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.”
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.”
- 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.
- 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.’”
- 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 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 Jews ask for signs, Greeks seek after wisdom,
- Exod 4:3–5He said, “Throw it on the ground.” He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses ran away from it.
- John 2:18The Jews therefore answered him, “What sign do you show us, seeing that you do these things?”
- Judg 6:17He said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, then show me a sign that it is you who talk with me.
- Isa 38:6–8I will deliver you 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 Pharisees answered, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”
- 1 Sam 2:34“‘This will be the sign to you, that will come on your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they will both die.
- 2 Kgs 20:8Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What will be the sign that Yahweh will heal me, and that I will go up to Yahweh’s house the third day?”
- Deut 13:1–3If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you, and he gives you a sign or a wonder,
- Isa 7:11–14“Ask a sign of Yahweh your God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.”
- Isa 38:22Hezekiah also had said, “What is the sign that I will go up to Yahweh’s house?”
- Jer 44:29“‘This shall be the sign to you,’ says Yahweh, ‘that I will punish you in this place, that you may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil.’
- Exod 7:10Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, as Yahweh had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
- Exod 4:8–9“It will happen, if they will not believe you or listen 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.