The Meaning of 1 Kings 13:4 Explained

1 Kings 13:4

KJV: And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.

YLT: And it cometh to pass, at the king's hearing the word of the man of God that he calleth against the altar in Beth-El, that Jeroboam putteth forth his hand from off the altar, saying, 'Catch him;' and his hand is dried up that he hath put forth against him, and he is not able to bring it back unto him,

Darby: And it came to pass when the king heard the word of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Bethel, that Jeroboam stretched forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand which he stretched out against him dried up, so that he could not bring it back again to him.

ASV: And it came to pass, when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Beth-el, that Jeroboam put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back again to him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it came to pass, when king  Jeroboam  heard  the saying  of the man  of God,  which had cried  against the altar  in Bethel,  that he put forth  his hand  from the altar,  saying,  Lay hold  on him. And his hand,  which he put forth  against him, dried up,  so that he could  not pull it in again  to him. 

What does 1 Kings 13:4 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 13:1-10 - Judgment Upon Worthless Worship
What a noble name for anyone to bear-a man of God! Yet we all might so bear the impress of God in our character that those who come in contact with us might feel that ineffable something which you cannot define, which does not need advertising, but which tells that the person who bears it is truly a child of God.
The altar by which Jeroboam expected to consolidate his kingdom was the cause of its overthrow and disaster, until at last Israel was carried into captivity. When we turn from the fountain of living waters and hew out for ourselves broken cisterns that can hold no water, we start on a course of unfailing disaster and loss.
Literal obedience to God is indispensable to those who would carry his messages. It was a fit and proper answer that the prophet, in the first instance, gave the king. He rightly told Jeroboam that he must abide by the exact terms of his commission, and that the bribe of half of Jeroboam's house would not induce him to tarry even so long as to take a meal at the royal table. This minute and rigorous obedience stood out in striking contrast to the conduct of Jeroboam. God is exact and requires exact obedience.
1 Kings 13:1-34 - Breaking Three Commandments
From a worldly point of view Naboth might have done a good stroke of business by selling his estate to. Ahab. A royal price and assured favor might have been his-but he had a conscience! Above the persuasive tones of the monarch's offer sounded the voice of God: "The land shall not be sold for ever, for the land is mine." See Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7; Ezekiel 46:18.
Ahab knew perfectly well that Jezebel could not give him the property of another except by foul means, but he took pains not to inquire. Though the direct orders for Naboth's death did not come from him, yet, by his silence, he was an accomplice and an accessory; and divine justice penetrates all such specious excuses. God holds us responsible for wrongs which we do not arrest, though we have the power. The crime was blacker because of the pretext of religion, as suggested by a fast. See also 2 Kings 9:26. The blood of murdered innocence cries to God, and his requital, though delayed, is inevitable. See Revelation 6:9-10. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 13

1  Jeroboam's hand withers
6  and at the prayer of the prophet is restored
7  The prophet departs from Bethel
11  An old prophet brings him back
20  He is reproved by God
23  slain by a lion
26  buried by the old prophet
31  who confirms the prophecy
33  Jeroboam's obstinacy

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 13:4 mean?

So it came to pass when heard King - the saying of the man of God who cried out against the altar in Bethel that he stretched out Jeroboam his hand from the altar saying Arrest him and withered his hand which he stretched out toward him so that not he could pull it back to himself
וַיְהִי֩ כִשְׁמֹ֨עַ הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ אֶת־ דְּבַ֣ר אִישׁ־ הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר קָרָ֤א עַל־ הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ בְּבֵֽית־ אֵ֔ל וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח יָרָבְעָ֧ם יָד֛וֹ מֵעַ֥ל הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ לֵאמֹ֣ר ׀ תִּפְשֻׂ֑הוּ וַתִּיבַ֤שׁ יָדוֹ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר שָׁלַ֣ח עָלָ֔יו וְלֹ֥א יָכֹ֖ל לַהֲשִׁיבָ֥הּ אֵלָֽיו

וַיְהִי֩  So  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כִשְׁמֹ֨עַ  when  heard 
Parse: Preposition-k, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ  King 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
דְּבַ֣ר  the  saying 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
אִישׁ־  of  the  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים  of  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
קָרָ֤א  cried  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
עַל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙  the  altar 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
אֵ֔ל  Bethel 
Parse: Preposition, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בֵּית־אֵל  
Sense: ancient place and seat of worship in Ephraim on border of Benjamin, identified with Luz (former name).
וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח  that  he  stretched  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
יָרָבְעָ֧ם  Jeroboam 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָרָבְעָם  
Sense: the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel when the kingdom split at the death of Solomon and the 0 tribes split off from Judah and Benjamin and the kingdom under Solomon’s son Rehoboam; idolatry was introduced at the beginning of his reign.
יָד֛וֹ  his  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ  the  altar 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
לֵאמֹ֣ר ׀  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
תִּפְשֻׂ֑הוּ  Arrest  him 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural, third person masculine singular
Root: תָּפַשׂ  
Sense: to catch, handle, lay hold, take hold of, seize, wield.
וַתִּיבַ֤שׁ  and  withered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָבֵשׁ  
Sense: to make dry, wither, be dry, become dry, be dried up, be withered.
יָדוֹ֙  his  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
שָׁלַ֣ח  he  stretched  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
עָלָ֔יו  toward  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
וְלֹ֥א  so  that  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יָכֹ֖ל  he  could 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָכֹל  
Sense: to prevail, overcome, endure, have power, be able.
לַהֲשִׁיבָ֥הּ  pull  it  back 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct, third person feminine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
אֵלָֽיו  to  himself 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).