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. Ver. 1. _And, behold, there came a man of God._] A prophet, 1Ki 13:18 but whether Shemaiah, as Tertullian saith, or Joel, or Theodoret, or Iddo, as Josephus, or so... [ Continue Reading ]
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 t... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 3. _Behold, the altar shall be rent._] To foreshow the downfall of that idolatry. So the veil of the temple rent at Chr... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 4.... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 5. _The altar was rent._] But not till the violence intended against God's prophet was revenged: so dear to him are such, and so tender is he of their... [ Continue Reading ]
And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat 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. Ver. 6. Intreat now the face - seek... [ Continue Reading ]
And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward. Ver. 7. _And I will give thee a reward._] He could do anything sooner than repent; Rom 2:5 his face he had made harder than any rock, he refused to return. Jer 5:3... [ Continue Reading ]
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: Ver. 8. _If thou wilt give me half thine house._] We must not be bribed out of our innocency; but reject the devil's offers, though never... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 9. _Eat no bread, nor drink water._] _Figura haec erat Ecclesiasticae censurae et excommunicationis,_ say Cyprian and Rupert; this figured out the censure o... [ Continue Reading ]
So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel. Ver. 10. _So he went another way._] This was well done, though afterwards he failed and flinched; as did likewise Gropperus; who first refused a cardinal's hat, and yet afterwards was a turncoat. So did Speiserus at Augsbur... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ Ver. 11. _Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel._] A prophet of God, likely,... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 12. _For his sons had seen what way the man of God went._] As well they might, for he went away immediately after he had delivered his message, which also was such as t... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon, Ver. 13. _So they saddled him the ass._] Children must cheerfully obey their parents; and not stick at any service within their power.... [ Continue Reading ]
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]. Ver. 14. _Sitting under an oak._] Or, An elm, as some render it; _Insignem arborem significat,_ saith Vatablus. He was hungry and weary, as... [ Continue Reading ]
Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread. Ver. 15. _Come home with me, and eat bread._] This was cruel courtesy, cut-throat kindness, such as the world is full of.... [ Continue Reading ]
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: Ver. 16. _Neither will I eat bread._] Though I have need enough, yet I must be resolute, because God's charge was absolute.... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 17. _For it was said._] Heb., A word was. Tremellius rendereth it, _Verbum edixit mihi ex verbo Iehovae,_ and expoundeth it of the essential Word of G... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 18. _I am a prophet also._] A prophet, and yet tell a lie! What a foul bu... [ Continue Reading ]
So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water. Ver. 19. _So he went back with him._] He was too light of belief, and too easily entreated; his _male suada fames_ might prompt him thereunto. Gregory thinks he might be self-conceited at his precedent doings and good succes... [ Continue Reading ]
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: Ver. 20. _And it came to pass, as they sat at the table._] Where this prophet was eating and drinking against God's express charge, there doth he hear his doom denounced by the same... [ Continue Reading ]
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, Ver. 21. _Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed._] Thus this old impostor was forced to con... [ Continue Reading ]
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 carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers. Ver. 22. _And hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, &c._] There is in the "Acts and M... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 23. _That he saddled for him the ass._] So courteous he was and officious now to him; whom before he had betrayed into the hands of divine... [ Continue Reading ]
And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase. Ver. 24. _A lion met him by the way, and slew him._] Oh, the severity of God against sin in his very own! Neither can all their obedience... [ Continue Reading ]
And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told [it] in the city where the old prophet dwelt. Ver. 25. _And they came and told it in the city,_] _i.e., _ Bethel; the inhabitants whereof could not but hear this sad news wi... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled [him]. Ver. 27. _And they saddled him._] See 1 Kings 13:13 .... [ Continue Reading ]
And he went and found his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcase: the lion had not eaten the carcase, nor torn the ass. Ver. 28. _And found his carcass._] See on 1 Kings 13:24 . _ Nor torn the ass._] Heb., Broken; though lions love to devour asses. All creatures... [ Continue Reading ]
And the prophet took up the carcase 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. Ver. 29. _And the prophet took up the carcass._] Which the lion, belike, left to him, and went away. _ And laid it upon the ass._] W... [ Continue Reading ]
And he laid his carcase in his own grave; and they mourned over him, [saying], Alas, my brother! Ver. 30. _In his own grave._] Which was ready made, it seems. See the like, Matthew 27:60. Charles V carried the materials of his tomb with him up and down in his warlike expeditions.... [ Continue Reading ]
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: Ver. 31. _Lay my bones beside his bones._] So David Pareus would be buried in the same sepulchre wherein... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 32. _Which are in the cities of Samaria._] So called here by anticipation. It seemeth of old to be c... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 33. _After this thing Jeroboam returned not._] All these wonderful accide... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 34. _And this thing became sin._] This his obstinacy and pertinacy in his abominable idolatries, became his utter ruin. _Fugite ergo, reges, eiusmodi exitum, fugiendo... [ Continue Reading ]