1 Kings 13:4It happened, when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Bethel, that Jeroboam put out his hand from the altar, saying, "Seize him!" His hand, which he put out against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back again to himself.
The setting
Bethel altar, ~930 BC. King Jeroboam reaches to arrest the prophet, but his hand withers instantly. Modern-day Beitin, West Bank.
The emotion here: recording divine justice with solemn awe
The original word
yābēsh (יָבֵשׁ) — to wither, dry up completely, become useless
Why it matters
Jeroboam was offering incense himself — only priests were supposed to do this, showing his complete religious rebellion
Read with care
What most readers miss in 1 Kings 13:4
The hand that reached to arrest God's prophet was the same hand illegally offering incense — divine irony
Common misconceptionPeople think God always protects His servants from harm. This was a specific sign to validate the prophet's message, not a promise of physical safety for all believers.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 1 Kings 13:4
Bible Genome reading
1 Kings 13:4 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
1 Kings 13:4 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 angry, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include confrontation, authority. Notable phrases: put out his hand.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same angry
“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'”
— Joel 3:10
“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!”
— Matthew 23:24
“Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husba…”
— Amos 4:1
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can't stand your solemn assemblies.”
— Amos 5:21
“Your eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
— Deuteronomy 19:21
Your reflection
What does 1 Kings 13:4 mean to you, today?
A short note. A question. A prayer. Saved privately to your Soul Garden, dated, and tied to this verse forever.
Speak your heart →Get 3 verses for "angry"
Delivered to your inbox right now. Free.