1 Kings 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 13:1–6. He refusing the king’s entertainment, departeth from Beth-el, 1 Kings 13:7–10.

A man of God; a holy prophet. By the word of the Lord; by Divine inspiration and command.

He cried against the altar; and consequently, against all that worship, which is oft signified by the name of the altar. See Isa. 19:19, 1 Cor. 9:13, Heb. 7:13, Heb. 13:10.

He gave a sign the same day, i. e. he then wrought a miracle, to assure them of the truth of his prophecy.

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.

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…

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.

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.

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…

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.

i.e. In Beth-el, where thou desirest me to do it.

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.

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.

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.

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…

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.

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.

Or rather, concerning him; for so the particle lamed is oft used, as Gen. 10:13, Ps. 3:2, Ps. 91:11, compared with Matt. 4:6. See Poole “1 Kings 13:20”.

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.

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…

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…

That I may be secured from that judgment threatened 1 Kings 13:2.

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, Jer. 31:5, Hos. 7:1, Hos.

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.

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.