And he laid his carcass in his own grave ,.... Which he had prepared for himself; for, as he came from Samaria, it could not be the sepulchre of his fathers; and this was showing all the respect, and doing all the honour to him, he well could: and they mourned over him ; the prophet and his sons: saying, alas, my brother ; which was an usual form of lamentation at funerals in later times, see Jeremiah 22:18 . read more
And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spoke to his sons, saying ,.... He gave them the following charge: when I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried ; as it was his own, it might be reasonably thought they would bury him in it without such a charge; but, lest they should not, he gives it: lay my bones beside his bones ; his view in this was, that when Josiah came to burn the bones of the priests, he would spare the bones of this man... read more
Alas , my brothers - This lamentation is very simple, very short, and very pathetic. Perhaps the old prophet said it as much in reference to himself, who had been the cause of his untimely death, as in reference to the man of God, whose corpse he now committed to the tomb. But the words may be no more than the burden of each line of the lamentation which was used on this occasion. See instances of this among the Asiatics in the note on Jeremiah 22:18 ; (note). read more
Lay my bones beside his bones - This argues a strong conviction in the mind of the old prophet, that the deceased was a good and holy man of God; and he is willing to have place with him in the general resurrection. read more
Judgment and its result. I. MERCY DISPLAYED IN THE MIDST OF JUDGMENT . The sin may have been forgiven though the chastisement fell. 1 . His body was preserved from dishonour . The lion's ferocity was bridled; the prophet's body was neither eaten nor torn; he guarded the remains from the fowls of the air and the beasts of the field. 2 . The message he had borne received added weight by his punishment . In his humiliation God was exalted. The circumstances... read more
And he laid his carcase in his own grave [ Matthew 27:60 . This was a mark of profound respect ( Ruth 1:17 ; Genesis 23:6 )]; and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother. [A customary formula in lamentation ( Jeremiah 22:18 ). It hardly implies that "he was mourned and buried as a relative of the family" (Bähr). Seeing that the old prophet was responsible for his death, he could hardly have done less. "It is a cruel courtesy to kill a man and then help him to his grave"... read more
The Law of Extremity. God has made us free to choose or refuse good or evil Will cannot be coerced and yet be free; coercion here, therefore, would be destruction. But while God does not compel us to choose the right, He induces by gracious promises, and admonishes by alternative penalties. Still we remain free to elect the good with its blessings, or the evil with its entailments of misery. But so loth is He to see His creatures wretched that He has opened a way of repentance and... read more
And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre [Palestine, being of limestone formation, has a large number of caves. These, enlarged and adapted, were everywhere used for interments. ("The whole cliffs on its southern side [Hinnom] are honeycombed with tombs," Porter). In three sides of the cave vaults ( loculi ), each large enough to hold a body, were recessed in the rock, the entrance being closed by a... read more
He laid his carcase in his own grave - As Joseph of Arimathaea did the body of our Lord Matthew 27:60. The possession of rock-hewn tombs by families, or individuals, was common among the Jews from their first entrance into the holy land to their final expulsion. A sepulchre usually consisted of an underground apartment, into which opened a number of long, narrow “loculi,” or cells, placed side by side, each adapted to receive one body. The cells were 6 or 7 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 3 feet... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 13:23-34
Here is, I. The death of the deceived disobedient prophet. The old prophet that had deluded him, as if he would make him some amends for the wrong he had done him or help to prevent the mischief threatened him, furnished him with an ass to ride home on; but by the way a lion set upon him, and killed him, 1 Kgs. 13:23, 24. He did but return back to refresh himself when he was hungry, and behold he must die for it; see 1 Sam. 14:43. But we must consider, 1. That his offence was great, and it... read more