Isho'dad of Merv (ancient Christian Commentator) - I Kings Chapter 13

ACCS [ Ancient Christian Commentary Series]

exegesis / interpretation of

I Kings 13: 11, 18-19

[The old prophet in Bethel] said to the

[man of God who came out of Judah]

I also am a prophet as you

are, and an angel spoke to

me by the word of the LORD,

saying, 'Bring him back with

you into your house that he may

eat bread and drink water.'

but he lied to him . . .

So he (the man of God) went

back with him, and ate bread

in his house, and drank water.

from Isho'dad of Merv's

Books of Sessions 1st Kings

13.11

"Some authors assert that 

the old prophet was NOT an

impostor but invited the man

of God to eat out of human

sympathy in order to refresh

and thank him for admonishing

Jeroboam.  That is why God did

not harm the old prophet as a

consequence of this.  

According to some other authors,

the old man was a false prophet

because, if he had been a true

prophet, as others maintained, he 

would not have seduced a true

prophet, and his children would

not have served in a house of

idols in Bethel; therefore it was

in order to seduce him that the

old man went to meet the man

of God/prophet."

Isho'dad of Merv was a Nestorian Bishop of

Hedatta.  He wrote commentaries on parts

of the Old Testament and all of the New 

Testament, frequently quoting Syriac fathers.