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.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Kings 13:11-19
Commentary on 1 Kings 13:11-22
(Read 1 Kings 13:11-22)
The old prophet's conduct proves that he was not really a godly man. When the change took place under Jeroboam, he preferred his ease and interest to his religion. He took a very bad method to bring the good prophet back. It was all a lie. Believers are most in danger of being drawn from their duty by plausible pretences of holiness. We may wonder that the wicked prophet went unpunished, while the holy man of God was suddenly and severely punished. What shall we make of this? The judgments of God are beyond our power to fathom; and there is a judgment to come. Nothing can excuse any act of wilful disobedience. This shows what they must expect who hearken to the great deceiver. They that yield to him as a tempter, will be terrified by him as a tormentor. Those whom he now fawns upon, he will afterwards fly upon; and whom he draws into sin, he will try to drive to despair.