And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.
When King Jeroboam heard what the man of God shouted against the altar in Bethel, he stretched out his hand from the altar and ordered, 'Grab him!' But the hand he stretched out against the prophet immediately withered and became paralyzed, so he couldn't pull it back to himself.
When King Jeroboam tried to arrest God's prophet, God immediately paralyzed the king's outstretched hand as divine judgment for opposing His messenger.
📚 Historical Context
In the divided kingdom of Israel after Solomon's reign, King Jeroboam ruled the northern tribes and set up alternative worship sites with golden calves in Bethel and Dan to prevent his people from traveling to Jerusalem in the southern kingdom. A prophet sent by God confronted Jeroboam at the altar in Bethel, prophesying its destruction as a judgment against this idolatry. When Jeroboam extended his hand to seize the prophet, it miraculously withered, serving as an immediate sign of God's power and displeasure.
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