1 Kings 13:3

1 Kings 13:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the Lord hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.
• New International Version (NIV)That same day the man of God gave a sign: “This is the sign the Lord has declared: The altar will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured out.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he gave a sign the same day, saying, "This is the sign that the Lord has spoken: 'Behold, the altar shall be torn down, and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.'"
• New King James Version (NKJV)And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign which the Lord has spoken: Surely the altar shall split apart, and the ashes on it shall be poured out.”

Context of 1 Kings 13:3

1Now behold, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word (command) of the Lord, while Jeroboam was standing by the altar [which he had built] to burn incense. 2The man cried out against the [idolatrous] altar by the word of the Lord, “O altar, altar, thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on you shall he sacrifice [the bodies of] the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’ ” And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign which the Lord has spoken: ‘Behold, the altar shall be split apart and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.’ ” 4When the king heard the words which the man of God cried out against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam put out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him!” And his hand which he had put out against him withered, so that he was unable to pull it back to himself. 5The altar also was split apart and the ashes were poured out from the altar in accordance with the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.

1 Kings 13:3 word by word

וְנָתַן֩ בַּיּ֨וֹם הַה֤וּא מוֹפֵת֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר זֶ֣ה הַמּוֹפֵ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה הִנֵּ֤ה הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ נִקְרָ֔ע וְנִשְׁפַּ֖ךְ הַדֶּ֥שֶׁן אֲשֶׁר־עָלָֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he gaveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• a signמוֹפֵתmôphêth môphêth · wonderH4159
• the same dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• which the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• hath spokenדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• Behold, the altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
• shall be rentקָרַעqâra‛ · to tearH7167
• and the ashesדֶּ֫שֶׁןdeshen · ashesH1880
• upon it shall be poured outשָׁפַךְshâphak · to pour: pourH8210

Cross-references for 1 Kings 13:3

• Exodus 4:3Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a [living] serpent [like the royal symbol on the crown of Pharaoh]; and Moses ran from it.
• Exodus 7:10So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and did just as the Lord had commanded; Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent.
• Deuteronomy 13:1“If a prophet arises among you, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder,
• 1 Samuel 2:34This will be the sign to you which shall come concerning your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: on the same day both of them shall die.
• 2 Kings 20:8Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the Lord will [completely] heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the Lord on the third day?”
• Isaiah 7:11“Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God [one that will convince you that God has spoken and will keep His word]; make your request as deep as Sheol or as high as heaven.”
• Isaiah 38:6I will rescue you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city [Jerusalem].” ’
• Jeremiah 44:29And this will be the sign to you,’ says the Lord, ‘that I am going to punish you in this place, so that you may know that My words will surely stand against you for harm.’
• Matthew 12:38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign (attesting miracle) from You [proving that You are what You claim to be].”
• John 2:18Then the Jews retorted, “What sign (attesting miracle) can You show us as [proof of] your authority for doing these things?”
• 1 Corinthians 1:22For Jews demand signs (attesting miracles), and Greeks pursue [worldly] wisdom and philosophy,

Commentaries on 1 Kings 13:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3And he gave a sign - A miracle to prove that the prophecy should be fulfilled in its season.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3He gave a sign - A sign of this kind - an immediate prophecy to prove the divine character of a remote prophecy - had scarcely been given before this. In the later history, however, such signs are not unfrequent (compare 2 Kings 19:29; Isaiah 7:14-16). The ashes … shall be poured out - i. e., “The half-burnt remains of the offerings shall be ignominiously spilled upon the ground.”Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3According to Levitical rules, ashes from sacrifices at the designated altar had to be taken to a clean place (Leviticus 1:16; 6:10–11). Jeroboam’s altar split apart, causing its ashes to pour out, making the altar and its sacrifices unclean.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-92-9. he cried against the altar--which is put for the whole system of worship organized in Israel. Behold, a child shall be born ... Josiah by name--This is one of the most remarkable prophecies recorded in the Scriptures; and, in its clearness, circumstantial minuteness, and exact prediction of an event that took place three hundred sixty years later, it stands in striking contrast to the obscure and ambiguous oracles of the heathen. Being publicly…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 13:3

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Beth-El
• Calf
• Forgiveness
• Intercession
• Jeroboam
• Josiah
• Judgments
• Miracles
• Reproof
• Rulers
• Sign
• Symbols and Similitudes

In the dictionaries

• Cast
• Jeroboam
• Bethel
• Chronicles, Books of
• Iddo
• Jadon
• Old Prophet, the
• Prophecy; Prophets
• Law of Moses

Commentaries on 1 Kings 13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings