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

1King Jeroboam was standing in front of the altar at Bethel. He was ready to make an offering. At that time, the Lord told one of his servants to go from Judah to Bethel. 2When he arrived at Bethel, he shouted the message that the Lord had given to him. He said, ‘Altar! Altar! This is what the Lord says to you: “Listen! One day, a son will be born in David's family. His name will be Josiah. On this altar, he will burn as sacrifices the priests who offer sacrifices on the hills. He will burn the bones of dead people on you!” ’ The same day, God's servant spoke another message to warn Jeroboam. He said, ‘This is the sign to show that the Lord has decided to do this: You will see the altar break into two pieces. The ashes of the sacrifices that are on it will fall to the ground.’ 4King Jeroboam heard the message that God's servant shouted against the altar at Bethel. As he stood there at the altar, the king pointed his hand at God's servant. He said, ‘Take hold of that man!’ But when he pointed with his hand, it suddenly became useless and he could not pull it back. 5Then the altar broke into two pieces and the ashes fell to the ground. That is what God's servant had said would happen, to show that he spoke with the Lord's authority.

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 4:3The Lord said, ‘Throw it down on the ground.’ So Moses threw it on the ground. Then the stick became a snake! Moses ran away from the snake.
• Exodus 7:10So Moses and Aaron went to see Pharaoh. They did everything that the Lord had commanded them. Aaron threw down his stick in front of Pharaoh and his officers. And the stick became a snake!
• Deuteronomy 13:1One day, you may have a prophet among you who tells you what will happen in the future. He may have dreams about what will happen. He may promise to do miracles to show that he is right.
• 1 Samuel 2:34This will show you that what I have said is true: Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will both die on the same day.
• 2 Kings 20:8Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, ‘What will show me that the Lord will make me well again? How will I know that I will go up to the Lord's temple on the third day from now?’
• Isaiah 7:11He said, ‘Ask the Lord your God to do a miracle for you. That will show you that what he has said is true. Ask for anything, deep in the earth or high in the sky.’
• Isaiah 38:6I will rescue you and this city from the power of the king of Assyria. I will keep Jerusalem safe.” ’
• Jeremiah 44:29The Lord also says, “I will show you that I will surely punish you in this place. I will tell you something that will soon happen. Then you will know that my promise to punish you will certainly become true.
• Matthew 12:38Then some teachers of God's Law and some Pharisees said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, we want to see you do something powerful. This will show us that God has really sent you.’
• John 2:18Then the Jews asked Jesus, ‘What is your authority to do this? Do a miracle to show us that you really do have authority.’
• 1 Corinthians 1:22Jewish people want to see God do a miracle. Then they will listen. Gentile people want to listen to a message that has clever ideas.

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