1 Kings 13 · Verse 2

1 Kings 13:2

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.
1 Kings 13:2, King James Version

1 Kings 13:2 in other translations

BSBAnd he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, “O altar, O altar, this is what the LORD says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David, and upon you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense upon you, and human bones will be burned upon you.’”
WEBHe cried against the altar by the LORD’s word, and said, “Altar! Altar! The LORD 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.’”
ASVAnd he cried against the altar by the word of Jehovah, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith Jehovah: Behold, a son shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he sacrifice the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men’s bones shall they burn upon thee.
YLTand he calleth against the altar, by the word of Jehovah, and saith, ‘Altar! altar! thus said Jehovah, Lo, a son is born to the house of David--Josiah his name--and he hath sacrificed on thee the priests of the high places who are making perfume on thee, and bones of man are burnt on thee.'
DARBYAnd he cried against the altar by the word of Jehovah, and said, O altar, altar! thus saith Jehovah: Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he sacrifice the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burned upon thee.
BBEAnd by the order of the Lord he made an outcry against the altar, saying, O altar, altar, the Lord has said, From the seed of David will come a child, named Josiah, and on you he will put to death the priests of the high places, who are burning offerings on you, and men's bones will be burned on you.
WebsterAnd 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 to 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.

What does 1 Kings 13:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Kings 13:2-9
2-9. 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 uttered, it must have been well known to the people; and every Jew who lived at the accomplishment of the event must have been convinced of the truth of a religion connected with such a prophecy as this. A present sign was given of the remote event predicted, in a visible fissure being miraculously made on the altar. Incensed at the man's license of speech, Jeroboam stretched out his hand and ordered his attendants to seize the bold intruder. That moment the king's arm became stiff and motionless, and the altar split asunder, so that the fire and ashes fell on the floor. Overawed by the effects of his impiety, Jeroboam besought the prophet's prayer. His request was acceded to, and the hand was restored to its healthy state. Jeroboam was artful, and invited the prophet to the royal table, not to do him honor or show his gratitude for the restoration of his hand, but to win, by his courtesy and liberal hospitality, a person whom he could not crush by his power. But the prophet informed him of a divine injunction expressly prohibiting him from all social intercourse with any in the place, as well as from returning the same way. The prohibition not to eat or drink in Beth-el was because all the people had become apostates from the true religion, and the reason he was not allowed to return the same way was lest he should be recognized by any whom he had seen in going.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 He 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; and it was the interest of the Israelites, against whom it was levelled, to impugn its authenticity and expose its falsehood, had this been possible. This prediction not only showed the knowledge of God, but his power. He gave, as it were, this warning to idolatry, that it might be on its guard, and defend itself against this Josiah whenever a person of that name should be found sitting on the throne of David; and no doubt it was on the alert, and took all prudent measures for its own defense; but all in vain, for Josiah, in the eighteenth year of his reign, literally accomplished this prophecy, as we may read, 2Kgs 23:15-20. And from this latter place we find that the prophecy had three permanent testimonials of its truth. 1. The house of Israel; 2. The house of Judah; and, 3. The tomb of the prophet who delivered this prophecy, who, being slain by a lion, was brought back and buried at Beth-el, the superscription on whose tomb remained till the day on which Josiah destroyed that altar, and burnt dead men's bones upon it. See above, 2Kgs 23:16-18.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Kings 13:1-10

In threatening the altar, the prophet threatens the founder and worshippers. Idolatrous worship will not continue, but the word of the Lord will endure for ever. The prediction plainly declared that the family of David would continue, and support true religion, when the ten tribes would not be able to resist them. If God, in justice, harden the hearts of sinners, so that the hand they have stretched out in sin they…

Read the full comment on 1 Kings 13:1-10 →

1 Kings 13:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּקְרָ֤אvai.yik.Ra'and he called outH7121
עַל\־'al-onH5921
הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ha.miz.Be.achthe altarH4196
בִּדְבַ֣רbid.Varby [the] word ofH1697
יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3068
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙vai.Yo.merand he saidH559
מִזְבֵּ֣חַmiz.Be.achO altarH4196
מִזְבֵּ֔חַmiz.Be.achaltarH4196
כֹּ֖הkohthusH3541
אָמַ֣ר'a.Marhe saysH559
יְהוָ֑הYah.wehYahwehH3068
הִנֵּֽה\־hi.neh-here!H2009
בֵ֞ןvena sonH1121
נוֹלָ֤דno.Lad[is] about to be bornH3205
לְבֵית\־le.veit-to [the] house ofH1004
דָּוִד֙da.VidDavidH1732
יֹאשִׁיָּ֣הוּyo.shi.Ya.hu[will be] JosiahH2977
שְׁמ֔וֹshe.Moname hisH8034
וְזָבַ֣חve.za.Vachand he will sacrificeH2076
עָלֶ֗יךָ'a.Lei.khaon youH5921
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
כֹּהֲנֵ֤יko.ha.Nei[the] priests ofH3548
הַבָּמוֹת֙ha.ba.mOtthe high placesH1116
הַמַּקְטִרִ֣יםha.mak.ti.Rimwho make smokeH6999
עָלֶ֔יךָ'a.Lei.khaon youH5921
וְעַצְמ֥וֹתve.'atz.Motand bones ofH6106
אָדָ֖ם'a.DamhumankindH120
יִשְׂרְפ֥וּyis.re.Fupeople will burnH8313
עָלֶֽיךָ\׃'a.Lei.khaon youH5921

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Kings 13:2

  • 2 Kings 23:15-18

    Moreover the altar that was at Beth–el, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove. And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the Lord which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words. Then he said, What title is that that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Beth–el. And he said, Let him alone; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria.

  • Ezekiel 36:1

    Also, thou son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord:

  • Jeremiah 22:29

    O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord.

  • 2 Kings 22:1-2

    Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.

  • Ezekiel 36:4

    Therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God; Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes, and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen that are round about;

  • Isaiah 1:2

    Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

  • Isaiah 58:1

    Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.

  • 2 Chronicles 34:4-7

    And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them. And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about. And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

  • Deuteronomy 32:1

    Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.

  • Isaiah 42:9

    Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

  • Isaiah 44:26-28

    That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

  • 2 Chronicles 34:1

    Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
O altar.
De 32:1; Isa 1:2; 58:1; Jer 22:29; Eze 36:1,4; 38:4; Lu 19:40
Josiah by name.
2Ki 22:1,2; 23:15-18; 2Ch 34:1,4-7; Isa 42:9; 44:26-28; 46:10
Isa 48:5-7
offer.
2Ki 23:15-17

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Kings 13:1

    And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Beth–el: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.

  • 1 Kings 13:2

    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.

  • 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.

Read all of 1 Kings 13

1 Kings 13:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
El clamó contra el altar por palabra de Jehová, y dijo: Altar, altar, así ha dicho Jehová: He aquí que á la casa de David nacerá un hijo, llamado Josías, el cual sacrificará sobre ti á los sacerdotes de los altos que queman sobre ti perfumes; y sobre ti quemarán huesos de hombres.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et il cria contre l’autel, par la parole de l’ Éternel, et dit: Autel, autel! ainsi dit l’ Éternel: Voici, un fils naîtra à la maison de David; son nom sera Josias, et il offrira sur toi les sacrificateurs des hauts lieux qui font fumer de l’encens sur toi, et on brûlera sur toi des ossements d’hommes.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und er rief aus wider den Altar durch das Wort Jehovas und sprach: Altar, Altar! so spricht Jehova: Siehe, ein Sohn wird dem Hause Davids geboren werden, Josia sein Name; und er wird auf dir die Priester der Höhen schlachten, die auf dir räuchern, und man wird Menschengebeine auf dir verbrennen!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et exclamavit contra altare in sermone Domini, et ait: Altare, altare, hæc dicit Dominus: Ecce filius nascetur domui David, Josias nomine, et immolabit super te sacerdotes excelsorum, qui nunc in te thura succendunt: et ossa hominum super te incendet.