1 Kings 13:1

CHAPTER XIII

A man of God prophesies against Jeroboam's altar, and foretells

the destruction of that altar, and of its idolatrous priests by

Josiah; and gives Jeroboam a sign that the prophecy should be

accomplished, 1-3.

Jeroboam is enraged, and orders the man of God to be seized;

and stretching out his hand for this purpose, his arm dries up,

4.

The altar is rent, and the ashes poured out, according to the

sign given by the man of God; and at his intercession

Jeroboam's arm is restored, 5, 6.

Jeroboam wishes to engage him in his service, but he refuses,

and tells him that he was ordered by God not even to eat or

drink in that place; and he accordingly departs, 7-10.

An old prophet that dwelt at Beth-el, hearing of this, rides

after the man of God; deceives him; brings him back to his

house, and persuades him to eat and drink, 11-19.

While he is eating, the word of the Lord comes to the old

prophet, and he foretells the death of the man of God; who

departing is met by a lion, and slain, 20-25.

On hearing this, the old prophet goes to the place, finds the

carcass, brings it home, burns it, and mourns over it, charging

his sons to bury him, when dead, in the same grave, 26-32.

Notwithstanding these warnings, Jeroboam continues in his

idolatry, 33, 34.

NOTES ON CHAP. XIII

Verse 1 Kings 13:1. There came a man of God] Who this was we know not. The Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic call him a prophet. The Vulgate and Septuagint follow the Hebrew, איש אלהים ish elohim means a Divine person, one wholly devoted to God's service. Some have thought it was Shemaiah, others Joel, and others Iddo. It could not have been the latter, for he wrote the acts of Jeroboam, 2 Chronicles 9:29, and the prophet was killed before he returned home; but conjecture is idle on such a subject.

Jeroboam stood by the altar] Like gods, like priest; he made himself high priest, and he took of the lowest of the people, and made them priests of the high places; they proved themselves to be fools by worshipping calves.