1 Kings 13 · Verse 1

1 Kings 13:1

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.
1 Kings 13:1, King James Version

1 Kings 13:1 in other translations

BSBSuddenly, as Jeroboam was standing beside the altar to burn incense, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD.
WEBBehold, a man of God came out of Judah by the LORD’s word to Bethel; and Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense.
ASVAnd, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of Jehovah unto Beth-el: and Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense.
YLTAnd lo, a man of God hath come from Judah, by the word of Jehovah, unto Beth-El, and Jeroboam is standing by the altar--to make perfume;
DARBYAnd behold, there came a man of God from Judah, by the word of Jehovah, to Bethel; and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
BBEThen a man of God came from Judah by the order of the Lord to Beth-el, where Jeroboam was by the altar, burning offerings.
WebsterAnd behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD to Beth-el: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.

What does 1 Kings 13:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
1Ki 13:1-22. Jeroboam's Hand Withers. 1. there came a man of God out of Judah--Who this prophet was cannot be ascertained, He came by divine authority. It could not be either Iddo or Ahijah, for both were alive after the events here related. Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense--It was at one of the annual festivals. The king, to give interest to the new ritual, was himself the officiating priest. The altar and its accompaniments would, of course, exhibit all the splendor of a new and gorgeously decorated temple. But the prophet foretold its utter destruction [1Ki 13:3].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

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, 1Kgs 13:1-3. Jeroboam is enraged, and orders the man of God to be seized; and stretching out his hand for this purpose, his arm dries up, 1Kgs 13:4. 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, 1Kgs 13:5, 1Kgs 13:6. 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, 1Kgs 13:7-10. 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, 1Kgs 13:11-19. 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, 1Kgs 13:20-25. 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, 1Kgs 13:26-32. Notwithstanding these warnings, Jeroboam continues in his idolatry, 1Kgs 13:33, 1Kgs 13:34. Verse 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, 2Chr 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Kings 13:1-10
In threatening the altar, the prophet threatens the founder and worshippers. Idolatrous worship will not continue, but the word of the Lord will endure for ever. The prediction plainly declared that the family of David would continue, and support true religion, when the ten tribes would not be able to resist them. If God, in justice, harden the hearts of sinners, so that the hand they have stretched out in sin they cannot pull in again by repentance, that is a spiritual judgment, represented by this, and much more dreadful. Jeroboam looked for help, not from his calves, but from God only, from his power, and his favour. The time may come when those that hate the preaching, would be glad of the prayers of faithful ministers. Jeroboam does not desire the prophet to pray that his sin might be pardoned, and his heart changed, but only that his hand might be restored. He seemed affected for the present with both the judgment and the mercy, but the impression wore off. God forbade his messenger to eat or drink in Bethel, to show his detestation of their idolatry and apostacy from God, and to teach us not to have fellowship with the works of darkness. Those have not learned self-denial, who cannot forbear one forbidden meal.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

1 Kings 13:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְהִנֵּ֣ה\׀ve.hi.Nehand there!H2009
אִ֣ישׁ'isha man ofH376
אֱלֹהִ֗ים'E.lo.HimGodH430
בָּ֧אba'he cameH935
מִיהוּדָ֛הmi.hu.Dahfrom JudahH3063
בִּדְבַ֥רbid.Varby [the] word ofH1697
יְהוָ֖הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֶל\־'el-toH413
בֵּֽית\־beit-Beth-H1008
אֵ֑ל'El-elH1008
וְיָרָבְעָ֛םve.ya.ra.ve.'Amand JeroboamH3379
עֹמֵ֥ד'o.Med[was] standingH5975
עַל\־'al-atH5921
הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַha.miz.Be.achthe altarH4196
לְהַקְטִֽיר\׃le.hak.Tirto make smokeH6999

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Kings 13:1

  • 2 Kings 23:17

    Then he said, What title is that that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Beth–el.

  • 1 Kings 12:32-33

    And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Beth–el, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Beth–el the priests of the high places which he had made. So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Beth–el the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.

  • 1 Thessalonians 4:15

    For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

  • Jeremiah 25:3

    From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the Lord hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened.

  • Jeremiah 32:29

    And the Chaldeans, that fight against this city, shall come and set fire on this city, and burn it with the houses, upon whose roofs they have offered incense unto Baal, and poured out drink offerings unto other gods, to provoke me to anger.

  • Numbers 16:40

    To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the Lord; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the Lord said to him by the hand of Moses.

  • 1 Kings 13:9

    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 way that thou camest.

  • 2 Chronicles 9:29

    Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

  • 1 Kings 13:26

    And 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.

  • 2 Chronicles 26:18

    And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God.

  • 1 Kings 12:22

    But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

  • 1 Kings 13:32

    For 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.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 Jeroboam's hand withers,
6 and at the prayer of the prophet is restored.
7 The prophet departs from Beth-el.
11 An old prophet brings him back.
20 He is reproved by God,
23 slain by a lion,
26 buried by the old prophet,
31 who confirms his prophecy.
33 Jeroboam's obstinacy.

there came.
12:22; 2Ki 23:17; 2Ch 9:29
by the word.
5,9,26,32; 20:35; Jer 25:3; 1Th 4:15
Jeroboam.
12:32,33; 2Ch 26:18
burn. or, offer.
Nu 16:40; Jer 11:12; 32:29; Mal 1:11; Re 8:3

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Kings 13:1

    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.

  • 1 Kings 13:2

    And 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.

Read all of 1 Kings 13

1 Kings 13:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y HE aquí que un varón de Dios por palabra de Jehová vino de Judá á Beth-el; y estando Jeroboam al altar para quemar perfumes,
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et voici, un homme de Dieu vint de Juda, par la parole de l’ Éternel, à Béthel, et Jéroboam se tenait près de l’autel pour faire fumer l’encens.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und siehe, ein Mann Gottes kam aus Juda, durch das Wort Jehovas, nach Bethel, und Jerobeam stand bei dem Altar, um zu räuchern.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et ecce vir Dei venit de Juda in sermone Domini in Bethel, Jeroboam stante super altare, et thus jaciente.