1 Kings 13:24 kjv
And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcass was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcass.
1 Kings 13:24 nkjv
When he was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the corpse.
1 Kings 13:24 niv
As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was left lying on the road, with both the donkey and the lion standing beside it.
1 Kings 13:24 esv
And as he went away a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his body was thrown in the road, and the donkey stood beside it; the lion also stood beside the body.
1 Kings 13:24 nlt
and the man of God started off again. But as he was traveling along, a lion came out and killed him. His body lay there on the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it.
1 Kings 13 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 20:12 | And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron, "Because ye believed me not...ye shall not bring this congregation into the land..." | Moses punished for disobedience, highlighting severity. |
| Deut 13:4 | Ye shall walk after the Lord your God... and hearken unto his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. | Emphasis on absolute obedience to God's commands. |
| Deut 18:20 | But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him...even that prophet shall die. | Death for prophets speaking falsely or disobediently. |
| 1 Sam 15:22 | And Samuel said, "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." | Obedience valued above ritual. |
| 1 Ki 13:9 | 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." | The explicit divine command the man of God broke. |
| 1 Ki 13:20 | And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came unto the old prophet that brought him back... | The judgment against the man of God was also prophesied. |
| 1 Ki 13:26 | And when the old prophet...heard thereof, he said, "It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the Lord: therefore the Lord hath delivered him..." | The old prophet identifies the cause of death: disobedience. |
| 2 Ki 17:25 | And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the Lord: therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which slew some of them. | God using lions as an agent of judgment. |
| Job 12:10 | In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind. | God's absolute sovereignty over life and death. |
| Psa 50:16-17 | But unto the wicked God saith, "What hast thou to do to declare my statutes...Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee?" | Reproach for those who claim God's word but disobey. |
| Psa 105:31 | He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts. | God using natural elements/creatures as judgment. |
| Prov 28:13 | He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. | Implied contrast: the prophet didn't confess his disobedience. |
| Isa 55:11 | So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. | God's word is effective and accomplishes its purpose. |
| Jer 23:32 | "Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams," saith the Lord... "nor profited this people at all," saith the Lord. | Judgment on false prophets or those leading astray. |
| Eze 14:15 | "If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate..." | God sending wild beasts as a form of judgment. |
| Hos 4:6 | My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. | Consequences of neglecting or rejecting God's word. |
| Matt 7:21 | "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." | Emphasis on doing God's will (obedience). |
| Lk 12:47 | "And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes." | Greater judgment for knowing and disobeying God's will. |
| Rom 6:16 | Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? | Obedience leads to righteousness, disobedience to death. |
| Heb 2:2-3 | For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation... | Severity of judgment for neglecting or disobeying God's word. |
| James 3:1 | My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. | Those in positions of teaching or spiritual authority face stricter judgment. |
1 Kings 13 verses
1 Kings 13 24 Meaning
This verse details the immediate and direct divine judgment on the disobedient man of God from Judah. After departing, he encountered a lion divinely sent to kill him, a direct consequence of violating God's explicit command. The unusual behavior of both the lion, not consuming the body, and the donkey, standing calmly beside the corpse, serves as a powerful sign indicating God's specific orchestration and validation of the judgment.
1 Kings 13 24 Context
Chapter 13 of 1 Kings opens with a stark contrast to Jeroboam's new, idolatrous religion. A nameless man of God from Judah is divinely sent to Bethel to prophesy against Jeroboam's altar and the calf worship. He delivers a powerful word of judgment, which is immediately validated by a sign (the altar splitting and its ashes spilling). God explicitly commands this man of God not to eat bread or drink water in Bethel and not to return by the same way he came (1 Ki 13:9). Despite miraculously restoring Jeroboam's hand, the man of God resists Jeroboam's offer of hospitality, initially obeying God's direct command. However, on his way back, he is deceived by an old prophet from Bethel, who falsely claims an angel told him to bring the man of God back to eat and drink. The man of God, against God's explicit instruction, succumbs to this lie. Verse 24 details the immediate, severe, and public consequence of this disobedience. The historical context includes Jeroboam's apostasy, setting up rival religious centers, which required a strong, uncompromising demonstration of God's authority and the seriousness of obedience to His Word.
1 Kings 13 24 Word analysis
- And when he was gone: This phrase signifies a transition to the man of God's journey homeward, setting the scene for the imminent judgment. It immediately follows his act of disobedience by accepting food and drink.
- a lion met him:
- a lion (אֲרִי, 'ari): Lions were formidable predators in ancient Israel (cf. 1 Sam 17:34). Here, the lion is not merely a wild animal but an instrument of divine judgment, signifying God's direct involvement. This points to the Creator's dominion over His creation.
- met (פָּגַשׁ, pagash): While meaning "to meet," in this context, it carries the strong connotation of an hostile encounter, indicating a confrontation that was orchestrated rather than coincidental.
- by the way: This implies a public road or path, ensuring the event would be seen and serve as a powerful object lesson. It wasn't a hidden incident.
- and slew him:
- slew (הֵמִית, hemit): This Hiphil form of the verb "to die" means "to cause to die" or "to put to death." It is an active, definitive action, emphasizing the lion as an agent of God's decisive judgment rather than a random predator attack.
- and his carcase (נְבֵלָה, nevelah) was cast in the way:
- carcase: Refers to a dead body, whether human or animal. The term "cast" indicates it was left there, not dragged away.
- This detail is crucial. Typically, a lion would drag its prey off to devour it. The fact that the carcase remained in the public way is another unnatural element, signifying a deliberate act of divine display, a public sign.
- and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase:
- stood by (עָמַד, amad): The repetition of "stood by" for both the ass and the lion is highly significant. It emphasizes their unnatural state of non-aggression.
- Normally, the ass would flee from the lion, and the lion would devour its kill and likely the ass too. Their passive, watchman-like presence unequivocally signals that this was not a natural predatory event but a supernaturally controlled judgment from God. They were divinely restrained witnesses to the gravity of prophetic disobedience. This unnatural stillness elevates the incident from mere tragedy to a profound theological statement.
1 Kings 13 24 Bonus section
The immediate and observable nature of this judgment served multiple purposes:
- Divine Vindication: It authenticated the original prophecy against Jeroboam's altar, showing that God means what He says, even against His own messenger if they fail Him.
- Public Lesson: The highly unusual behavior of the animals meant that anyone passing by would witness a profound and unsettling anomaly, leading to questions about divine intervention. This ensured the lesson of severe disobedience was publicly communicated.
- Contrast in Prophets: The death of the "man of God" highlights the contrast between truly speaking God's Word and being swayed by external voices, even those claiming divine inspiration. The old prophet, despite his lie, eventually confirms the true nature of the judgment (1 Ki 13:26).
- Mercy in Judgment: Despite the harsh judgment, the fact that the man of God was allowed a proper burial by the old prophet (1 Ki 13:29-30) shows a subtle nuance. His sin was not apostasy but a failure in obedience while performing his prophetic duty, thus he could still be mourned as "the man of God."
1 Kings 13 24 Commentary
1 Kings 13:24 serves as a stark testament to the unwavering severity of God's judgment, particularly against those entrusted with His Word. The prophet, despite performing miracles and accurately conveying God's message to Jeroboam, fell victim to a subtle deception and disobeyed a clear, specific command from God. The lion's action was not a random predatory attack but a divinely appointed execution, highlighting God's absolute control over all creation. The most striking element is the unnatural behavior of the lion and the ass—neither animal acted according to its instinct. The lion did not consume the body, nor did it harm the donkey. The donkey did not flee. This unusual scene was orchestrated by God as a powerful public sign: disobedience to God's precise instructions, even for a minor detail (eating/drinking), especially for His prophet, has fatal consequences. It underscored the absolute authority of God's Word and the gravity of rejecting it, even if influenced by others claiming divine revelation. It further served as a polemic against the lax attitude towards God's commands prevalent in Jeroboam's kingdom.