The big picture
1 Kings 13 opens in verse 1 with “And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Beth-el…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 17 with “For it was said to me by the word of the LORD , Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water…”, and closes in verse 34 with “And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, altar, bread, carcase, word. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
1 Kings · King James Version · 341 Kings 13:1-7
1–7: And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the…
1 Kings 13:1–7 opens with “And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Beth-el: and…” and reaches “And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 1 Kings 13 develops its own movement around LORD, altar, bread, carcase, word, with particular weight carried by altar, LORD, hand.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Beth-el: and Jeroboam stood by the…” Naming Beth keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD , and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD ; Behold, a…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in…” This familiar narrative signal moves the clock forward. What follows is a new scene, consequence, or answer to an earlier tension.
1 Kings 13:1-7
King James Version1And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Beth-el: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
2And 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 thee.
3And 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.
4And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Beth-el, 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.
5The 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 .
6And 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.
7And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.
1 Kings 13:8-14
8–14: The man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine…
1 Kings 13:8–14 opens with “And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in…” and reaches “And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 1 Kings 13 develops its own movement around LORD, altar, bread, carcase, word, with particular weight carried by Beth, sons, bread.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 2 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“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…” The verse names God rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.
“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…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
1 Kings 13:8-14
King James Version8And 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:
9For 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.
10So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Beth-el.
11Now there dwelt an old prophet in Beth-el; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Beth-el: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.
12And 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.
13And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon,
14And 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.
1 Kings 13:15-21
15–21: He said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.
1 Kings 13:15–21 opens with “Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.” and reaches “And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD , Forasmuch…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 1 Kings 13 develops its own movement around LORD, altar, bread, carcase, word, with particular weight carried by LORD, bread, water.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.” Naming Come keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“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…” The line’s distinctive content terms include bread, drink, place. Its relationship to verses 15 and 17 shows what work it does in this passage.
“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…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
1 Kings 13:15-21
King James Version15Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.
16And 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:
17For 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.
18He 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.
19So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.
20And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back:
21And 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,
1 Kings 13:22-28
22–28: Camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the…
1 Kings 13:22–28 opens with “But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the \+nd…” and reaches “And he went and found his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 1 Kings 13 develops its own movement around LORD, altar, bread, carcase, word, with particular weight carried by carcase, lion, LORD.
Context that brings the passage to life
“But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the \+nd Lord\+nd did say to thee…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“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…” This familiar narrative signal moves the clock forward. What follows is a new scene, consequence, or answer to an earlier tension.
“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…” The line’s distinctive content terms include carcase, lion, stood. Its relationship to verses 23 and 25 shows what work it does in this passage.
1 Kings 13:22-28
King James Version22But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the \+nd Lord\+nd did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.
23And 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.
24And 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.
25And, 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.
26And 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.
27And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him.
28And 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.
1 Kings 13:29-34
29–34: The prophet took up the carcase of the man of God, and laid it upon the…
1 Kings 13:29–34 opens with “And the prophet took up the carcase of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it…” and reaches “And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 1 Kings 13 develops its own movement around LORD, altar, bread, carcase, word, with particular weight carried by high, places, became.
Context that brings the passage to life
“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…” The verse names God rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.
“And he laid his carcase in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother!” Naming Alas keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
1 Kings 13:29-34
King James Version29And 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.
30And he laid his carcase in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother!
31And 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:
32For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD against the altar in Beth-el, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.
33After 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.
34And 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.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
1 Kings 13:1 begins with “And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Beth-el: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.”
Where the chapter turns
1 Kings 13:15 forms a natural hinge: “Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.”
The final note
1 Kings 13:34 leaves the reader with “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.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, altar, bread, carcase, word, prophet help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
How does Abram pursue peace?
He names their kinship and offers a practical separation without insisting on first choice.
What can Lot see that Abram cannot yet possess?
Lot sees fertile land; Abram receives a promise of land and descendants still to come.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.