And he spoke to his sons, saying, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled it.
Parallel translations
- WEB He said to his sons, saying, “Saddle the donkey for me,” and they saddled it.
- KJV And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him.
- BSB Then the old prophet instructed his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled it,
- ESV And he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And they saddled it.
- NASB Then he spoke to his sons, saying, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And they saddled it.
- NLT Then the prophet said to his sons, “Saddle a donkey for me.” So they saddled a donkey,
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The old prophet tells his sons to saddle his donkey so he can retrieve the body. His action shows a measure of respect and responsibility toward the man he had wronged.
Overview
Having deceived the man of God, the old prophet now moves to honor him in death. The brief, practical instruction advances the narrative toward burial. It reflects a mixture of guilt and reverence, as the prophet seeks to care for the one whose words he now knows to be true.
Cross-references & the web
No cross-references recorded for this verse.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Solomon's glory, wisdom, and temple where God's presence dwells are a shadow of the greater Son of David — 'one greater than Solomon is here' — and of the true Temple, Christ himself.
How 1 Kings 13:27 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.