And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee,

1 KINGS 13:21KJV
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1 Kings 13:21 (KJV)

What does 1 Kings 13:21 mean?

1 Kings 13:21 announces that the man of God from Judah has broken an instruction given to him by the LORD. The accusation comes through another prophet, making clear that the man’s conduct is being judged against the original command he received.

The older prophet speaks to the man from Judah while they are at the table together. “The mouth of the LORD” pictures the command as something spoken by the LORD himself.

The Hebrew behind 1 Kings 13:21

  • “disobeyed” — מָרָה (marah): This word can carry the sense of resisting or rebelling against an instruction. Here, the accusation concerns the LORD’s spoken order.
  • “kept” — שָׁמַר (shamar): This word can mean to watch over or observe. Here, “hast not kept” means the man failed to observe the command given to him.

Why 1 Kings 13:21 matters

  • The accusation concerns a specific instruction, not simply a general charge of wrongdoing. The man had been told not to eat bread or drink water in that place, or return by the way he came (1 Kings 13:9).
  • The speaker’s role makes the scene striking. The older prophet had persuaded the man to return and eat by claiming that an angel had brought him a message, but the account says he lied (1 Kings 13:18).
  • The sentence continues into verse 22, where the declared consequence is that the man’s body will not be buried in his ancestors’ tomb. Verse 21 gives the reason for that consequence.

Where else these words appear

“as” Hebrew H3282 · used in 16 verses

  • Genesis 22:16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
  • 1 Kings 21:29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.
  • Ezekiel 12:12 And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes.

“disobeyed” Hebrew H4784 · used in 43 verses

  • Numbers 20:10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?
  • 1 Kings 13:26 And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him.
  • Isaiah 1:20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.