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.
Parallel translations
- WEB He gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign which Yahweh has spoken: Behold, the altar will be split apart, and the ashes that are on it will be poured out.”
- BSB 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.’”
- 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.’”
- 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.”
- NASB Then he gave a sign on the same day, saying, “This is the sign which the Lord has spoken: ‘Behold, the altar shall be torn to pieces and the ashes which are on it shall be poured out.’ ”
- NLT That same day the man of God gave a sign to prove his message. He said, “The Lord has promised to give this sign: This altar will split apart, and its ashes will be poured out on the ground.”
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The prophet gives a confirming sign: the altar will split and its ashes pour out. An immediate sign authenticates the long-range prophecy.
Overview
To validate his word, the man of God announces that the altar will be torn apart and its ashes spilled that very day. Such a sign offers present confirmation of a prophecy whose main fulfillment lies far in the future. God graciously provides evidence so that his word may be trusted.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- 1 Cor 1:22For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
- Exod 4:3–5And 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.
- John 2:18Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
- Judg 6:17And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.
- Isa 38:6–8And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.
- Matt 12:38–40Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
- 1 Sam 2:34And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.
- 2 Kgs 20:8And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the LORD the third day?
- Deut 13:1–3If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
- Isa 7:11–14Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.
- Isa 38:22Hezekiah also had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?
- Jer 44:29And this shall be a sign unto you, saith the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil:
- Exod 7:10And 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.
- Exod 4:8–9And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Solomon's glory, wisdom, and temple where God's presence dwells are a shadow of the greater Son of David — 'one greater than Solomon is here' — and of the true Temple, Christ himself.
How 1 Kings 13:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.