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.

1 KINGS 13:3KJV
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1 Kings 13:3 (KJV)

What does 1 Kings 13:3 mean?

1 Kings 13:3 describes how a man of God gave a sign to prove that his message was truly from the LORD: he declared that the altar would break apart and its ashes would spill out, just as the LORD had spoken. This sign was meant to show that God’s warning and judgment against the altar were real and would happen soon.

In this scene, a prophet from Judah is speaking to King Jeroboam and the people at Bethel, where Jeroboam had set up an unauthorized altar. The prophet announces a miraculous sign—specifically, that the altar would be split and its ashes poured out—as immediate proof that his prophecy about God’s coming judgment was true. This moment is a dramatic confrontation, showing that God’s authority is greater than the king’s actions.

The Hebrew behind 1 Kings 13:3

  • "Sign" (אוֹת, ’ot): This word means a visible or miraculous proof. Here, it emphasizes that the prophet’s message is not just words but is backed by a clear, supernatural event.
  • "Rent" (קָרַע, qara‘): This verb means to tear or split apart. The use of this word highlights the violent and unmistakable nature of the sign—something dramatic and public that could not be ignored.
  • "Ashes" (אֵפֶר, efer): Refers to the remains of sacrifices on the altar. The pouring out of these ashes symbolizes the rejection of the altar and its offerings by God.

Why 1 Kings 13:3 matters

  • This verse makes it clear that God’s authority is not tied to any human king or place, but is shown through unmistakable signs that confirm His word.
  • The sign is not just a prediction but an immediate event, meant to leave no doubt that the prophet’s message is from God.
  • The verse sets up the rest of the chapter, where the fulfillment of this sign becomes a turning point in the confrontation between true and false worship in Israel.

Where else these words appear

“ashes” Hebrew H1880 · used in 14 verses

  • Leviticus 1:16 And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes:
  • Judges 9:9 But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?
  • Psalms 63:5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

“sign” Hebrew H4159 · used in 35 verses

  • Exodus 4:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.
  • Deuteronomy 28:46 And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever.
  • Psalms 105:27 They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.

“rent” Hebrew H7167 · used in 60 verses

  • Genesis 37:29 And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
  • 1 Kings 11:11 Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.
  • 2 Chronicles 34:27 Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD.

“out” Hebrew H8210 · used in 111 verses

  • Genesis 9:6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.
  • Psalms 22:14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
  • Ezekiel 16:36 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them;