מלכים א, פרק י״ג, פסוק כ״ט

Once the lion ceased its attack, the old prophet found the courage to approach the tragic scene [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. He lifted the lifeless body of the man of God, placed it upon the very donkey the victim had been riding, and carried him back to the city to deliver a eulogy and bury him.

These final acts of respect—the bitter mourning, the burial in his own personal grave, and his subsequent request to be buried beside him—completely reframe the old prophet's character. According to [אברבנאל], these actions prove he was neither a false prophet nor a follower of Baal. Had he been a false prophet, he would never have validated the harsh prophecy spoken against the altar in Bethel and its priests. In truth, he was a genuine prophet of God, though his prophetic abilities had faded over the years. When he first heard the message delivered by the man of God, he believed it with absolute certainty. His earlier deception, when he tricked the man of God into returning to his home to eat against the divine command, was not born of malice. Rather, it stemmed from deep pity and a genuine fear that the traveler would die of hunger and thirst on his journey back.

Because of his profound faith, his sincere eulogy, and his efforts to broadcast the truth of the man of God's message, the spirit of prophecy returned to him from God. He was then able to deliver his own visions regarding the impending destruction of the high places, even mentioning the city of Samaria long before it was built. As [אברבנאל] notes, these prophecies specifically targeted the high places rather than the golden calves. At that point in history, the calves were not yet being used for outright idolatry, making the unauthorized high places the primary sin of the era.