1 Kings 13 26

1 Kings 13:26 kjv

And when the prophet that brought him back from the way 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 unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him.

1 Kings 13:26 nkjv

Now when the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard it, he said, "It is the man of God who was disobedient to the word of the LORD. Therefore the LORD has delivered him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke to him."

1 Kings 13:26 niv

When the prophet who had brought him back from his journey heard of it, he said, "It is the man of God who defied the word of the LORD. The LORD has given him over to the lion, which has mauled him and killed him, as the word of the LORD had warned him."

1 Kings 13:26 esv

And when the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard of it, he said, "It is the man of God who disobeyed the word of the LORD; therefore the LORD has given him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word that the LORD spoke to him."

1 Kings 13:26 nlt

When the prophet heard the report, he said, "It is the man of God who disobeyed the LORD's command. The LORD has fulfilled his word by causing the lion to attack and kill him."

1 Kings 13 verses

1 Kings 13 26 Meaning

The old prophet, upon hearing of the man of God's death by a lion, immediately understood it was the true prophet from Judah who had been killed. He recognized that this occurred because the man of God had directly disobeyed a clear command from the Lord. Therefore, the Lord Himself delivered him to the lion, causing his death precisely as prophesied, reaffirming the absolute certainty and authority of God's word.

1 Kings 13 26 Context

This verse is situated at a critical juncture following the division of Israel into two kingdoms: Judah in the south and Israel in the north. King Jeroboam, of the northern kingdom, established alternative worship centers at Bethel and Dan with golden calves, fearing that pilgrimages to Jerusalem (Judah's capital) would lead to his people's return to Rehoboam. God sent a man of God from Judah to Bethel to pronounce judgment on Jeroboam's altar and prophetic warning. This prophet was given a strict command: to neither eat nor drink in Bethel, nor return by the same road, symbolizing complete separation from the apostasy. After refusing Jeroboam's hospitality, the man of God was deceived by an old prophet from Bethel, who lied, claiming an angel had reversed God's command. Believing this lie, the man of God ate and drank, thus disobeying God's explicit instruction. As a result, the old prophet, through divine inspiration, then prophesied the man of God's imminent death, which promptly occurred when a lion attacked him on his journey home. Verse 13:26 details the old prophet's profound realization of the tragedy and its divine cause, confirming the integrity of God's word.

1 Kings 13 26 Word analysis

• "And when the prophet that brought him back heard thereof":

  • "prophet": Hebrew navi, signifying a divinely appointed spokesman. It's ironic that the deceiver is also a prophet. This highlights a true prophet can be morally compromised.
  • "brought him back": Refers to the deceptive act (1 Kgs 13:19) that led to the man of God's fatal disobedience. The old prophet now grapples with his role in the tragedy.
  • "heard thereof": Implies he received the news (from his sons in 1 Kgs 13:25) of the body, lion, and ass. This triggers his sudden, stark understanding.

• "he said, It is the man of God":

  • "man of God": Hebrew ish ha'Elohim. A distinguished title indicating one set apart and empowered by God. This emphasizes the gravity of the incident—even a genuine, powerful servant of God faces severe judgment for disobedience. The old prophet’s confession validates the fallen prophet's true identity and God's just action.

• "who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD":

  • "disobedient": Derived from a root often implying rebellious defiance or failure to heed authority. Though deceived, the man of God chose to believe a conflicting message over a clear, direct, and divinely confirmed instruction he had just obeyed perfectly. This stresses accountability despite extenuating circumstances.
  • "word of the LORD": Hebrew devar Yahweh. Emphasizes the supreme authority and unalterable nature of God's explicit command. The disobedience was not to a general principle but to a precise, spoken word from the Lord.

• "therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion":

  • "therefore": Denotes direct cause and effect. The consequence flowed directly from the disobedience.
  • "the LORD": Hebrew Yahweh, the covenant name of God. This indicates divine agency; the lion's action was not random chance but divinely ordained judgment.
  • "delivered him": Hebrew n'tano, meaning "gave him" or "handed him over." It implies purposeful release into the lion's power as a divine act of judgment, rather than a mere attack.
  • "unto the lion": The lion, often a symbol of strength and danger, here serves as God's instrument of judgment. The unusual behavior of the lion (not eating the body or ass) highlights it was under specific divine control.

• "which hath torn him, and slain him":

  • "torn him, and slain him": Vividly describes the physical manifestation of the divine judgment, emphasizing the swift and final nature of the punishment.

• "according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him.":

  • "according to the word of the LORD": Hebrew ki'd'var Yahweh. This final phrase seals the truth: the event was a direct fulfillment of the prophecy God spoke through the old prophet himself (1 Kgs 13:21-22).
  • "which he spake unto him": Explicitly refers to the second prophetic word spoken by the old prophet to the man of God immediately after his disobedience. This underscores God's absolute faithfulness to His warnings and judgments, as much as His promises.

1 Kings 13 26 Bonus section

The incident of the man of God's death underscores the critical need for spiritual discernment. Despite receiving a direct command from God, the man of God yielded to a "new" word delivered by another prophet that contradicted the initial, clear instruction. This illustrates that genuine messages from God will not contradict prior, clear commands, and believers are called to test spirits (1 Jn 4:1). The unusual nature of the lion, not devouring the body or attacking the donkey, serves as a powerful testament to the fact that this was not a natural occurrence but a controlled, precise act of divine judgment—the lion was an instrument, not a random predator. The subsequent actions of the old prophet, burying the man of God in his own tomb, indicates a sense of responsibility and reverence, demonstrating that he believed in the man of God's genuine prophethood despite his error, and that the judgment was from the Lord, not a sign of his being a false prophet in essence.

1 Kings 13 26 Commentary

1 Kings 13:26 is a profound statement on the absolute authority and certainty of God's word and the severe consequences of disobedience, even for His consecrated servants. The old prophet's lamenting realization encapsulates the tragic irony: the genuine man of God, empowered by divine authority to confront apostasy, himself fell victim to divine judgment due to a single act of disobedience to a clear command. This was not random chance; the Lord Himself "delivered" him, demonstrating divine sovereignty over both man and nature, and the precision with which God executes His word. The fact that the prophetic message about the death came through the very prophet who caused the disobedience adds another layer of complexity, underscoring that God's truth transcends the flawed vessel. This serves as a potent reminder that divine revelation requires absolute, unwavering obedience, and any deviation, however seemingly minor or deceptively presented, carries grave consequences for those entrusted with His word.