1 Kings 13 · Verse 24

1 Kings 13:24

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 by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.
1 Kings 13:24, King James Version

1 Kings 13:24 in other translations

BSBAs he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was left lying in the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it.
WEBWhen he had gone, a lion met him by the way and killed him. His body was thrown on the path, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the body.
ASVAnd when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his body was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it; the lion also stood by the body.
YLTand he goeth, and a lion findeth him in the way, and putteth him to death, and his carcase is cast in the way, and the ass is standing near it, and the lion is standing near the carcase.
DARBYand he departed. And a lion met him by the way and slew him; and his corpse was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it; the lion also stood by the corpse.
BBEAnd he went on his way; but on the road a lion came rushing at him and put him to death; and his dead body was stretched in the road with the ass by its side, and the lion was there by the body.
WebsterAnd when he had gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcass was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcass.

What does 1 Kings 13:24 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
24. a lion met him by the way, and slew him--There was a wood near Beth-el infested with lions (2Ki 2:24). This sad catastrophe was a severe but necessary judgment of God, to attest the truth of the message with which the prophet had been charged. All the circumstances of this tragic occurrence (the undevoured carcass, the untouched ass, the passengers unmolested by the lion, though standing there) were calculated to produce an irresistible impression that the hand of God was in it.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 24 A lion met him - and slew him - By permitting himself to be seduced by the old prophet, when he should have acted only on the expressly declared counsel of God, he committed the sin unto death; that is, such a sin as God will punish with the death of the body, while he extends mercy to the soul. See my notes on 1Jn 5:16 (note), 1Jn 5:17 (note). From the instance here related, we see, as in various other cases, that often judgment begins at the house of God. The true prophet, for receiving that as a revelation from God which was opposed to the revelation which himself had received, and which was confirmed by so many miracles, is slain by a lion, and his body deprived of the burial of his fathers; while the wicked king, and the old fallen prophet, are both permitted to live! If this was severity to the man of God, it was mercy to the others, neither of whom was prepared to meet his judge. Here we may well say, "If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?"

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Kings 13:23-34

God is displeased at the sins of his own people; and no man shall be protected in disobedience, by his office, his nearness to God, or any services he has done for him. God warns all whom he employs, strictly to observe their orders. We cannot judge of men by their sufferings, nor of sins by present punishments; with some, the flesh is destroyed, that the spirit may be saved; with others, the flesh is pampered, that…

Read the full comment on 1 Kings 13:23-34 →

1 Kings 13:24 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.

וַיֵּ֕לֶךְvai.Ye.lekhand he wentH1980
וַיִּמְצָאֵ֧הוּvai.yim.tza.'E.huand it met himH4672
אַרְיֵ֛ה'ar.Yeha lionH738
בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְba.De.rekhon the wayH1870
וַיְמִיתֵ֑הוּvay.mi.Te.huand it killed himH4191
וַתְּהִ֤יva.te.Hiand it wasH1961
נִבְלָתוֹ֙niv.la.Tocorpse hisH5038
מֻשְׁלֶ֣כֶתmush.Le.khetthrown downH7993
בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְba.De.rekhin the roadH1870
וְהַחֲמוֹר֙ve.ha.cha.mOrand the donkeyH2543
עֹמֵ֣ד'o.Med[was] standingH5975
אֶצְלָ֔הּ'etz.Lahbeside itH681
וְהָ֣אַרְיֵ֔הve.Ha.'ar.Yehand the lionH738
עֹמֵ֖ד'o.Med[was] standingH5975
אֵ֥צֶל'E.tzelbesideH681
הַנְּבֵלָֽה\׃ha.ne.ve.Lahthe corpseH5038

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

Cross references for 1 Kings 13:24

  • 1 Kings 20:36

    Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the Lord, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him.

  • Proverbs 26:13

    The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.

  • 1 Peter 4:17-18

    For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

  • 2 Kings 2:24

    And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.

  • Amos 5:19

    As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.

  • Proverbs 22:13

    The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.

  • 1 Corinthians 11:31-32

    For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
a lion.
20:36; 2Ki 2:24; Pr 22:13; 26:13; Am 5:19; 1Co 11:31,32
1Pe 4:17,18

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

Context

  • 1 Kings 13:23

    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 the prophet whom he had brought back.

  • 1 Kings 13:24

    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 by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.

  • 1 Kings 13:25

    And, 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.

Read all of 1 Kings 13

1 Kings 13:24 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y yéndose, topóle un león en el camino, y matóle; y su cuerpo estaba echado en el camino, y el asno estaba junto á él, y el león también estaba junto al cuerpo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et il s’en alla; et un lion le trouva sur le chemin, et le tua. Et son cadavre était jeté sur le chemin, et l’âne se tenait à côté de lui, le lion aussi se tenait à côté du cadavre.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und er zog fort; und es fand ihn ein Löwe auf dem Wege und tötete ihn. Und sein Leichnam lag hingestreckt auf dem Wege, und der Esel stand daneben, und der Löwe stand neben dem Leichnam.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Qui cum abiisset, invenit eum leo in via, et occidit, et erat cadaver ejus projectum in itinere: asinus autem stabat juxta illum, et leo stabat juxta cadaver.