1 Kings 13:29The prophet took up the body of the man of God, and laid it on the donkey, and brought it back. He came to the city of the old prophet to mourn, and to bury him.
The setting
Bethel, Israel, ~930 BC. An old prophet retrieves the mauled body of a younger prophet who disobeyed God and was killed by a lion. The donkey and lion stand guard over the corpse.
The emotion here: recording with somber reverence the tragic irony
The original word
nasa (נָשָׂא) — to lift up, carry, bear a burden with dignity
Why it matters
Lions were common in ancient Israel but rarely attacked humans unless provoked by God
Read with care
What most readers miss in 1 Kings 13:29
The old prophet who caused this tragedy through deception now tenderly cares for the body
Common misconceptionPeople think this is just about burial customs, but it's about an old prophet's guilt and desperate attempt to honor the man he deceived to death.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 1 Kings 13:29
Bible Genome reading
1 Kings 13:29 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
1 Kings 13:29 comes from the book of 1 Kings, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 40% and a tone that is tender. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include compassion, burial dignity, human response. Notable phrases: took up the body; to mourn.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does 1 Kings 13:29 mean to you, today?
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