1 Kings 13:1-10. Prophecy against Jeroboam's altar in Bethel. Withering and restoration of Jeroboam's hand (Not in Chronicles) 1. _A man of God_ Josephus (_Ant._viii. 8, 5) says this prophet whom the narrative does not name was called Jadon (Ἰαδὼν ὄνομα). _out of Judah_ Out of _Judah_to speak the... [ Continue Reading ]
_he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord_ The Hebrew is the same as in the preceding verse. Render therefore (with R.V.) -by the word." The meaning is that both the journey from Judah and the prophecy were in consequence of divine instruction. _Josiah by name_ The history of the fulfilmen... [ Continue Reading ]
_And he gave a sign the same day_ The sign was necessary because the event foretold was to be at so remote a date that none who were living in Jeroboam's day would be alive to see it. Hence to assure them that it would come to pass a startling token of the power in which the prophet spake is exhibit... [ Continue Reading ]
_he put forth his hand from the altar_ He was busy in the operations connected with the sacrifice, but the words of the prophet roused his anger, and the raised hand is the sign of his wrath, as well as a signal to those who were near him, pointing out that the speaker was to be seized. Hence it is... [ Continue Reading ]
_Intreat now the face of the Lord thy God_ Here the R.V. has adopted the rendering of the phrase by A.V. in Psalms 119:58; Proverbs 19:6 "Intreat now the FAVOUR, &c." The idea of the original word is that of soothing, so as to relax the frowns and anger of any one, and hence to gain favour instead o... [ Continue Reading ]
_Come home with me_ The subsequent narrative shews that there was no alteration in Jeroboam's feelings or intentions in consequence of what had occurred. He still went on in his evil way. But he would fain have the man of God continue in his company a while, that his people might not be terrified by... [ Continue Reading ]
_neither will I eat bread nor drink water_ There was to be no, communion between the idolaters and the worshippers of Jehovah; and this is strongly marked by the refusal of the prophet even to taste food with the king, which he tells him was the command of the Lord.... [ Continue Reading ]
_nor turn again by the_same _way_ There is nothing in the original for -same". Therefore the R.V. is more close to the text, in giving NEITHER RETURN BY THE WAY as in the following verse in A. V. The injunction to go back by another way was given lest after what happened in Bethel those who had seen... [ Continue Reading ]
The prophet of Judah is deceived and brought back to Bethel (Not in Chronicles) 11. _Now there dwelt an old prophet in Beth-el_ Josephus describes him as -a wicked old man, a false prophet, whom Jeroboam had in honour, being deceived by him because he spake things to his liking". He says too that -... [ Continue Reading ]
_For_(R.V. NOW) _his sons had seen_ This rendering is in accordance with the Massoretic pointing וַיִרְאוּ but all the Versions translate as if the verb had been וַיַרְאוּ, the Hiphil, -and his sons shewed _him_".... [ Continue Reading ]
_under an oak_ The tree named in the Hebrew is probably the terebinth. The noun has the article in the original, and it refers perhaps to some well-known tree which was a landmark in the neighbourhood. The terebinth is a very longlived tree, and an aged one would be sure to become noted.... [ Continue Reading ]
_in this place_ The prophet had not gone far from Bethel before he sat down to rest. The events of the day had been such as to ask for it.... [ Continue Reading ]
_He said unto him_ The Hebrew has the conjunction - AND he said": there is no reason for its omission in the English. _I_am _a prophet also_ The order of the R.V. is to be preferred. -I also am a prophet" i.e. as well as you. _an angel spake unto me_ The old prophet does not lay claim to so solemn... [ Continue Reading ]
_So he went back with him_ The LXX., by reading slightly different vowel points, renders -So he turned him back". Josephus thinks these things were from God as in the case of the hardening of Pharaoh's heart. -These things happened, I think, according to the will of God, that Jeroboam might give no... [ Continue Reading ]
_as they sat at the table_ They were having a proper meal. The expression -to eat bread and to drink water" signifies -to take food and drink" and must not be understood literally. The idea meant to be conveyed by the prohibition is that nothing of any sort was to be taken.... [ Continue Reading ]
_as thou hast disobeyed_ The expression is precisely the same as in 1 Kings 13:26 below. There the A.V. has -disobedient unto", and for the sake of consistency that rendering has been adopted here by R.V. -as thou hast BEEN DISOBEDIENT unto". A very frequent translation is -to rebel against the word... [ Continue Reading ]
the Lord _did say to thee_ There is no need for the italics of the A. V. There can be no mistaking who is meant if we render (with R.V.) - HE said to thee." _thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers_ With the Jews, as since with Christians, burial rites were much regarded. To be... [ Continue Reading ]
The prophet of Judah is slain. He is buried, and his words confirmed, by the old prophet (Not in Chronicles) 23. _he saddled for him the ass_ There has been no mention before of an ass belonging to the prophet of Judah, but as travelling was ordinarily performed in this way, we may suppose that he... [ Continue Reading ]
_a lion met him_ That beasts of prey were common in the land at this time we may see from the history of the shepherd life of David, where he encountered both a lion and a bear (1 Samuel 17:34). The death of the prophet was caused by a stroke of the beast's paw, but to shew that it was a visitation... [ Continue Reading ]
_told_it _IN_ _the city where the old prophet dwelt_ As Bethel has been already mentioned it is not easy to see why this circumlocution is made use of. Perhaps the idea is that the news was carried in all directions by the passers by and so came among other places to that where he dwelt whom it spec... [ Continue Reading ]
_disobedient unto the word_ The R.V. gives here as the A.V. in 1 Kings 13:21 UNTO THE MOUTH. This is the literal rendering, and is as intelligible as the other. The LXX. (_Vat._) gives for this verse only: -And he who brought him back from the way heard it and said, This is the man of God who rebell... [ Continue Reading ]
_to mourn and to bury him_ These words are also left out in the LXX. (_Vat._).... [ Continue Reading ]
_in his own grave_ Treating him as though he had been one of his own family. _Alas, my brother_ This seems to have been a form of lamentation used over the dead. Cf. Jeremiah 22:18.... [ Continue Reading ]
_lay my bones beside his bones_ Here the LXX. adds -in order that my bones may be preserved along with his bones." And Josephus expands this idea thus: "for he would not be outraged after his death if he were buried along with him, for the bones would not be recognized." After which he adds to the s... [ Continue Reading ]
_high places which_are _in the cities of Samaria_ On the building of Samaria, see 1 Kings 16:24. The occurrence of these words in the narrative seems clear evidence that the story in its present form is not contemporary with the events, and may therefore have been written down even later than Josiah... [ Continue Reading ]
Jeroboam goes on in his evil way (Not in Chronicles) 33. _made again of the lowest of the people_ R.V. MADE AGAIN FROM AMONG ALL THE PEOPLE. See note on 1 Kings 12:31 above. _he consecrated him_ The Hebrew expression is -he filled his hand." See margin of A.V. The idea is -he intrusted this solemn... [ Continue Reading ]
The Hebrew text here also is not clear. Literally it is -in this thing there came to be &c." But the A.V. and all other versions translate as though the Hebrew were the same as in the beginning of 1 Kings 12:30. Probably the variation is only a slip of the scribe. _to cut_it _off and to destroy_it]... [ Continue Reading ]