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1 Kings 13:3-5

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.”

When the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam put out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him!” His hand, which he put out against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back again to himself. The altar was also split apart, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by Yahweh’s word.

World English Bible · Public Domain
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1 Kings 13:3-5 sits inside this longer paragraph.

Behold, a man of God came out of Judah by Yahweh’s word to Bethel; and Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense. He cried against the altar by Yahweh’s word, and said, “Altar! Altar! Yahweh says: ‘Behold, a son will be born to David’s house, Josiah by name. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and they will burn men’s bones on you.’ ” 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.”

When the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam put out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him!” His hand, which he put out against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back again to himself. The altar was also split apart, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by Yahweh’s word. The king answered the man of God, “Now intercede for the favor of Yahweh your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again.” The man of God interceded with Yahweh, and the king’s hand was restored to him again, and became as it was before.

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Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    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.”

    When the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam put out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him!” His hand, which he put out against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back again to himself.

    The altar was also split apart, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by Yahweh’s word.

  • KJV King James Version

    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 it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Beth-el, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.

    The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.

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  • JPS JPS Tanakh (1917)

    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 it came to pass, when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Beth-el, that Jeroboam put forth his hand from the altar, saying: 'Lay hold on him.' And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back to him.

    The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.

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Cross-references (45)

  • 1 Corinthians 1:22 (v3) For Jews ask for signs, Greeks seek after wisdom,
  • Revelation 11:5 (v4) If anyone desires to harm them, fire proceeds out of their mouth and devours their enemies. If anyone desires to harm them, he must be…
  • Exodus 4:3-5 (v3) He said, “Throw it on the ground.” He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses ran away from it. Yahweh said to Moses,…
  • Judges 6:17 (v3) He 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.
  • 2 Chronicles 18:25-27 (v4) The king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son; and say, ‘The…
Show all 45 cross-references
  • John 2:18 (v3) The Jews therefore answered him, “What sign do you show us, seeing that you do these things?”
  • Genesis 19:11 (v4) They struck the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves to find the…
  • Exodus 4:8-9 (v3) “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…
  • Exodus 7:10 (v3) Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, as Yahweh had commanded. Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his…
  • Exodus 9:18-25 (v5) Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as has not been in Egypt since the day it was founded…
  • Numbers 16:23-35 (v5) Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from around the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram!’ ” Moses…
  • Deuteronomy 13:1-3 (v3) If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of…
  • Deuteronomy 18:22 (v5) When a prophet speaks in Yahweh’s name, if the thing doesn’t follow, nor happen, that is the thing which Yahweh has not spoken. The prophet…
  • 1 Samuel 2:34 (v3) 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.
  • 1 Kings 13:3 (v5) 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…
  • 1 Kings 22:28 (v5) Micaiah said, “If you return at all in peace, Yahweh has not spoken by me.” He said, “Listen, all you people!”
  • 1 Kings 22:35 (v5) The battle increased that day. The king was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians, and died at evening. The blood ran out of the…
  • 2 Kings 6:18-20 (v4) When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to Yahweh, and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” He struck them with blindness…
  • 2 Kings 20:8 (v3) Hezekiah 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?”
  • 2 Chronicles 16:10 (v4) Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in the prison; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. Asa oppressed some of the…
  • 2 Chronicles 25:15-16 (v4) Therefore Yahweh’s anger burned against Amaziah, and he sent to him a prophet, who said to him, “Why have you sought after the gods of the…
  • Psalms 105:15 (v4) “Don’t touch my anointed ones! Do my prophets no harm!”
  • Isaiah 7:11-14 (v3) “Ask a sign of Yahweh your God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.” But Ahaz said, “I won’t ask. I won’t tempt Yahweh.” He…
  • Isaiah 38:6-8 (v3) I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city. This shall be the sign to you from…
  • Isaiah 38:22 (v3) Hezekiah also had said, “What is the sign that I will go up to Yahweh’s house?”
  • Jeremiah 20:2-6 (v4) Then Pashhur struck Jeremiah the prophet and put him in the stocks that were in the upper gate of Benjamin, which was in Yahweh’s house. On…
  • Jeremiah 26:8-11 (v4) When Jeremiah had finished speaking all that Yahweh had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the…
  • Jeremiah 26:20-23 (v4) There was also a man who prophesied in Yahweh’s name, Uriah the son of Shemaiah of Kiriath Jearim; and he prophesied against this city and…
  • Jeremiah 28:16-17 (v5) Therefore Yahweh says, ‘Behold, I will send you away from off the surface of the earth. This year you will die, because you have spoken…
  • Jeremiah 38:4-6 (v4) Then the princes said to the king, “Please let this man be put to death; because he weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this…
  • Jeremiah 44:29 (v3) “ ‘This will be the sign to you,’ says Yahweh, ‘that I will punish you in this place, that you may know that my words will surely stand…
  • Amos 7:10-17 (v4) Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the middle of the house of…
  • Matthew 12:38-40 (v3) Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” But he answered them, “An evil and…
  • Matthew 25:40 (v4) “The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
  • Matthew 26:57 (v4) Those who had taken Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together.
  • Mark 14:44-46 (v4) Now he who betrayed him had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I will kiss, that is he. Seize him, and lead him away safely.” When he had…
  • Mark 16:20 (v5) They went out, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen.
  • Luke 3:19-20 (v4) but Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things which Herod had done, added…
  • Luke 6:10 (v4) He looked around at them all, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did, and his hand was restored as sound as the other.
  • John 13:20 (v4) Most certainly I tell you, he who receives whomever I send, receives me; and he who receives me, receives him who sent me.”
  • John 18:6 (v4) When therefore he said to them, “I am he,” they went backward, and fell to the ground.
  • Acts 5:1-10 (v5) But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira, his wife, sold a possession, and kept back part of the price, his wife also being aware of…
  • Acts 6:12-14 (v4) They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, and came against him and seized him, then brought him in to the council, and set…
  • Acts 9:4-5 (v4) He fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He said, “Who are you, Lord?” The Lord said,…
  • Acts 13:8-11 (v4) But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul,…

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

Explain this passage (16 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv3–5 Or, be poured out.

Or, be poured out.

By this sign ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv3–5 1Ki 13:3 And he gave a sign the same…
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv3–4 He gave a sign the same day, i. e.…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv3–5 And he gave a sign the same day, saying,…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv3–4 Gave a sign - That is, he then wrought…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv3–5 Verse 3. And he gave a sign] A miracle…
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv3–4 1Ki 13:3. He gave a sign the same day…
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv3, 5 He gave a sign - A sign of this…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On v3 Sign. This would take place immediately, to convince the…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv3–4 3. He gave a sign — He wrought a…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv3–4 3. And he gave a sign the same day]…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On v3 (3, 4) The sign.—Both the signs, like most miraculous…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv3–5 And he gave a sign The Heb. tpewOm rather…
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v4 He put forth his hand.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v4 the hand with which he had reached out against…
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv3–4 13:3 In Levitical regulations, ashes from sacrifices at the…
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