מלכים א, פרק י״ג, פסוק ד׳

A dramatic clash unfolds between human political power and Divine authority, ending in a sudden and miraculous display of God's protection. The king hastily stretches out his hand toward the prophet. He does not even wait for the prophet to finish delivering God's message, reacting the moment the prophet speaks out against the altar [אלשיך]. His outstretched hand serves as a direct signal to his guards to seize the prophet [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Instantly, the king's hand dries up and becomes paralyzed, completely removing his ability to harm the messenger [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This paralysis is not part of the original prophecy regarding the altar. Instead, it is a separate, immediate punishment specifically for attacking the honor of the man of God [מלבי״ם].

This event reveals a profound principle about how God interacts with the world: He is quicker to avenge the honor of righteous people than His own honor. At that very moment, the king is actively burning incense to an idol, yet his hand is not punished for that severe sin against God. It is only when he reaches out to harm the righteous prophet that his hand is instantly paralyzed [רש״י, מלבי״ם].

Beyond serving as a personal punishment, the paralyzed hand acts as undeniable proof of the prophet's truthfulness. The sudden physical miracle proves that the future prophecy concerning the destruction of the altar will also come to pass exactly as foretold [אברבנאל].

Despite experiencing such a shocking physical miracle in his own body, the king does not repent. He remains stubborn, driven by the fear that he will lose his throne to his rival if the people return to worship God in Jerusalem. Furthermore, a person who is deeply entrenched in sin and leads others astray becomes completely enslaved to his own desires, making it incredibly difficult to change his ways [אלשיך].