1 Kings 13:3

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.

And he gave {H5414} a sign {H4159} the same day {H3117}, saying {H559}, This is the sign {H4159} which the LORD {H3068} hath spoken {H1696}; Behold, the altar {H4196} shall be rent {H7167}, and the ashes {H1880} that are upon it shall be poured out {H8210}.

That same day he also gave a sign: "Here is the sign which ADONAI has decreed: "'The altar will be split apart; the ashes on it will be scattered about.'"

That day the man of God gave a sign, saying, “The LORD has spoken this sign: ‘Surely the altar will be split apart, and the ashes upon it will be poured out.’”

And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which Jehovah hath spoken: Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.

Commentary

1 Kings 13:3 KJV presents a powerful moment of divine confirmation, where a prophetic sign is given to validate the word of the Lord spoken through the man of God.

Context of 1 Kings 13:3

This verse immediately follows the man of God's bold prophecy against the unauthorized altar that King Jeroboam had erected at Bethel. After the division of Israel into two kingdoms (Judah and Israel), Jeroboam, the first king of the Northern Kingdom, sought to prevent his people from returning to Jerusalem to worship. To achieve this, he established new centers of worship at Bethel and Dan, complete with golden calves, thereby leading Israel into profound idolatry (see 1 Kings 12:28-30). The man of God, sent from Judah, confronted Jeroboam directly at Bethel, prophesying that a future king, Josiah, would desecrate this very altar (1 Kings 13:2). When Jeroboam attempted to seize the prophet, his hand withered, serving as an immediate, personal warning. Verse 3 then details the public, verifiable sign that would confirm the larger prophecy.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Divine Confirmation of Prophecy: The core message is that God validates His spoken word with tangible proof. The immediate rending of the altar and spilling of ashes served as an undeniable sign that the man of God's message was truly from the Lord.
  • God's Judgment Against Idolatry: The very structure Jeroboam built to perpetuate idolatry was targeted for destruction. This act signified God's strong disapproval and promised judgment against false worship and disobedience.
  • God's Sovereignty and Authority: Despite Jeroboam's power as king, God demonstrates His ultimate control over human institutions and even physical structures, showing that His word cannot be thwarted.
  • Warning and Opportunity: The sign provided a clear warning to Jeroboam and the people of Israel, giving them an opportunity to repent before the full judgment prophesied for the future (Josiah's actions) came to pass.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "rent" is qara', meaning "to tear, rend, or split apart." This is a strong verb indicating a violent and decisive breaking, not a gradual decay. The phrase "ashes... poured out" (Hebrew: nataq) signifies a complete disarray and desecration, rendering the altar unfit for any form of worship, even false worship, as its sacred (to them) elements were scattered.

Related Scriptures

The immediate fulfillment of this sign is recorded in 1 Kings 13:4-5, where the altar split and the ashes scattered, further validating the prophet's authority. The prophecy concerning Josiah's future actions against the altar and the high places of Bethel is fulfilled centuries later in 2 Kings 23:15-16, demonstrating the long-term accuracy and certainty of God's prophetic word.

Practical Application

This verse reminds us that God is actively involved in human affairs and that His word is always true and powerful. Just as the sign confirmed the prophet's message for Jeroboam, God continues to confirm His truth through various means, including the fulfillment of prophecy and the transformative power of His Word in our lives. It stands as a timeless reminder of the consequences of spiritual disobedience and the importance of heeding God's warnings. We are called to discern and obey God's truth, avoiding any form of idolatry that might replace Him in our hearts and lives.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • 1 Corinthians 1:22

    For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

  • Exodus 4:3

    And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.

  • Exodus 4:5

    That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.

  • Judges 6:17

    And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.

  • John 2:18

    Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?

  • Isaiah 38:22

    Hezekiah also had said, What [is] the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?

  • Exodus 7:10

    And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
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