1 Kings 13:8 kjv
And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place:
1 Kings 13:8 nkjv
But the man of God said to the king, "If you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you; nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place.
1 Kings 13:8 niv
But the man of God answered the king, "Even if you were to give me half your possessions, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water here.
1 Kings 13:8 esv
And the man of God said to the king, "If you give me half your house, I will not go in with you. And I will not eat bread or drink water in this place,
1 Kings 13:8 nlt
But the man of God said to the king, "Even if you gave me half of everything you own, I would not go with you. I would not eat or drink anything in this place.
1 Kings 13 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 14:22-24 | Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have lifted my hand to the LORD... I will take nothing... lest you say, 'I have made Abram rich.'" | Abram's refusal of worldly gain. |
| Num 22:18-19 | Balaam answered and said... "If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the LORD my God..." | Balaam's initial commitment to God's word. |
| Deut 4:2 | "You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God..." | Emphasizes strict adherence to God's word. |
| Deut 12:32 | "Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it." | Direct instruction for complete obedience. |
| Jos 1:7 | "Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law... do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left..." | Importance of unswerving obedience to law. |
| 1 Sam 15:22-23 | "Has 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..." | Obedience prioritised over religious ritual. |
| 1 Kgs 13:9 | "For so was it commanded me by the word of the LORD: 'You shall neither eat bread nor drink water nor return by the way you came.'" | The divine command underlying the prophet's refusal. |
| Ps 1:1-2 | Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked... but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. | Delight in God's law brings blessing. |
| Prov 1:10-15 | My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent... do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths. | Warning against fellowship with wickedness. |
| Isa 55:11 | "...so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose..." | God's word is powerful and effective. |
| Jer 1:7-9 | "...you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak." | Prophet's mandate to speak God's exact words. |
| Mt 4:4 | But he answered, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" | Prioritising spiritual nourishment over physical. |
| Acts 4:19-20 | But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you judge..." | Prioritising obedience to God above human rulers. |
| Acts 5:29 | But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men." | Direct assertion of God's supreme authority. |
| Acts 20:33-35 | "I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel... in all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak..." | Paul's example of rejecting material gain. |
| Rom 12:2 | "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind..." | Resisting the world's influence and patterns. |
| 2 Cor 6:14-17 | "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers... Come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord..." | Call for spiritual separation and purity. |
| Eph 5:11 | "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them." | Warning against participation in sin. |
| Phil 3:7-8 | "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ... I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ..." | Paul valuing Christ above all earthly things. |
| Heb 11:24-26 | By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God... | Moses' choice of God over worldly privilege. |
| Jas 1:22 | "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." | Emphasis on practical application of God's word. |
| 1 Jn 2:15-17 | "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." | Warning against attachment to worldly desires. |
1 Kings 13 verses
1 Kings 13 8 Meaning
First Kings chapter 13 verse 8 captures the unwavering resolve of the unnamed man of God from Judah as he staunchly refuses King Jeroboam's enticing offer of hospitality and reward. Despite the immense worldly gain presented—half the kingdom—the prophet declared his refusal to eat bread, drink water, or even enter the king's dwelling in Bethel. This steadfastness stemmed from a direct and explicit command from the Lord, which prohibited him from partaking of anything in the defiled place of Jeroboam's idolatrous worship, thereby maintaining strict separation from the king's apostasy. The verse emphasizes radical obedience to God's specific word over all forms of human temptation and social convention.
1 Kings 13 8 Context
Chapter 13 of 1 Kings opens with a pivotal confrontation during the reign of Jeroboam, the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel after its division. Jeroboam had established idolatrous golden calves in Bethel and Dan to prevent his people from worshipping in Jerusalem, thereby securing his reign politically but leading the nation into spiritual apostasy. In this context, an unnamed man of God is sent directly by the Lord from Judah to Bethel. His mission is specific: to pronounce judgment on Jeroboam's altar in Bethel. After the altar is miraculously split and Jeroboam's hand withered and restored as a sign, the king offers the prophet refreshment and a reward. Verse 8 captures the prophet's immediate and resolute rejection of this offer, which is explained in the following verse (v. 9) as a direct divine command: he was forbidden to eat or drink anything in Bethel or to return by the same way. This initial adherence sets the stage for the dramatic and tragic events that follow in the chapter, testing the prophet's steadfastness.
1 Kings 13 8 Word analysis
- But: (אַךְ - akh) This emphatic particle serves as a strong contrasting conjunction. It highlights a decisive counter-statement, setting up the prophet's firm refusal in opposition to King Jeroboam's alluring offer.
- the man of God: (אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים - ish ha'elohim) This title emphasizes the prophet's identity as God's appointed messenger, directly representing divine authority. It signifies that his words and actions are not his own, but God's.
- said: (וַיֹּאמֶר - vayyomer) A simple, direct verb indicating a clear and immediate verbal response.
- to the king: (אֶל-הַמֶּלֶךְ - el-hammelekh) The man of God directly addresses Jeroboam, acknowledging his regal position, yet his words signify that God's authority supersedes human kingship.
- 'If you were to give me: (אִם-תִּתֶּן-לִי - im-titten-li) A hypothetical clause introducing an extreme condition. It underscores the prophet's absolute refusal regardless of the magnitude of the offered bribe or incentive.
- half your kingdom,: (חֲצִי בֵיתֶךָ - chatzi beitekha, literally "half your house" or "half your royal domain") This idiomatic expression denotes an offer of unimaginable wealth, power, and status—the highest possible worldly inducement a king could bestow. It emphasizes the profound spiritual conviction required to reject such a tremendous worldly gain.
- I would not go in with you,: (לֹא אָבוֹא אִתָּךְ - lo avo ittakh) An emphatic negation, signaling a complete refusal to enter the king's dwelling, palace, or even the city itself for fellowship or social interaction. In ancient cultures, entering one's home for hospitality implied shared values and fellowship, which the prophet absolutely repudiated given the context of Bethel's apostasy.
- nor eat bread: (וְלֹא-אֹכַל לֶחֶם - velo-okhal lechem) A direct refusal of any sustenance. In the ancient Near East, eating together symbolized peace, alliance, and covenant. The prophet's rejection of food was a powerful act signifying utter disassociation and God's uncompromising judgment on Jeroboam's idolatrous actions and realm.
- nor drink water: (וְלֹא-אֶשְׁתֶּה מַיִם - velo-eshteh mayim) Further reinforces the comprehensive refusal of all forms of hospitality and sustenance. Even the basic life-sustaining offer of water from the king's hand was rejected, highlighting the total separation mandated by God.
- in this place;' (בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה - bammaqom hazzeh) Specifically refers to Bethel, the epicenter of Jeroboam's new, illegitimate religious system. This geographically precise prohibition indicates that the divine command was not a general asceticism, but a specific repudiation of the defilement associated with Jeroboam's idolatry.
- "But the man of God said to the king": This introduction establishes a direct confrontation between divinely appointed authority and a human monarch engaged in religious rebellion. It immediately asserts the prophet's unique commission and his role as God's uncompromising mouthpiece.
- "If you were to give me half your kingdom": This phrase underlines the extraordinary magnitude of the temptation and the king's desperate attempt to co-opt the prophet or neutralize the impact of the divine judgment. It underscores that for the prophet, the integrity of God's word outweighed any earthly bribe, however grand.
- "I would not go in with you, nor eat bread nor drink water in this place": This full statement articulates a profound act of non-fellowship and total separation. It encapsulates the prophet's unyielding obedience to the divine command (revealed in the next verse) that forbade him from any form of social engagement or physical sustenance in the idolatrous stronghold of Bethel. Such a refusal of hospitality was a culturally significant act of defiance, unequivocally signaling God's utter rejection of Jeroboam's religious system and practices.
1 Kings 13 8 Bonus section
The strong refusal of the man of God, particularly his unwillingness to "eat bread or drink water," carries deep cultural significance. In ancient Near Eastern societies, sharing a meal was a profound gesture of peace, acceptance, and even covenant. By refusing King Jeroboam's hospitality, the prophet was making a potent symbolic statement of God's complete rejection of Jeroboam's actions and the religious system he established. This was a direct "polemic" (argument or attack) against the legitimacy of the cult at Bethel, communicated not just by spoken prophecy, but through an immediate, defiant act of non-fellowship. The phrase "in this place" narrows the prohibition precisely to Bethel, highlighting its specific defilement due to the golden calf worship instituted there by Jeroboam. The initial integrity of the man of God's obedience serves as a critical backdrop to the subsequent narrative of his eventual failure, emphasizing the constant vigilance required in fulfilling God's exact commands.
1 Kings 13 8 Commentary
1 Kings 13:8 powerfully showcases a prophet's absolute obedience to a divine command in the face of profound worldly temptation. The "man of God" acts as a stark counterpoint to King Jeroboam's spiritual rebellion, demonstrating unwavering fidelity where the king exhibited gross compromise. His categorical refusal to accept Jeroboam's "half a kingdom" or partake in any hospitality at Bethel underlines the principle that God's explicit word is paramount, surpassing all material enticements and social conventions. The command not to eat or drink was likely a specific prophetic sign, visually manifesting God's separation from the defilement of Bethel and its false worship, signaling His utter non-recognition and condemnation of Jeroboam's newly instituted religion. This initial steadfastness served as a strong prophetic act against the idolatrous altars and underscored that true devotion requires uncompromising obedience, valuing spiritual purity over any form of earthly gain or comfort, even basic sustenance.
For practical usage, this verse illustrates that:
- Christians may face significant temptation to compromise their faith for personal gain or social acceptance.
- Genuine obedience sometimes demands a clear and public rejection of worldly enticements.
- Maintaining spiritual purity might require deliberate separation from environments or associations that embody ungodly practices.