1 Kings 13:11
in 1 Kings 13Now a certain old prophet was living in Bethel, and his sons came and told him all the deeds that the man of God had done that day in Bethel. They also told their father the words that the man had spoken to the king.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now there dwelt an old prophet in Beth-el; and one of 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 also they told unto their father.
KJV
Now 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.
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This verse in 1 Kings 13
Commentary
6 notes on this verseSome authors assert that [the old prophet] was not an impostor but invited [the true prophet] to eat out of human sympathy in order to refresh and thank him for admonishing Jeroboam. And that is why God did not harm him as a consequence of …
This site's exposition
Now there dwelt an old prophet
on 1 Kings 13:11-13
An old prophet living at Bethel hears the whole account secondhand from his sons and saddles his ass to catch the man who has already left on foot. Barnes notes that Israelites who kept faith with the Lord after Jeroboam's changes generally left for Jerusalem, so a prophet who stayed at the new center of the calf worship is already a different kind of man than the visitor from Judah. The chase itself is the old prophet's own choice; nothing in the text says he was sent.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And altho' an holy prophet may possibly have continued in the kingdom of Israel, he would never have gone from his own habitation, to dwell at Beth- el, the chief seat of idolatry, unless with design to preach against it: which it is evident he did not; his sons seem to have been present at, and, and to have joined with others in that idolatrous worship.
Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The truly pious Israelites quitted their homes when Jeroboam made his religious changes, and, proceeding to Jerusalem, strengthened the kingdom of Rehoboam 2Ch 10:16-17. This “old prophet” therefore, who, without being infirm in any way, had remained under Jeroboam, and was even content to dwell at Bethel - the chief seat of the new worship - was devoid of any deep and earnest religious feeling.
An old prophet - Probably once a prophet of the Lord, who had fallen from his steadfastness, and yet not so deeply as to lose the knowledge of the true God, and join with Jeroboam in his idolatries. We find he was not at the king’s sacrifice, though his sons were there; and perhaps even they were there, not as idolaters, but as spectators of what was done.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
An old prophet. A false prophet. 6 According to some opinions the prophet was Michah. Others opine it was either Amatzyah, or Yiddo, or Yonoson the son of Gershom.—Radak
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
28 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְנָבִ֤יא | venavi' | and a prophet | H5030 → | 314 times |
| אֶחָד֙ | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| זָקֵ֔ן | zaken | old | H2205 → | 178 times |
| יֹשֵׁ֖ב | yoshev | [was] dwelling | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בְּבֵֽית־ | beveit- | in Beth- | H1008 → | 142 times |
| אֵ֑ל | ʾel | -el | H1008 → | 142 times |
| וַיָּב֣וֹא | vaiyavo' | and he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| בְנ֡וֹ | veno | son his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| וַיְסַפֶּר־ | vaysaper- | and he recounted | H5608 → | 159 times |
| ל֣וֹ | lo | to him | ||
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַמַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה | hamaaseh | <the> deed | H4639 → | 236 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָשָׂה֩ | ʾasah | he had done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אִישׁ־ | ʾish- | [the] man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֨ים׀ | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| הַיּ֜וֹם | haiyom | this day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| בְּבֵֽית־ | beveit- | in Beth- | H1008 → | 142 times |
| אֵ֗ל | ʾel | -el | H1008 → | 142 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַדְּבָרִים֙ | hadevarim | the words | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| דִּבֶּ֣ר | diber | he had spoken | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וַֽיְסַפְּר֖וּם | vaysaperum | and they recounted them | H5608 → | 159 times |
| לַאֲבִיהֶֽם׃ | laavihem | to father their | H1 → | 1212 times |
וְנָבִ֤יאand a prophet
venavi'H5030 →314 times
אֶחָד֙one
ʾechadH259 →971 times
זָקֵ֔ןold
zakenH2205 →178 times
יֹשֵׁ֖ב[was] dwelling
yoshevH3427 →1079 times
בְּבֵֽית־in Beth-
beveit-H1008 →142 times
אֵ֑ל-el
ʾelH1008 →142 times
וַיָּב֣וֹאand he came
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
בְנ֡וֹson his
venoH1121 →4930 times
וַיְסַפֶּר־and he recounted
vaysaper-H5608 →159 times
ל֣וֹto him
lo
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַמַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה<the> deed
hamaasehH4639 →236 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
עָשָׂה֩he had done
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
אִישׁ־[the] man of
ʾish-H376 →1663 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֨ים׀<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
הַיּ֜וֹםthis day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
בְּבֵֽית־in Beth-
beveit-H1008 →142 times
אֵ֗ל-el
ʾelH1008 →142 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַדְּבָרִים֙the words
hadevarimH1697 →1440 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
דִּבֶּ֣רhe had spoken
diberH1696 →1141 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וַֽיְסַפְּר֖וּםand they recounted them
vaysaperumH5608 →159 times
לַאֲבִיהֶֽם׃to father their
laavihemH1 →1212 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
Matthew 7:22Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
it leads to
- Luke 13:25–27
After the master of the house gets up and shuts the door, you will stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ But he will reply, ‘I do not know where…
- 1 Corinthians 13:1–2
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal.
- Malachi 3:17–18
“They will be Mine,” says the LORD of Hosts, “on the day when I prepare My treasured possession. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.
- Acts 19:13–15
Now there were some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits. They would say, “I bind you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.”
- Hebrews 6:4–6
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,
- Luke 13:25–27
Through
2 Kings 23:18“Let him rest,” said Josiah. “Do not let anyone disturb his bones.” So they left his bones undisturbed, along with those of the prophet who had come from Samaria.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 13:31
After he had buried him, the prophet said to his sons, “When I die, you must bury me in the tomb where the man of God is buried. Lay my bones beside his bones,
- 1 Kings 13:31
Through
1 Samuel 10:11All those who had formerly known Saul and saw him prophesying with the prophets asked one another, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”
it leads to
- John 7:15
The Jews were amazed and asked, “How did this man attain such learning without having studied?”
- 1 Samuel 19:24
Then Saul stripped off his robes and also prophesied before Samuel. And he collapsed and lay naked all that day and night. That is why it is said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
- John 7:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ishodad of Merv, BOOKS OF SESSIONS 1 KINGS 13:11; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament.