Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
1 Kings 13:20 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 20. 20And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back:
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
This verse opens the thought unit and establishes its first action or speech: “And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came….” Its responsible meaning belongs to the complete movement “Judgment is announced at the table.”
The true word arrives at the table the lie secured
This verse is one part of that explanation in 1 Kings 13:20–22. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- 1 Kings 13:20–22
Read 1 Kings 13:20 with 13:20–22. The selected wording supplies one opening in the thought unit and establishes its first action or speech; the surrounding verses supply the causes, responses, and outcome summarized here: Brings a genuine divine word to the deceptive host during the meal; announces that his body will not reach his ancestral grave because he reversed course.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Within “Judgment is announced at the table,” 1 Kings 13:20 opens the thought unit and establishes its first action or speech through the wording “And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came….” Its placement is governed by this reviewed relationship: 1 Kings 13:11–19 establishes this prior movement: Introduces an old Bethel prophet whose sons report the confrontation; reports the man of God trusting the lie and returning for food and water. 1 Kings 13:20–22 interprets, evaluates, or organizes what the preceding movement has established; that demonstrated relationship, rather than database adjacency alone, explains its placement.
Read 1 Kings 13:20–22 together
Why these verses belong together: Judgment is announced at the table is the complete reviewed scene, prayer, oracle, list, or regnal notice bounded at 13:20–13:22.
Verse 20. 20 And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back:
Verse 21. 21 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,
Verse 22. 22 But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.
Follow the Context
- Brings a genuine divine word to the deceptive host during the meal
- Announces that his body will not reach his ancestral grave because he reversed course
What This Verse Is Not Saying
1 Kings 13:20 does not permit the wording “And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came…” to be read apart from the selected verse's context. The unit does not authorize lying, coercive obedience tests, imprisonment of dissenters, lethal prophetic imitation, or certainty beyond what the narrated word, sign, and outcome establish.
What Remains True
Truthful witness may confront power without making every messenger, method, or claimed revelation morally infallible. This unit tests that truth through brings a genuine divine word to the deceptive host during the meal; announces that his body will not reach his ancestral grave because he reversed course. In 1 Kings 13:20, the concrete line “And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came…” keeps that truth accountable to the narrated evidence.
Teach It Back
In 70–220 words, explain 1 Kings 13:20's role in 13:20–22. Paraphrase “And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came…,” identify one agent or affected person, state one material source or historical limit, and name one conclusion the context does not authorize.
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Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read 1 Kings 13:20–22 — Judgment is announced at the tableSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? probable
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.
Exact location: 1 Kings 13:20–22, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: 1 Kings
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Hebrew wording and morphology used for lexical, grammatical, name, clause, and older-English checks; this is not a critical apparatus or historical proof.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v.2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/1Kgs.xml, Masoretic words and morphology for 13:20–22
Open source ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible: 1 Kings with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2006
Supports: Only printed unit-level translation, lexical, grammatical, textual, historical, and verse-numbering notes; silence is not evidence.
Exact location: NET Bible 1 Kings PDF, printed pp. 610–612, translation and translator notes for 13:20–22
Open source ↗