TRV
Translation
Berean Standard Bible
but the man of God went back with him, ate bread in his house, and drank water.
American Standard Version
So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.
World English Bible Messianic
So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water.
Geneva Bible (1599)
So he went againe with him, and did eate bread in his house, and dranke water.
Young's Literal Translation
And he turneth back with him, and eateth bread in his house, and drinketh water.
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In the KJVVerse 9,204 of 31,102
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Commentary on 1 Kings 13 verses 11–22
11 ¶ 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.
12 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.
13 And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon,
14 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.
15 Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.
16 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:
17 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.
18 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.
19 So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.
20 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:
21 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,
22 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.
The man of God had honestly and resolutely refused the king's invitation, though he promised him a reward; yet he was over-persuaded by an old prophet to come back with him, and dine in Beth-el, contrary to the command given him. Here we find how dearly his dinner cost him. Observe with wonder,
I. The old prophet's wickedness. I cannot but call him a false prophet and a bad man, it being much easier to believe that from one of such a bad character should be extorted a confirmation of what the man of God said (as we find, Kg1 13:32) than that a true prophet, and a good man, should tell such a deliberate lie as he did, and father it upon God. A good tree could never bring forth such corrupt fruit. Perhaps he was trained up among the sons of the prophets, in one of Samuel's colleges not far off, whence he retained the name of a prophet, but, growing worldly and profane, the spirit of prophecy had departed from him. If he had been a good prophet he would have reproved Jeroboam's idolatry, and not have suffered his sons to attend his altars, as, it should seem, they did. Now, 1. Whether he had any good design in fetching back the man of God is not certain. One may hope that he did it in compassion to him, concluding he wanted refreshment, and out of a desire to be better acquainted with him and more fully to understand his errand than he could from the report of his sons; yet his sons having told him all that passed, and particularly that the prophet was forbidden to eat or drink there, which he had openly told Jeroboam, I suppose it was done with a bad design, to draw him into a snare, and so to expose him; for false prophets have ever been the worst enemies to the true prophets, usually aiming to destroy them, but sometimes, as here, to debauch them and draw them from their duty. Thus they gave the Nazarites wine to drink (Amo 2:12), that they might glory in their fall. But, 2. It is certain that he took a very bad method to bring him back. When the man of God had told him, "I may not, and therefore I will not, return to eat bread with thee" (his resolutions concurring with the divine command, Kg1 13:16, Kg1 13:17), he wickedly pretended that he had an order from heaven to fetch him back. He imposed upon him by asserting his quondam character as a prophet: I am a prophet also as thou art; he pretended he had a vision of an angel that sent him on this errand. But it was all a lie; it was a banter upon prophecy, and profane in the highest degree. When this old prophet is spoken of (Kg2 23:18) he is called the prophet that came out of Samaria, whereas there was no such place as Samaria till long after, Kg1 16:24. Therefore I take it he is so called there, though he was of Beth-el, because he was like those who were afterwards the prophets of Samaria, who caused God's people Israel to err, Jer 23:13.
II. The good prophet's weakness, in suffering himself to be thus imposed upon: He went back with him, Kg1 13:19. He that had resolution enough to refuse the invitation of the king, who promised him a reward, could not resist the insinuations of one that pretended to be a prophet. God's people are more in danger of being drawn from their duty by the plausible pretences of divinity and sanctity than by external inducements; we have therefore need to beware of false prophets, and not believe every spirit.
III. The proceedings of divine justice hereupon; and here we may well wonder that the wicked prophet, who told the lie and did the mischief, went unpunished, while the holy man of God, that was drawn by him into sin, was suddenly and severely punished for it. What shall we make of this! The judgments of God are unfathomable. The deceived and the deceiver are his, and he giveth not account of any of his matters. Certainly there must be a judgment to come, when these things will be called over again, and when those that sinned most and suffered least, in this world, will receive according to their works. 1. The message delivered to the man of God was strange. His crime is recited, Kg1 13:21, Kg1 13:22. It was, in one word, disobedience to an express command. Judgment is given upon it: Thy carcase shall not come to the sepulchre of thy fathers, that is, "Thou shalt never reach thy own house, but shalt be a carcase quickly, nor shall thy dead body be brought to the place of thy fathers' sepulchres, to be interred." 2. Yet it was more strange that the old prophet himself should be the messenger. Of this we can give no account but that God would have it so, as he spoke to Balaam by his ass and read Saul his doom by the devil in Samuel's likeness. We may think God designed hereby, (1.) To startle the lying prophet, and make him sensible of his sin. The message could not but affect him the more when he himself had the delivering of it, and had so strong an impression made upon his spirit by it that he cried out, as one in an agony, Kg1 13:21. He had reason to think, if he must die for his disobedience in a small matter who sinned by surprise, of how much sorer punishment he should be thought worthy who had belied an angel of God and cheated a man of God by a deliberate forgery. If this were done to the green tree, what shall be done to the dry? Perhaps it had a good effect upon him. Those who preach God's wrath to others have hard hearts indeed if they fear it not themselves. (2.) To put the greater mortification upon the prophet that was deceived, and to show what those must expect who hearken to the great deceiver. Those that yield to him as a tempter will be terrified by him as a tormentor; whom he now fawns upon he will afterwards fly upon, and whom he now draws into sin he will do what he can to drive to despair.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 11–22. Public domain.
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TertullianAD 220
ON FASTING 16
For even if God does prefer the works of righteousness, still, these works are not without sacrifice, which represents a soul afflicted with fasts. He, at all events, is the God to whom neither a people incontinent of appetite nor a priest nor a prophet was pleasing. To this day the “monuments of concupiscence” remain, where the people, greedy of “flesh”—until, by devouring without digesting the quails, they brought on cholera—were buried. Eli breaks his neck before the temple doors, his sons fall in battle, his daughter-in-law expires in childbirth. For such was the blow that had been deserved at the hand of God by the shameless house, the defrauder of the fleshy sacrifices. Sameas, a man of God, after prophesying the issue of the idolatry introduced by king Jeroboam (the drying up and immediate restoration of that king’s hand; after the rending in two of the sacrificial altar), being on account of these signs invited [home] by the king by way of reward, plainly declined [for he had been prohibited by God] to touch food at all in that place. However, having presently afterwards rashly taken food from another old man who deceitfully professed himself a prophet, he was deprived of burial in his fathers’ sepulchers, in accordance with the word of God then and there uttered over the table. For he was felled by the rushing of a lion on him along the way and was buried among strangers; and thus he paid the penalty of his breach of fast. These will be warnings both to people and to bishops, even spiritual ones, in case they may ever have been guilty of not controlling their appetite.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
1 Kings 13:19 records the pivotal and tragic moment when the unnamed man of God from Judah, having just delivered a powerful divine judgment against King Jeroboam's idolatrous altar in Bethel, disobeys the explicit command of the Lord. Despite being forbidden to eat, drink, or return by the same path, he yields to the deception of an older prophet, partaking of food and water in Bethel. This seemingly simple act of eating and drinking in a place God had commanded him to shun marks a profound spiritual failure, setting in motion the immediate and severe divine judgment that follows, underscoring the absolute necessity of unwavering obedience to God's direct word.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The narrative surrounding 1 Kings 13:19 is rich with literary devices that amplify its theological impact. Irony is pervasive, most notably in the figure of the old prophet from Bethel. He is presented as a prophet of the Lord, yet he deceives a fellow prophet with a lie, ultimately becoming the instrument through which God's judgment is pronounced against the man he misled, as seen in 1 Kings 13:20-22. This creates a chilling sense of divine justice being executed through an unexpected and morally compromised channel. There is also a strong element of foreshadowing in the initial divine command itself; the strict prohibition against eating, drinking, or returning by the same way subtly hints at the severe consequences awaiting any deviation. The man of God's initial refusal of Jeroboam's hospitality, as detailed in 1 Kings 13:8-10, sets up a tragic contrast with his later capitulation, making his disobedience in verse 19 all the more poignant. Finally, Symbolism is evident in the act of eating and drinking itself. Beyond mere physical acts, they symbolize the breaking of a divine covenant of separation and the tragic embrace of forbidden fellowship, leading to spiritual defilement and judgment.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
The profound tragedy of 1 Kings 13:19 lies in its stark illustration of the non-negotiable nature of God's direct commands and the severe consequences of disobedience, regardless of the source of temptation or the perceived spiritual authority of the deceiver. It underscores that God's word is paramount and unchangeable, and that personal accountability for one's actions before the Lord remains, even when misled. This narrative serves as a timeless warning against spiritual complacency and the critical need for discernment, reminding believers that even those who appear to speak for God can be instruments of deception, and that true faithfulness requires unwavering adherence to the revealed truth of Scripture above all else. It highlights that God's holiness demands absolute obedience, and His justice is meted out even when the disobedient party was initially faithful or deceived.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The narrative of the man of God in 1 Kings 13, culminating in his disobedience in verse 19, offers timeless and sobering lessons for every believer. It compels us to examine the absolute authority of God's Word in our lives, reminding us that direct commands from the Lord are not subject to reinterpretation or negotiation, even when presented by seemingly spiritual authorities or when we are weary. We are called to cultivate a deep spiritual discernment, constantly testing all counsel, prophecies, and teachings against the unchanging truth of Scripture, recognizing that even those who claim to speak for God can be mistaken or, tragically, deceptive. Furthermore, this passage highlights the personal accountability we each bear before God for our choices, emphasizing that while others may tempt or mislead us, our ultimate responsibility lies in our own obedience. It also serves as a poignant reminder that spiritual vigilance is crucial, particularly after periods of intense spiritual exertion or success, as these can be moments of vulnerability to subtle temptations that lead to compromise.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was the man of God's punishment so severe for seemingly just eating and drinking?
Answer: The severity of the man of God's punishment, which resulted in his death by a lion (1_kings/13-23-24), stemmed not from the mere physical act of eating and drinking, but from his direct and conscious disobedience to an explicit, unambiguous command from God. He had been given a clear, specific prohibition: "You shall not eat bread or drink water there, nor return by the way which you came" (1 Kings 13:9). This command was not arbitrary; it symbolized God's complete separation from the idolatrous practices of Bethel and Jeroboam's apostate kingdom. As a prophet, the man of God was a direct representative of the Lord, and his obedience was crucial for maintaining the integrity of God's message and the sanctity of His word. His failure, therefore, was a public affront to God's authority and truth, especially after he had so faithfully delivered the initial prophecy. The swift and severe judgment underscored God's holiness, the seriousness of His commands, and the absolute necessity of obedience, particularly for those who serve as His messengers. It demonstrated that God upholds His word, even when His own prophet disobeys, and that deception, while culpable, does not negate personal responsibility before a holy God.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The tragic narrative of the man of God in 1 Kings 13:19, marked by his fatal disobedience, finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the perfect and unwavering obedience of Jesus Christ. Unlike the man of God who succumbed to deception and broke God's explicit command concerning food and fellowship, Jesus perfectly embodied absolute submission to the Father's will. During His temptation in the wilderness, when directly challenged by Satan to turn stones into bread, Jesus famously declared, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4), thereby prioritizing divine command over physical sustenance, a direct contrast to the prophet in Bethel. Where the prophet failed to discern truth from deception, Jesus, as the very "Word of God" made flesh (John 1:1), perfectly knew and perfectly obeyed the Father's will, even to the point of death on the cross (Philippians 2:8). The man of God's eating and drinking in defiance of God's word brought judgment and death, but Christ's perfect obedience, culminating in His sacrificial death and resurrection, provides the bread of life and living water to all who believe, offering forgiveness and eternal life where human disobedience brought only condemnation (John 6:35; John 4:14). He is the faithful Prophet, Priest, and King who never deviated from the Father's command, thus securing salvation for all who trust in His perfect obedience.