Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Kings 13:7
And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.
7. Come home with me ] The subsequent narrative shews that there was no alteration in Jeroboam’s feelings or intentions in consequence of what had occurred. He still went on in his evil way. But he would fain have the man of God continue in his company a while, that his people might not be terrified by what had happened and decide to break off from the calf-worship and go up to Jerusalem to the Temple again.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
I will give thee a reward – It was customary to honor a prophet with a gift, if he performed any service that was requested at his hands (see the marginal references).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 7. Come home with me – and I will give thee a reward.] Come and be one of my priests, and I will give thee a proper salary.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Horrid stupidity! He desires to requite the instrument, but takes no notice of the chief cause and author of this great and wonderful mercy, which was God.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And the king said unto the man of God, come home with me, and refresh thyself,…. By eating a meal with him, after such a journey he had taken, and delivered his prophecies, and put up his prayers for the king:
and I will give thee a reward; for his prayers, by means of which his hand was restored to him; but takes no notice of the Lord, the author of this miraculous cure, nor expresses the least degree of thankfulness and gratitude to him.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(7) Come home with me . . .The invitation may have been in part the mark of some impression made on the king, and an impulse of gratitude for the restoration of his withered hand. Such was the request of Naaman to Elisha (2Ki. 5:15), though even this was emphatically refused. But it still savours of astute policy in Jeroboam: for the acceptance of hospitality and reward would in the eyes of the people imply a condonation of the idolatrous worship, which might well destroy or extenuate the impression made by the prophets prediction. It indicates alsowhat experience of such men as the old prophet would have produceda low idea of prophetic character and mission, not unlike that which is shown in Balaks treatment of Balaam. That such conceptions are perfectly compatible with a certain belief in the reality of a supernatural power in the prophetalthough they, of course, derogate from its true sacrednessthe monstrous request of Simon Magus (in Act. 8:19) shows with the most startling clearness. It was evidently to provide against these thingsas fatal to the effectiveness of the prophets missionthat the prohibition of 1Ki. 13:9 was given; nor could its general purpose have been easily misunderstood, either by the king or by the prophet himself. It is a curious coincidence that in his refusal he uses words strangely like the reluctant refusal of Balaks offer by Balaam (Num. 22:18). The very strength of the language is suspicious.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. Come home with me He tempts him with three things: royal hospitality, refreshment, and reward. How much these offers influenced the future action of the prophet can only be imperfectly conjectured.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Ki 13:7-9. The king saidcome home with me, &c. The reason is obvious, why this prophet was forbidden to eat and drink with the people of Beth-el; because he was to have no familiarity with idolaters. But why he should not return by the same way that he came is not so evident. Probably God enjoined his prophet not to return by the same way, lest Jeroboam, or any other of the inhabitants of Beth-el, either to satisfy their curiosity upon an occasion so uncommon, or to do him some mischief for his severe denunciations against their altar and way of worship, might send men after him to bring him back. See Calmet and Le Clerc.
REFLECTIONS.Jeroboam, (who himself ministered as a priest,) in the height of his impious offering, seemed to glory in his shame; his courtiers around him joined his idolatrous service, and none dared remonstrate against the horrid crime: but God will not suffer these doings to pass without a severe rebuke.
1. God sends a prophet from Judah to Beth-el; and in the midst of the crowd, near the altar where the king stood, he boldly delivered his message, and proclaimed aloud Divine judgment upon the altar and its worship-pers; that it should be defiled with dead men’s bones; and that a king should arise, Josiah by name, who would offer up the idolatrous priests upon it: and, to confirm the truth of his message, he gives a sign, which immediately came to pass, an evidence of God’s present displeasure, and an earnest of the threatened destruction. Note; (1.) Before God strikes, he warns; he willeth not that any should perish, but rather that they should come to repentance. (2.) God’s prophets must not fear the faces of men, but openly and faithfully, even to the greatest, declare their message, however unwelcome or dangerous.
2. Jeroboam, enraged at what he termed such insolence, stretches out his hand, and gives command to seize the prophet; when instantly, struck of God, it dried up; a warning to him how dangerous it was to fight against God. Note; (1.) Faithful rebukes often provoke proud wrath. (2.) The preachers of God’s word are the especial butts of malice; but God will protect them: he that toucheth them, toucheth the apple of his eye. (3.) In the way of duty, we need fear no danger. (4.) The hearts of sinners, like the arm of Jeroboam, are, by rejecting God’s warnings, given up to judicial hardness and impenitence.
3. Such a stroke, though it turned not his heart, altered for the time his tone. He now begs the prophet, whom he had threatened, to be his advocate, hoping for more success from his prayers than his own: not that he sought forgiveness of his sin, but deliverance from his affliction. The prophet charitably consents to pray for him, and at his request God restores the withered arm. Note; (1.) They who in their prosperity reject the warnings of God’s ministers, will in their distress have recourse to their prayers. (2.) An impenitent heart ever betrays itself, in a greater concern for its sufferings than its sins. (3.) To pray for those who despitefully use and persecute us, is the way to obtain the promised beatitude, Mat 5:10; Mat 5:44.
4. Jeroboam now would reward the prophet for his prayers, but he is forbidden to eat or drink in Beth-el, and therefore refuses the king’s invitation. Note; (1.) We must testify against the workers of iniquity, by refusing to have any fellowship with them. (2.) Neither offers nor threatenings must prevail with us to swerve a step from the path of duty.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
(7) And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward. (8) 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: (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. (10) So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel.
No doubt, this part of the Lord’s command to the prophet was to testify his abhorrence of idols. And it became a test of his fidelity.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
1Ki 13:7 And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.
Ver. 7. And I will give thee a reward. ] He could do anything sooner than repent; Rom 2:5 his face he had made harder than any rock, he refused to return. Jer 5:3
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
refresh: Gen 18:5, Jdg 13:15, Jdg 19:21
I will give: As great men in the East make no presents to equals or inferiors when visited, Sir John Chardin thinks that the king intended by this to treat the prophet as his superior. 1Sa 9:7, 1Sa 9:8, 2Ki 5:15, Jer 40:5, Mal 1:10, Act 8:18-20, 1Pe 5:2
Reciprocal: Jdg 19:5 – Comfort 1Ki 14:3 – And take 2Ki 5:5 – and took
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Ki 13:7-9. I will give thee a reward He desires to requite the instrument, but takes no notice of God, the chief cause and author of this wonderful mercy. The man of God said, I will not go in with thee, &c. In obedience to God, he refuses to eat, or drink, or have any familiar society with him, against whom he had pronounced Gods indignation. For so it was charged me My refusal of thy favour is not from any contempt or hatred of thy person, but in compliance with the just command of my God, who hath forbidden me all further converse or communication with thee. Saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water Namely, in that place, or with that people. Hereby God showed his detestation of their idolatry, not because it was as bad as that of the heathen, but 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 kings humour and command; and because their vicinity and relation to Judah, exposed that tribe to the danger of being infected by their idolatry. God also intended hereby to teach his people in all ages to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, lest they should either give encouragement to, or receive infection from, them. Nor turn again by the same way thou earnest That by avoiding the way that led him to Beth-el as execrable, although he went by Gods special command, he might teach all others how much they ought to abhor that way, and all thoughts of going to that place, or to such idolatrous people, upon any unnecessary occasion.