Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel. And his son came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel. And they also told to their father the words which he had spoken to the king — An old prophet—a resident of Bethel—learns of the young man of God's prophetic acts through his son's report. The term "old prophet" (נָבִיא זָקֵן, navi zaken) suggests a figure of some standing, yet his long residence in Bethel, the seat of schismatic worship, casts shadow on his spiritual authority. The narrator emphasizes that the old prophet hears the news secondhand, through filtering and interpretation, creating the conditions for misunderstanding.

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