11 Now an old prophet was living in Bethel ; and his sons came and told him all the deeds which the man of God had done that day in Bethel ; the words which he had spoken to the king , these also they related to their father . 12 Their father said to them, "Which e way did he go ?" Now his sons had seen the way which the man of God who came from Judah had gone . 13 Then he said to his sons , "Saddle the donkey for me." So they saddled the donkey for him and he rode away on it. 14 So he went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak ; and he said to him, "Are you the man of God who came from Judah ?" And he said , "I am." 15 Then he said to him, "Come home with me and eat bread ." 16 He said , " I cannot e return with you, nor go with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water with you in this place . 17 "For a command came to me by the word of the Lord , 'You shall eat no bread , nor drink water there ; do not return by going the way which you came .' " 18 He said to him, " I also am a prophet like you, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord , saying , 'Bring him back with you to your house , that he may eat bread and drink water .' " But he lied to him. 19 So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house and drank water . 20 Now it came about, as they were sitting down at the table , that the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back ; 21 and he cried to the man of God who came from Judah , saying , "Thus says the Lord , 'Because e you have disobeyed the command of the Lord , and have not observed the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you, 22 but have returned and eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which He said to you, "Eat no bread and drink no water "; your body shall not come to the grave of your fathers .' "

Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Kings 13:11-22

Commentary on 1 Kings 13:11-22

(Read 1 Kings 13:11-22)

The old prophet's conduct proves that he was not really a godly man. When the change took place under Jeroboam, he preferred his ease and interest to his religion. He took a very bad method to bring the good prophet back. It was all a lie. Believers are most in danger of being drawn from their duty by plausible pretences of holiness. We may wonder that the wicked prophet went unpunished, while the holy man of God was suddenly and severely punished. What shall we make of this? The judgments of God are beyond our power to fathom; and there is a judgment to come. Nothing can excuse any act of wilful disobedience. This shows what they must expect who hearken to the great deceiver. They that yield to him as a tempter, will be terrified by him as a tormentor. Those whom he now fawns upon, he will afterwards fly upon; and whom he draws into sin, he will try to drive to despair.