· Translation: KJV

1 Kings 13:17For it was said to me by the word of Yahweh, 'You shall eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that you came.'"

The setting

Bethel, Israel, ~930 BC. A prophet from Judah has just delivered God's message against Jeroboam's altar. Now King Jeroboam invites him to dine, but God had given strict orders...

The emotion here: resolute but feeling social pressure

The original word

dabar (דָּבָר) — not just word but divine decree with binding authority

Why it matters

This prophet remained anonymous in Scripture, known only as 'man of God from Judah'

Read with care

What most readers miss in 1 Kings 13:17

The prophet quotes God's exact words verbatim — showing he knew the command perfectly

Common misconceptionPeople think this is about dietary laws, but it's about complete separation from a corrupt religious system. God didn't want him eating because fellowship implied approval.

Bible Genome reading

1 Kings 13:17 — Bible Genome reading

Speakerman_of_God
EraDivided Kingdom
Primary emotionworship
Literary typedialogue
MarkCommand

Emotional genome

Comfort power30%
Quotability60%
Memorability60%
Crisis relevance50%
Standalone40%
Themes:divine commandobedience

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 1 Kings 13

1 Kings 13:17 comes from the book of 1 Kings, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to man_of_God. The dominant emotion in this verse is worship, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is reverent. It belongs to the dialogue genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine command, obedience. Notable phrases: word of Yahweh; eat no bread nor drink water. This verse contains a command.

Your reflection

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