Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Adam Clarke Commentary

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.

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible

THE OLD PROPHET REPEATED THE PROPHECY OF THE MAN OF GOD

"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 wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. For the saying which he cried by the word of Jehovah against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass."

There was no excuse whatever for Jeroboam's failure to heed the word of God in this matter, because of the powerful witness against his regime provided by the events of this chapter. The wicked old prophet was absolutely certain of the eventual fulfillment of all that the man of God had said, and he had the courage to declare it. However, as Jesus said so many centuries afterward of certain unbelievers, "Neither would they be persuaded if one rise from the dead" (Luke 16:31).

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

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 of God; and so his, lying by them, and mingled with them, would be spared also, and so it proved, 2 Kings 23:18.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried — His motive in making this request was either that his remains might not be disturbed when the predicted events took place (see 2 Kings 23:18), or he had some superstitious hope of being benefited at the resurrection by being in the same cave with a man of God.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

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 wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones:

When I am dead, … — Tho' he was a lying prophet, yet he desired to die the death of a true prophet. Gather not my Soul with the sinners of Beth-el, but with this man of God: Because what he cried against the altar of Beth-el, shall surely come to pass. Thus by the mouth of two witnesses was it established, if possible to convince Jeroboam.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

1 Kings 13:31 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 wherein the man of God [is] buried; lay my bones beside his bones:

Ver. 31. Lay my bones beside his bones.] So David Pareus would be buried in the same sepulchre wherein were laid up the bones of his master Hier. Zanchius, A.D. 1591. (a)

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

That I may be secured from that judgment threatened 1 Kings 13:2.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

31.My bones beside his bones — The old prophet perceived that when his fallen brother’s words came to be fulfilled, the bones of the neighbouring tombs would probably be used to burn upon the altar, and so he took this way to secure his own bones from desecration. Compare 2 Kings 23:18.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

Bones. Septuagint add, "that my bones may be saved along with his." The conduct and faith of this man would lead us to conclude that he had done wrong, without any malicious design, ver. 18. (Haydock)

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

lay my bones: i.e. lay them not with the bones of those referred to in 1 Kings 13:2. Compare 2 Kings 23:18.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

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 wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones:

Bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried. His motive in making this request was either that his remains might not be disturbed when the predicted events took place (see the notes at 2 Kings 23:18), or he had some superstitious hope of being benefited at the resurrection by being in the same grave with a man of God.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

lay my bones

Numbers 23:10; Psalms 26:9; Ecclesiastes 8:10; Luke 16:22,23