of the Lord for it; nor could he conceive that the prophet had any interest to serve by it, but rather it might be chargeable and burdensome to him; and he might think the Lord, out of compassion on him, had countermanded his former orders, and the circumstances he was in might the more incline him to listen to these plausible pretences; but, after all, he ought to have taken no directions but from the Lord himself; in this he failed:
and did eat bread in his house, and drink water; contrary to the express command of God.
And it came to pass, as they sat at the table,.... The old prophet, with his sons, and the man of God; the Arabic version adds, "and did eat", there being a pause in the Hebrew text, as if something was wanting, and to be understood and supplied:
that the word of the Lord came unto the prophet that brought him back; that is, to the old prophet, who was the means of bringing back the man of God; the word did not come to him who had transgressed the command of the Lord, but to him who was the occasion of it; though Abarbinel is of opinion that the word came to the latter, and so some versions, both ancient and modern, render the clause, "to the prophet whom he had brought back"F6Syr. Ar. Junius & Tremellius. and which is countenanced by what is said, 1 Kings 13:26,
according to the word of the Lord which he spoke unto him: but the former sense best agrees with what follows.
And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah,.... His mind being greatly affected with the word brought to him, partly on his own account, who, by a lie his conscience must accuse him of, had been the means of seducing the man of God, and partly on his account, who was threatened with death for complying with him:
saying, thus saith the Lord; being obliged to deliver, in the name of the Lord, what was said unto him:
forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord; the order that came out of his mouth, as follows:
and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee; not to eat nor drink in Bethel.
But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, eat no bread, nor drink no water,.... Which command he observed when first there, though invited by the king; and yet, after he had got out of the place, was prevailed upon to return and transgress the command:
thy carcass shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers; signifying that he should die before he came to the land of Judah, and he should be buried in another place, and which was verified.
And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk,.... That is, had finished the meal; for he had begun to eat and drink before the word came, which came while they were eating and drinking; and it seems this did not hinder their proceeding to make an end of their meal, which one would have thought would have spoiled their appetite:
that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back; he ordered his sons to get it ready for him, that he might not walk on foot as he had; though it does not appear that either he or any of his servants accompanied him, but the contrary.
And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him,.... Perhaps not far from Bethel; and this lion might come out of the same wood the she bears did, that devoured the children that mocked the prophet, as Bishop Patrick conjectures, 2 Kings 2:23.
and his carcass was cast in the way; in the high road, where it seems the lion seized him, and he fell:
and the ass stood by it; disregarded and unhurt by the lion, though the prophet was pulled off of the back of him:
the lion also stood by the carcass: not offering to tear it in pieces and devour it, but rather, as if he was the guard of it, to keep off all others from meddling with it; these circumstances are very surprising, and show the thing to be of God; for when the lion had done what he had a commission to do, which was to kill the prophet, he was to do no more.
And, behold, men passed by,.... Travellers on the road; nor did the lion offer to seize on them, nor desert the carcass upon their approach:
and saw the carcass cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcass; as before described:
and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt; which was Bethel, by which means he came to have knowledge of it.
And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof,.... The old prophet, that had deceived him, by telling him a lie:
he said, it is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the Lord; but not a syllable does he say of his own sin in deceiving him; though one would think his own conscience must smite him for it:
therefore the Lord hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake unto him; and that by himself, 1 Kings 13:21.
And he spoke to his sons, saying, saddle me the ass,.... For it seems he had more than one, for he had sent away the man of God with one before: and they saddled him; the ass he commonly rode on.
And he went and found his carcass cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcass,.... As before described:
the lion had not eaten the carcass, nor torn the ass; both which were very marvellous; as also that the ass should stand so quietly, and without fear, by the carcass along with the lion and not run away; but here both stayed till the prophet came to take care of the carcass, which shows the singular providence of God in this affair; and that though he chastised the man of God with a temporal judgment for his offence, yet he was dear to him, and even his carcass precious in his sight.
And the prophet took up the carcass of the man of God,.... The lion perhaps made off as soon as he came, or, if he stayed, the prophet was not afraid of him, seeing he did not attempt to devour the carcass, nor touch the ass, nor do any hurt to those that passed by:
and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back; to his own city:
and the old prophet came to the city to mourn, and to bury him; to perform the funeral rites, according to the custom of the place.
And he laid his carcass in his own grave,.... Which he had prepared for himself; for, as he came from Samaria, it could not be the sepulchre of his fathers; and this was showing all the respect, and doing all the honour to him, he well could:
and they mourned over him; the prophet and his sons: saying,
alas, my brother; which was an usual form of lamentation at funerals in later times, see Jeremiah 22:18.
And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spoke to his sons, saying,.... He gave them the following charge:
when I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; as it was his own, it might be reasonably thought they would bury him in it without such a charge; but, lest they should not, he gives it:
lay my bones beside his bones; his view in this was, that when Josiah came to burn the bones of the priests, he would spare the bones of this man of God; and so his, lying by them, and mingled with them, would be spared also, and so it proved, 2 Kings 23:18.
For the saying which he cried by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel,.... That the priests should be offered on it, and men's bones be burnt upon it; for as for its being rent, and the ashes of it poured out, that had been done already:
and against all the houses of the high places which are in Samaria, shall surely come to pass: by which it appears that there were temples, and high places, and altars built in other parts of the kingdom besides Dan and Bethel, of the destruction of which the man of God prophesied, though not before mentioned; all which the old prophet gave credit to, and firmly believed would be accomplished. The kingdom of Israel, in later times, had the name of Samaria, from the chief city of it, Isaiah 7:9, here spoken of by anticipation, for as yet it was not in being, see 1 Kings 16:24 and either it has its name here by way of prophecy, or else given by the writer of this book, as what it went by in his time.
After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way,.... From the idolatrous practices he had started, and was establishing; though he had seen his altar rent, and the ashes poured out as the man of God predicted, his own hand withered, and that restored again upon the prayer of the prophet; and though he had heard of the death he died for his disobedience to the command of God, and the several marvellous things that attended it; these were so far from reforming him, that he seemed to be the more hardened thereby:
but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: and officiated there, and indeed those of the tribe of Levi would not serve there, and therefore were expelled their cities; see 2 Chronicles 11:14.
And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam,.... All the above things were sins in themselves, as building high places, and putting priests in them, whoever would; but the sense is, that these were the causes of punishment, or of evil things being inflicted on Jeroboam's family; sin is put for the punishment of sin, as it often is:
even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth; so that it become utterly extinct; and the next thing we hear of is the sickness and death of his son.