1 Kings 13:8
in 1 Kings 13But the man of God replied, “If you were to give me half your possessions, I still would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water in this place.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thy house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place;
KJV
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 I eat bread nor drink water in this place:
⋯
This verse in 1 Kings 13
Commentary
4 notes on this verseAnd the man of God said unto the king,.... In answer to his civility to him, to assure him it was not out of contempt to him, or ill will to him, or slight of his favour, but in obedience to the will of God: if thou wilt give half of thine house; of the riches in it, and even of his kingdom: I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place; this idolatrous place; the reason follows.
This site's exposition
Come home with me and refresh yourself
on 1 Kings 13:7-8
The king's offer of a meal and a reward is ordinary hospitality, and the man of God's refusal is obedience to a specific charge. Henry reads the courtesy as reasonable and the refusal as necessary, since eating at Bethel would answer the sign with a compromise.
This site's exposition
half your possessions
Half a king's house was a great offer, and Balaam gave a like answer to Balak at Numbers 22:18. John Gill reads the refusal as obedience to God, spoken with courtesy to the king. Verse 9 gives the reason.
The record, by era
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
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.
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אִישׁ־ | ʾish- | [the] man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| תִּתֶּן־ | titen- | you will give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לִי֙ | li | to me | ||
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| חֲצִ֣י | chatzi | <the> half of | H2677 → | 125 times |
| בֵיתֶ֔ךָ | veitekha | household your | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אָבֹ֖א | ʾavo' | I will go | H935 → | 2568 times |
| עִמָּ֑ךְ | ʾimakh | with you | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| וְלֹֽא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אֹ֤כַל | ʾokhal | I will eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| לֶ֙חֶם֙ | lechem | bread | H3899 → | 298 times |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אֶשְׁתֶּה־ | ʾeshteh- | I will drink | H8354 → | 217 times |
| מַּ֔יִם | mayim | water | H4325 → | 581 times |
| בַּמָּק֖וֹם | bamakom | in the place | H4725 → | 401 times |
| הַזֶּֽה׃ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אִישׁ־[the] man of
ʾish-H376 →1663 times
הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
תִּתֶּן־you will give
titen-H5414 →2011 times
לִי֙to me
li
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
חֲצִ֣י<the> half of
chatziH2677 →125 times
בֵיתֶ֔ךָhousehold your
veitekhaH1004 →2046 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
אָבֹ֖אI will go
ʾavo'H935 →2568 times
עִמָּ֑ךְwith you
ʾimakhH5973 →1050 times
וְלֹֽא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
אֹ֤כַלI will eat
ʾokhalH398 →810 times
לֶ֙חֶם֙bread
lechemH3899 →298 times
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
אֶשְׁתֶּה־I will drink
ʾeshteh-H8354 →217 times
מַּ֔יִםwater
mayimH4325 →581 times
בַּמָּק֖וֹםin the place
bamakomH4725 →401 times
הַזֶּֽה׃<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 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
Mark 6:23And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom!”
it leads to
- Esther 7:2
and as they drank their wine on that second day, the king asked once more, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given to you. What is your request? Even up to…
- Esther 5:3
“What is it, Queen Esther?” the king inquired. “What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given to you.”
- Esther 5:6
And as they drank their wine, the king said to Esther, “What is your petition? It will be given to you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be…
- Matthew 4:9
“All this I will give You,” he said, “if You will fall down and worship me.”
- 2 Kings 6:31
He announced, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders through this day!”
- Esther 7:2
Through
Numbers 22:18But Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything small or great to go beyond the command…
it leads to
- Numbers 24:13
that even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the…
- 1 Kings 22:14
But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will speak whatever the LORD tells me.”
- Numbers 24:13
Through
Exodus 5:3“The God of the Hebrews has met with us,” they answered. “Please let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD our God, or He may strike us…
it leads to
- Exodus 3:18
The elders of Israel will listen to what you say, and you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with…
- Exodus 3:18
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Kings
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.