1 Kings 13:9
in 1 Kings 13For this is what I was commanded by the word of the LORD: ‘You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came.’”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
for so was it charged me by the word of Jehovah, saying, Thou shalt eat no bread, nor drink water, neither return by the way that thou camest.
KJV
For so was it charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.
⋯
This verse in 1 Kings 13
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Eat no bread, nor drink water - The reason of the command is evident. The man of God was not to accept the hospitality of any dweller at Bethel, in order to show in a marked way, which men generally could appreciate, God’s abhorrence of the system which Jeroboam had “devised of his own heart.” Nor turn again by the same way that thou camest - This command seems to have been given simply to test the obedience of the prophet by laying him under a positive as well as a moral obligation.
This site's exposition
Eat no bread, nor drink water
on 1 Kings 13:9-10
The command not to eat, not to drink, and not to return by the same road is laid on the prophet as a positive test distinct from the message itself, obedience proven by a rule that has no reason given in the text. He keeps it exactly, eating nothing and choosing a different way home. Barnes reads the extra command as designed to test obedience under a plain, arbitrary charge rather than a moral one, which is what makes the rest of the chapter possible.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Eat nor drink - In that place, or with that people. Whereby God declares, how detestable they were in God's eyes; because they were vile apostates from the true God, and embraced this idol-worship, against the light of their own consciences, merely to comply with the king's humour and command.
For so it was charged me by the word of the Lord,.... The command of the Lord, by which he came to Bethel, and cried against the altar there, 1Ki 13:1. saying, eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest: signifying that no communion was to be had with idolaters, nor any example to be set and followed; but the way to them, and to their idolatry, was to be shunned and avoided.
That Jeroboam was so affected with the cure of his hand that though we read not of his thanksgivings to God for the mercy, or of his sending an offering to the altar at Jerusalem in acknowledgment of it, yet he was willing to express his gratitude to the prophet and pay him for his prayers,
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.
For so it was charged me - Eat no bread, etc. - That is, Have no kind of communication with those idolaters. He was charged also not to return by the way that he came; probably lest the account of what was done should have reached the ears of any of the people through whom he had passed, and he suffer inconveniences on the account, either by persecution from the idolaters, or from curious people delaying him, in order to cause him to give an account of the transactions which took place at Beth-el. This is a reason why he should not return by the same way; but what the reason of this part of the charge was, if not the above, is not easy to see.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| כֵ֣ן׀ | khen | thus | H3651 → | 771 times |
| צִוָּ֣ה | tzivah | he commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| אֹתִ֗י | ʾoti | <obj.> me | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בִּדְבַ֤ר | bidvar | by [the] word of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תֹ֥אכַל | tokhal | you must eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| לֶ֖חֶם | lechem | bread | H3899 → | 298 times |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִשְׁתֶּה־ | tishteh- | you must drink | H8354 → | 217 times |
| מָּ֑יִם | mayim | water | H4325 → | 581 times |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תָשׁ֔וּב | tashuv | you must return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ | baderekh | by the way | H1870 → | 707 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הָלָֽכְתָּ׃ | halakheta | you went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
כֵ֣ן׀thus
khenH3651 →771 times
צִוָּ֣הhe commanded
tzivahH6680 →494 times
אֹתִ֗י<obj.> me
ʾotiH853 →10935 times
בִּדְבַ֤רby [the] word of
bidvarH1697 →1440 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תֹ֥אכַלyou must eat
tokhalH398 →810 times
לֶ֖חֶםbread
lechemH3899 →298 times
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
תִשְׁתֶּה־you must drink
tishteh-H8354 →217 times
מָּ֑יִםwater
mayimH4325 →581 times
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
תָשׁ֔וּבyou must return
tashuvH7725 →1056 times
בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְby the way
baderekhH1870 →707 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הָלָֽכְתָּ׃you went
halakhetaH1980 →1546 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
Job 23:12I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 15:16
Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became my joy and my heart’s delight. For I bear Your name, O LORD God of Hosts.
- Psalms 119:11
I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.
- Psalms 119:103
How sweet are Your words to my taste— sweeter than honey in my mouth!
- Jeremiah 15:16
Through
Romans 16:17Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Turn away from them.
it leads to
- Jude 1:19
These are the ones who cause divisions, who are worldly and devoid of the Spirit.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:6
Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who leads an undisciplined life that is not in keeping with the tradition you received…
- 1 Timothy 6:3–5
If anyone teaches another doctrine and disagrees with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with godly teaching,
- Jude 1:19
Through
John 15:14You are My friends if you do what I command you.
it leads to
- Matthew 12:50
For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
- 1 John 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome,
- Matthew 12:50
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); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; 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.