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.
12 Their father asked them, "Which way did he go?" And his sons showed him which road the man of God from Judah had taken.
12 And their father said to them, "Which way did he go?" And his sons showed him the way that the man of God who came from Judah had gone.
12 Their father said, "Which way did he go?" His sons pointed out the road that the holy man from Judah had taken.
12 And their father said to them, "Which way did he go?" For his sons had seen which way the man of God went who came from Judah.
12 The old prophet asked them, "Which way did he go?" So they showed their father which road the man of God had taken.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Kings 13:12
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.