1 Kings 13:18
in 1 Kings 13Then the prophet replied, “I too am a prophet like you, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, so that he may eat bread and drink water.’” The old prophet was lying to him,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he said unto him, I also am a prophet as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of Jehovah, saying, Bring him back with thee into thy house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.
KJV
He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.
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This verse in 1 Kings 13
Commentary
6 notes on this verseAn angel spake unto me - That he lied unto him is here expressly asserted, and is amply proved by the event. But why should he deceive him? The simple principle of curiosity to know all about this prediction, and the strange facts which had taken place, of which he had heard at second hand by means of his sons, was sufficient to induce such a person to get the intelligence he wished by any means.
This site's exposition
I may not return with thee
on 1 Kings 13:16-18
The man of God repeats to the old prophet the exact refusal he gave the king, bread and water withheld from Bethel by direct charge from the Lord. The old prophet answers with a claim to his own angelic message countermanding it, and the text stops to tell the reader what the man of God is not told: but he lied unto him. Clarke and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown both weigh why an established prophet would deceive a stranger over so small a matter, and neither settles it beyond calling it a strange and costly lie.
This site's exposition
I too am a prophet like you
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the angel as a messenger and name the messenger as the old prophet's own sons. Adam Clarke notes that the text says outright he was lying. Paul sets the same test at Galatians 1:8, where even an angel who brings a contrary word is to be under a curse.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And he said unto him,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The "angel," that is, "messenger," was his own sons, who were worshippers, perhaps priests, at Beth-el.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
But he lied unto him - It is always to be remembered that the prophetic gift might co-exist with various degrees of moral imperfection in the person possessing it. Note especially the case of Balaam.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| ל֗וֹ | lo | to him | ||
| גַּם־ | gam- | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| אֲנִ֣י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| נָבִיא֮ | navi' | [am] a prophet | H5030 → | 314 times |
| כָּמוֹךָ֒ | kamokha | like you | H3644 → | 143 times |
| וּמַלְאָ֡ךְ | umalakh | and an angel | H4397 → | 213 times |
| דִּבֶּ֣ר | diber | it has spoken | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֵלַי֩ | ʾelai | to me | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בִּדְבַ֨ר | bidvar | by [the] word of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| יְהוָ֜ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לֵאמֹ֗ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הֲשִׁבֵ֤הוּ | hashivehu | bring back him | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אִתְּךָ֙ | ʾitekha | with you | H854 → | 929 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בֵּיתֶ֔ךָ | beitekha | house your | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| וְיֹ֥אכַל | veyokhal | so he may eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| לֶ֖חֶם | lechem | bread | H3899 → | 298 times |
| וְיֵ֣שְׁתְּ | veyeshet | so he may drink | H8354 → | 217 times |
| מָ֑יִם | mayim | water | H4325 → | 581 times |
| כִּחֵ֖שׁ | kichesh | he lied | H3584 → | |
| לֽוֹ׃ | lo | to him |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
ל֗וֹto him
lo
גַּם־also
gam-H1571 →769 times
אֲנִ֣יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
נָבִיא֮[am] a prophet
navi'H5030 →314 times
כָּמוֹךָ֒like you
kamokhaH3644 →143 times
וּמַלְאָ֡ךְand an angel
umalakhH4397 →213 times
דִּבֶּ֣רit has spoken
diberH1696 →1141 times
אֵלַי֩to me
ʾelaiH413 →5510 times
בִּדְבַ֨רby [the] word of
bidvarH1697 →1440 times
יְהוָ֜הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לֵאמֹ֗ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
הֲשִׁבֵ֤הוּbring back him
hashivehuH7725 →1056 times
אִתְּךָ֙with you
ʾitekhaH854 →929 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
בֵּיתֶ֔ךָhouse your
beitekhaH1004 →2046 times
וְיֹ֥אכַלso he may eat
veyokhalH398 →810 times
לֶ֖חֶםbread
lechemH3899 →298 times
וְיֵ֣שְׁתְּso he may drink
veyeshetH8354 →217 times
מָ֑יִםwater
mayimH4325 →581 times
כִּחֵ֖שׁhe lied
kicheshH3584 →
לֽוֹ׃to him
lo
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 7:15Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
it leads to
- Matthew 24:11
and many false prophets will arise and mislead many.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 John 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
- 2 Peter 2:1–3
Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on…
- Matthew 24:11
Through
1 John 4:1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 5:21
but test all things. Hold fast to what is good.
- 2 Peter 2:1
Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on…
- 1 Timothy 4:1
Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
- 2 John 1:7
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, refusing to confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:21
Through
2 Peter 2:1Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on…
it leads to
- Matthew 7:15
Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 7:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Kings

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).
