1 KINGS CHAPTER 13 A prophet of Judah prophesieth against the altar at
Beth-el: Jeroboam offering him violence, his hand withereth; and, at
the prayer of the prophet, is restored, 1 KINGS 13:1. He refusing the
king's entertainment, departeth from Beth-el, 1 KINGS 13:7. An old
prophet seducing him, b... [ Continue Reading ]
HE CRIED AGAINST THE ALTAR; and consequently, against all that
worship, which is oft signified by the name of the _altar_. See ISAIAH
19:19 1 CORINTHIANS 9:13 HEBREWS 7:13, HEBREWS 13:10. _O altar,
altar_; he directs his speech to the altar, partly because the
following signs were wrought upon it, a... [ Continue Reading ]
HE GAVE A SIGN THE SAME DAY, i. e. he then wrought a miracle, to
assure them of the truth of his prophecy.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE PUT FORTH HIS HAND, to point out the man whom he would have the
people lay hands on, and to stir them up to do so. FROM THE ALTAR;
where it was employed in offering something upon it. _Dried up_, or
_withered_; the muscles and sinews, the instruments of motion, were
shrunk up. This God did, partl... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE KING ANSWERED, i.e. spoke, as that word is oft used in both
Testaments. ENTREAT NOW THE FACE OF THE LORD THY GOD, who by his zeal
for time hath manifested himself to be thy God and Friend in a
singular manner; and therefore will hear thy prayers for me, though he
will not regard mine, because I... [ Continue Reading ]
HORRID STUPIDITY! He desires to requite the instrument, but takes no
notice of the chief cause and author of this great and wonderful
mercy, which was God.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
My refusal of thy favour is not from any contempt or hatred of thy
person, but in obedience to the just command of my God, who hath
forbidden me all further converse or communication with thee. EAT NO
BREAD, NOR DRINK WATER, to wit, in that place, or with that people;
whereby God declares how detest... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
AN OLD PROPHET; a prophet of the Lord; one to whom and by whom God did
sometimes impart his mind, as is manifest from 1 KINGS 13:20,21, and
one first had a respect to the Lord's holy prophets, and gave credit
to their predictions; all which the following relation shows: but
whether he was a holy and... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
SITTING UNDER AN OAK; being faint and weary with his journey, and
possibly with the heat, which makes him choose this shady place; and
especially with hunger and thirst, 1 KINGS 13:9. And he might easily
guess that this was the old prophet, by his age and carriage, and, it
may be, by his prophetical... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
i.e. In Beth-el, where thou desirest me to do it.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
Not with evil design against him, but out of curiosity to know all the
truth and circumstances from his own mouth, and to express his
kindness to him, and to relieve his pressing hunger; whereby possibly
he thought to please God, and to compensate for his miscarriages. But
his sin was great; for he... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
AS THEY SAT AT THE TABLE; there the prophet meets with a severe
judgment, where he was pleasing himself with this seasonable
refreshment. THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME by secret instinct into his
mind, as sometimes God spake to Moses and other prophets when they
were in company with others. UNTO THE PRO... [ Continue Reading ]
HE CRIED with a loud voice, the effect of his passion, both for his
own guilt and shame, and for the prophet's approaching misery, and his
unhappy influence both in procuring and in denouncing of it. THE
MOUTH, i.e. the word of command coming out of his mouth; a metonymy of
the cause for the effect.... [ Continue Reading ]
i.e. Thou shalt not die a natural, but a violent death; and that in
this journey, before thou returnest to thy native habitation; and thy
carcass shall not be buried in the proper sepulchre; which was
esteemed a kind of curse, and a note of infamy; as the contrary was
reckoned an honour and blessing... [ Continue Reading ]
That he might sooner come to his home, and, if possible, escape the
judgment threatened. But it is observable, he doth not accompany him;
his guilty conscience making him to expect and fear to be involved in
the same judgment with him.... [ Continue Reading ]
A LION MET HIM; for there were many lions in Judea, and this was
brought hither by God's special providence. Why doth God punish a good
man so severely for so small an offence? ANSW. First, His sin was not
small, for it was a gross disobedience to a positive command. OBJECT.
But he supposed, and was... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
Or rather, CONCERNING HIM; for so the particle _lamed_ is oft used, as
GENESIS 10:13 PSALMS 3:2, PSALMS 91:11, compared with MATTHEW 4:6. SEE
POOLE ON "1 KINGS 13:20".... [ Continue Reading ]
Being secure as to himself, because so many others had been there
without any harm; and because he perceived the prophet's death was a
judgment of God, and that for special reasons.... [ Continue Reading ]
Here was a concurrence of miracles: That the ass did not run away from
the lion, according to his nature and custom, but boldly stood still,
as reserving himself for the carrying of the prophet to his burial;
that the lion did not devour its prey, as the manner is; nor yet go
away when he had done h... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
So that threatening, 1 KINGS 13:22, was fulfilled; and withal, the
memory of his prophecy was revived and preserved among them, and his
very carcass resting there might be a witness of their madness and
desperate wickedness, in continuing their abominable idolatry after
such an assurance of the drea... [ Continue Reading ]
That I may be secured from that judgment threatened 1 KINGS 13:2.... [ Continue Reading ]
OF SAMARIA, i.e. of the kingdom of Samaria, as it was called, though
not when this fact was done, yet before these books were written.
Samaria was properly the name of one city, 1 KINGS 20:1; but from
hence the whole kingdom of Israel was so called, JEREMIAH 31:5 HOSEA
7:1 HOSEA 8:5 AMOS 3:9; and th... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER THIS THING, i.e. after all these things; the singular number put
for the plural; after so many, and evident, and successive miracles;
which is noted to aggravate his infidelity and apostacy. MADE AGAIN OF
THE LOWEST OF THE PEOPLE PRIESTS; he abated not so much as a
circumstance in his idolatro... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS THING BECAME SIN; either an occasion of sin, and means of
hardening all his posterity in their idolatry; or, a _punishment_, for
so the word _sin_ is oft used. This his obstinate continuance in his
idolatry after such warnings was the utter ruin of all his family.... [ Continue Reading ]