The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 294

:prophet also as thou art; a.nd a.n angel with the inhabite.nte, himself e.mong the (Bahr ob8errns that "he does not venture rest, although he has taken no part, even by to sny that Jehorah spnke to him, but says his presence, in tho ceremonial of the day. e.n angel did." Is it not more probable that He naturally feels himself condemned and the angel was mentioned, partly for the aggrieved by this oonduot, A prophet purpose of giving e.n air of circumstantiality would feel the interdict muoh more keenly and reality to bis story, and partly to convey than the people, and there can be little the idea of bis having a superior authority doubt that this man, who had been trying for his message? A co==ication through to serve two masters, was deeply mortified a celestial messenger wonld seem to have by the excommunication pronounced against been regarded as a higher form of revelation him. He resolves, therefore, to rehabilitate than n subjective commUI1ication to the mind himself in his own estimation and that of of the prophet. Cf. Acts vii. 53 ; Heb. ii. 2 ; his neighbours, by bringing back the man of Luke i. 13, 29 ; Acts xnii. 23, &c. Observe, God to eat and to drink, e.nd so in effect to the prophet speaks presently of " the word remove the interdict, at any cost. If he of Jehovah"] spa.ke UI1to me by [Heb. in; succeeds, he will make the whole city, and same expression as in ver. 17] the word of especially the sovereign, whose policy he.s the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee been so emphatically condemned, his debtor; into thine house that he may eat [Heb. and while by accomplishing what the king had he shall eat] bread and drink water, But failed to effect, he will at once heal hie he lied to him. [These last words e.re in- wounded pride e.nd secnxe a position of in- serted parenthetically; hence there is no fluence in the new kingdom. If it was the " but " in the Heb. The true character and hope of temporal advancement had detained designs and motives of this " old prophet " him at Bethel, he now sees, as he thinks, have long been a crux interpreru-m (see Hall, an ee.sy way to its attainment ; if it was 11n ContempL, ii. 151-3.) Some, including ardent sympathy with the new state of Josephus and most Jewish commentators, things, he sees before him an opportunity have supposed him to be altogether a false of oxpressing it in a most practical and and lying prophet, such as ru:e found plenti- serviceable way.] fully later on in the history (eh. xxii. 6; Ver. 19.-So he went back with him, Jer. xxviii. 1) ; but against this is the fact and did eat bread In his house, and drank that he was undoubtedly the channel of a water [cf. ver. 10]. Divine communication (ver. 21). The real Ver. 20.-And it came to pass, as they difficulty, no doubt, lies in the fact that sat at the table [cf. Pa. lxxviii. 30. He is one by whom the Spirit of God spake to taken in the act, " even in the blossoms of man should have acted so base a part as he his sin "] , that the word of the Lord came did. But it must be remembered (1) that he unto the prophet that brought him back. did not know what e. terrible judgment Ver. 21.-And he cried [same word as in his lie wonld bring upon " the me.n of ver. 2. He who denounced the "sin of God ; " (2) that troth had not the place in the Jeroboam" is now denounced in turn] Jewish scheme which it has in Christian UI1to the mm of God that came from morals; (3) that the gift of prophecy is Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Foras- compatible with much moral imperfection much as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of on the p:ut of the prophet-the cases of the Lord, and hast not kept the co=and- Blll.a:un and Caiaphas will occur to e.ll- ment which the Lord thy God co=a.nded and (4) that this man was constrained to thee. prophesy almost in spite of himself ; he was Ver. 22.-But earnest back, and haot compelled, i.e., to proclaim bis own falseness, eaten bread and drunk water In the place, and to announce the punishment of the man of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat he had himseU deceived. It is also to be no bread, and drink no water ; thy carcase considered that this lying prophet, like those [rather corpse ; "carcase" is now a term of of eh. xxii. 22, accomplished the purpose of disparagement, of which, however, there is God, which we.a to make the man of God a no idea in the Hebrew] shall not come unto tign to the men of that generation. Cf. the sepulchre of thy fathers. [The desire, Isa. :.x. 3 ; Ezek. xii. 6 ; xxiv. 24. In thie common in a greater or less deg1:ee to all latter consideration, indeed, lies the key to mankind, to rest after death 11mongst kindred the history. The object the old prophet had duet, was eRpecially strong in the Jew. It in view it is not so difficult to divine. He ie evidenced by the co=on euphemism hears that the prophet of Judah has refused "he was gathered unto hi., fathers," ni_i_d by the hospitality of King Jeroboam, and bas the provisions of Abraham (Gen. xxm. 4), put the city of Bethel and the new cnltns Jacob (Gen. xlvii. 29; xlix. 29-31), and UI1dcr a virtual ban by refusing to eat bread Joseph (Gen. 1. 26). See also the words of in the place, or to hold any communication Barzillai (2 Sam. xix. 87 ; and compare OB. XllI, 11-84,l THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. 297