131 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.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Kings 13:1-22
Commentary on 1 Kings 13:1-10
(Read 1 Kings 13:1-10)
In threatening the altar, the prophet threatens the founder and worshippers. Idolatrous worship will not continue, but the word of the Lord will endure for ever. The prediction plainly declared that the family of David would continue, and support true religion, when the ten tribes would not be able to resist them. If God, in justice, harden the hearts of sinners, so that the hand they have stretched out in sin they cannot pull in again by repentance, that is a spiritual judgment, represented by this, and much more dreadful. Jeroboam looked for help, not from his calves, but from God only, from his power, and his favour. The time may come when those that hate the preaching, would be glad of the prayers of faithful ministers. Jeroboam does not desire the prophet to pray that his sin might be pardoned, and his heart changed, but only that his hand might be restored. He seemed affected for the present with both the judgment and the mercy, but the impression wore off. God forbade his messenger to eat or drink in Bethel, to show his detestation of their idolatry and apostacy from God, and to teach us not to have fellowship with the works of darkness. Those have not learned self-denial, who cannot forbear one forbidden meal.
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.