God’s Word Translation
1 Kings 13:2
2By a command of the Lord, this man condemned the altar. “Altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: There will be a son born in David’s family line. His name will be Josiah. Here on you Josiah will sacrifice the priests from the illegal worship sites who offer sacrifices on you. Human bones will be burned on you.”
1 Kings 13:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men’s bones shall be burnt upon thee.
- New International Version (NIV)By the word of the Lord he cried out against the altar: “Altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.’ ”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the man cried against the altar by the word of the Lord and said, "O altar, altar, thus says the Lord: 'Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.'"
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, “O altar, altar! Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be burned on you.’ ”
Context of 1 Kings 13:2
1A man of God from Judah had come to Bethel. When he arrived, Jeroboam was standing at the altar to offer a sacrifice. By a command of the Lord, this man condemned the altar. “Altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: There will be a son born in David’s family line. His name will be Josiah. Here on you Josiah will sacrifice the priests from the illegal worship sites who offer sacrifices on you. Human bones will be burned on you.” 3That day the man of God ⌞also⌟ gave ⌞them⌟ a miraculous sign, saying, “This is the sign that the Lord will give you: You will see the altar torn apart. The ashes on it will be poured ⌞on the ground⌟.” 4When King Jeroboam heard the man of God condemning the altar in Bethel, he pointed to the man across the altar. “Arrest him,” he said. But the arm that he used to point to the man of God was paralyzed so that he couldn’t pull it back.
Read all of 1 Kings 131 Kings 13:2 word by word
וַיִּקְרָ֤א עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ בִּדְבַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ מִזְבֵּ֣חַ מִזְבֵּ֔חַ כֹּ֖ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה הִנֵּֽה־בֵ֞ן נוֹלָ֤ד לְבֵית־דָּוִד֙ יֹאשִׁיָּ֣הוּ שְׁמ֔וֹ וְזָבַ֣ח עָלֶ֗יךָ אֶת־כֹּהֲנֵ֤י הַבָּמוֹת֙ הַמַּקְטִרִ֣ים עָלֶ֔יךָ וְעַצְמ֥וֹת אָדָ֖ם יִשְׂרְפ֥וּ עָלֶֽיךָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And he criedקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call outH7121
- against the altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
- in the wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Behold, a childבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- shall be bornיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
- unto the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
- of Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
- Josiahיֹאשִׁיָּ֫הוּyô'shîyâh yô'shîyâhû · JosiahH2977
- by nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- and upon thee shall he offerזָבַחzâbach · to sacrificeH2076
- the priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
- of the high placesבָּמָהbâmâh · high placeH1116
- that burn incenseקָטַרqâţar · to offer: offerH6999
- upon thee, and men’sאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- bonesעֶ֫צֶם‛etsem · boneH6106
- shall be burntשָׂרַףώâraph · to burnH8313
Cross-references for 1 Kings 13:2
- Deuteronomy 32:1Listen, heaven, and I will speak. Earth, hear the words from my mouth.
- Isaiah 1:2Listen, heaven, and pay attention, earth! The Lord has spoken, “I raised ⌞my⌟ children and helped them grow, but they have rebelled against me.
- Isaiah 58:1Cry aloud! Don’t hold back! Raise your voice like a ram’s horn. Tell my people about their rebellion and the descendants of Jacob about their sins.
- Jeremiah 22:29O land, land, land! Listen to the Lord’s word.
- Ezekiel 36:1⌞The Lord said,⌟ “Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel. Tell them, ‘Mountains of Israel, listen to the Lord’s word.
- Ezekiel 38:4I will turn you around and put hooks in your jaws. I will lead you out with all your military forces, with horses and riders. Your soldiers will be fully armed. They will carry large and small shields and be able to use swords.
- Luke 19:40Jesus replied, “I can guarantee that if they are quiet, the stones will cry out.”
- 2 Kings 22:1Josiah was 8 years old when he began to rule, and he was king for 31 years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jedidah, daughter of Adaiah from Bozkath.
- 2 Kings 23:15He also tore down the altar at Bethel—the place of worship made by Jeroboam (Nebat’s son), who had made Israel sin. He tore down both the altar and the place of worship. They burned the worship site, crushing it to powder and burning the pole dedicated to Asherah.
- 2 Chronicles 34:1Josiah was 8 years old when he began to rule, and he was king for 31 years in Jerusalem.
- Isaiah 42:9What I said in the past has come true. I will reveal new things before they happen.
- Isaiah 44:26He confirms the word of his servant and fulfills the plan of his messengers. He says about Jerusalem, “It will be inhabited.” He says about the cities of Judah, “They will be rebuilt.” He says about their ruins, “I will restore them.”
- Isaiah 46:10From the beginning I revealed the end. From long ago I told you things that had not yet happened, saying, “My plan will stand, and I’ll do everything I intended to do.”
- Isaiah 48:5That is why I revealed to you what would happen long ago. I told you about them before they happened. ⌞I did this⌟ so you couldn’t say, “My gods have done these things. My carved idols and my metal idols have commanded them to happen.”
Commentaries on 1 Kings 13:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2He cried against the altar - He denounced the destruction of this idolatrous system. A child shall be born - Josiah by name - This is one of the most remarkable and most singular prophecies in the Old Testament. It here most circumstantially foretells a fact which took place three hundred and forty years after the prediction; a fact which was attested by the two nations. The Jews, in whose behalf this prophecy was delivered, would guard it most sacredly…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2A child shall be born Josiah by name - Divine predictions so seldom descend to such particularity as this, that doubts are entertained, even by orthodox theologians, with respect to the actual mention of Josiah‘s name by a prophet living in the time of Jeroboam. Only one other instance that can be considered parallel occurs in the whole of Scripture - the mention of Cyrus by Isaiah. Of course no one who believes in the divine foreknowledge can doubt…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-10The story of the unnamed man of God who spoke against Jeroboam’s false altar at Bethel shows the authority of God’s word. This prophecy even gave a personal name connected with an event that would happen much later (2 Kings 23:15–20). Other examples are Isaiah’s prophecy of Cyrus as a future ruler (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1) and Micah’s prophecy that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). Prophecies like these give assurance that God is in control…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 13:2
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries