Bible Strands
1 Kings 13:19
but the man of God went back with him, ate bread in his house, and drank water.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records the man of God’s actions as he returns with the old prophet to his home. This moment follows the old prophet’s false claim that an angel directed him to invite the man of God for a meal.
The words — The Hebrew verb וַיֵּ֥שְׁתְּ (va/i.Ye.shet) literally means “and he drank,” documenting the man of God’s physical compliance. It is paired with וַיָּ֣שָׁב (va/i.Ya.shov, “and he went back”) and וַיֹּ֥אכַל (va/i.Yo.khal, “and he ate”) to list the specific acts of acceptance.
The thread — The narrative pattern of testing prophetic authority through deceptive signs aligns with Deuteronomy 13:1–3, which commands rejection of prophets who lead people away from the Lord’s word. The act of eating and drinking as a gateway to deception mirrors the temptation structure in Genesis 3:6.
Why it lands — The text requires a reader to measure every spiritual claim against the Lord’s explicit word rather than personal encounters or persuasive authority. It demands immediate adherence to direct commands over unverified messages, regardless of the messenger’s status.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.
Cross-references
- Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.
- Deuteronomy 13:1 If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you,
- Deuteronomy 13:3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
- Deuteronomy 13:5 Such a prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has advocated rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way in which the LORD your God has commanded you to walk. So you must purge the evil from among you.
- Deuteronomy 18:20 But if any prophet dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or to speak in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put to death.”
- 1 Kings 13:9 For this is what I was commanded by the word of the LORD: ‘You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came.’”
- Acts 4:19 But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God.
- 2 Peter 2:18 With lofty but empty words, they appeal to the sensual passions of the flesh and entice those who are just escaping from others who live in error.