The Meaning of 1 Kings 13:8 Explained

1 Kings 13:8

KJV: 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:

YLT: And the man of God saith unto the king, 'If thou dost give to me the half of thine house, I do not go in with thee, nor do I eat bread, nor do I drink water, in this place;

Darby: And the man of God said to the king, If thou wilt give me half thy house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place;

ASV: And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thy house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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: 

What does 1 Kings 13:8 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 13:8 mean?

But said the man of God to the king if you were to give me - half your house not I would go in with you nor would I eat bread nor drink water in place this
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אִישׁ־ הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אִם־ תִּתֶּן־ לִי֙ אֶת־ חֲצִ֣י בֵיתֶ֔ךָ לֹ֥א אָבֹ֖א עִמָּ֑ךְ וְלֹֽא־ אֹ֤כַל לֶ֙חֶם֙ וְלֹ֣א אֶשְׁתֶּה־ מַּ֔יִם בַּמָּק֖וֹם הַזֶּֽה

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  But  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אִישׁ־  the  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙  of  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
תִּתֶּן־  you  were  to  give 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לִי֙  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
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.
חֲצִ֣י  half 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חֲצִי 
Sense: half.
בֵיתֶ֔ךָ  your  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אָבֹ֖א  I  would  go  in 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
עִמָּ֑ךְ  with  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
וְלֹֽא־  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
אֹ֤כַל  would  I  eat 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
לֶ֙חֶם֙  bread 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
וְלֹ֣א  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
אֶשְׁתֶּה־  drink 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁתָה  
Sense: to drink.
מַּ֔יִם  water 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
בַּמָּק֖וֹם  in  place 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָקֹום  
Sense: standing place, place.
הַזֶּֽה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.