1 Kings 13:4
in 1 Kings 13Now when King Jeroboam, who was at the altar in Bethel, heard the word that the man of God had cried out against it, he stretched out his hand and said, “Seize him!” But the hand he stretched out toward him withered, so that he could not pull it back.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it came to pass, when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Beth-el, that Jeroboam 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 draw it back again to him.
KJV
And 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.
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This verse in 1 Kings 13
Commentary
7 notes on this verseBut when in the temple of our God, that wicked king Jeroboam took away the gifts that his father had laid up and offered them to idols on the holy altar, did not his right hand, which he stretched, wither, and his idols, which he called on, were not able to help him? Then, turning to the Lord, he asked for pardon, and at once his hand, which had withered by sacrilege, was healed by true religion.
This site's exposition
he stretched out his hand and said
on 1 Kings 13:4-6
Jeroboam's hand carries out the sign: stretched out to seize the prophet, it withers, and the altar splits at the same moment. The king who ordered the arrest now asks the same man to “pray that my hand may be restored”, and the hand is healed. His heart stays unchanged.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
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. The sudden healing of the hand that was suddenly dried up, upon his submission,
Dried up - Or, withered, the muscles and sinews, the instruments of motion, shrunk up. This God did, to chastise Jeroboam for offering violence to the Lord's prophet: to secure the prophet against farther violence: and, that in this example God might shew, how highly he resents the injuries done to his ministers, for the faithful discharge of their office.
And it came to pass, when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, who had cried against the altar in Bethel,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
That moment the king's arm became stiff and motionless, and the altar split asunder, so that the fire and ashes fell on the floor. Overawed by the effects of his impiety, Jeroboam besought the prophet's prayer. His request was acceded to, and the hand was restored to its healthy state.
Lay hold on him - No doubt, stretching out his own hand at the same time, through rage, pride, and haste, to execute his own orders. And his hand dried up - The whole arm became suddenly rigid; the nerves no longer communicated their influence, and the muscles ceased to obey the dictates of the will.
The words behind it
30 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִי֩ | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| כִשְׁמֹ֨עַ | khishmoa' | when heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דְּבַ֣ר | devar | [the] word of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אִישׁ־ | ʾish- | [the] man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| קָרָ֤א | kara' | he called out | H7121 → | 733 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| בְּבֵֽית־ | beveit- | at Beth- | H1008 → | 142 times |
| אֵ֔ל | ʾel | -el | H1008 → | 142 times |
| וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח | vaiyishlach | and he stretched out | H7971 → | 845 times |
| יָרָבְעָ֧ם | yaraveam | Jeroboam | H3379 → | 104 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יָד֛וֹ | yado | hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| מֵעַ֥ל | meal | from at | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| לֵאמֹ֣ר׀ | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| תִּפְשֻׂ֑הוּ | tifsuhu | seize him | H8610 → | 65 times |
| וַתִּיבַ֤שׁ | vativash | and it dried up | H3001 → | |
| יָדוֹ֙ | yado | hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| שָׁלַ֣ח | shalach | he had stretched out | H7971 → | 845 times |
| עָלָ֔יו | ʾalav | on him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָכֹ֖ל | yakhol | he was able | H3201 → | 194 times |
| לַהֲשִׁיבָ֥הּ | lahashivah | to bring back it | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אֵלָֽיו׃ | ʾelav | to himself | H413 → | 5510 times |
וַיְהִי֩and it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
כִשְׁמֹ֨עַwhen heard
khishmoa'H8085 →1159 times
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דְּבַ֣ר[the] word of
devarH1697 →1440 times
אִישׁ־[the] man of
ʾish-H376 →1663 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
קָרָ֤אhe called out
kara'H7121 →733 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙the altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
בְּבֵֽית־at Beth-
beveit-H1008 →142 times
אֵ֔ל-el
ʾelH1008 →142 times
וַיִּשְׁלַ֨חand he stretched out
vaiyishlachH7971 →845 times
יָרָבְעָ֧םJeroboam
yaraveamH3379 →104 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יָד֛וֹhand his
yadoH3027 →1618 times
מֵעַ֥לfrom at
mealH5921 →5755 times
הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַthe altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
לֵאמֹ֣ר׀<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
תִּפְשֻׂ֑הוּseize him
tifsuhuH8610 →65 times
וַתִּיבַ֤שׁand it dried up
vativashH3001 →
יָדוֹ֙hand his
yadoH3027 →1618 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
שָׁלַ֣חhe had stretched out
shalachH7971 →845 times
עָלָ֔יוon him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יָכֹ֖לhe was able
yakholH3201 →194 times
לַהֲשִׁיבָ֥הּto bring back it
lahashivahH7725 →1056 times
אֵלָֽיו׃to himself
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 11:5If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone who wants to harm them must be killed.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 5:14
Therefore this is what the LORD God of Hosts says: “Because you have spoken this word, I will make My words a fire in your mouth and this people the wood it consumes.
- 2 Kings 1:10–12
Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed the captain…
- Hosea 6:5
Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of My mouth, and My judgments go forth like lightning.
- Isaiah 11:4
but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and with equity He will decide for the lowly of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth and slay the…
- Numbers 16:28–35
Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things, for it was not my own doing:
- Jeremiah 5:14
Where this verse is studied
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About 1 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ambrose of Milan, Concerning Virginity 2.5.38; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.