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Wednesday, June 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 6 / Ordinary 11
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Easy-to-Read Version

1 Kings 13:2

The Lord had commanded the man of God to speak against the altar. He said, "Altar, the Lord says to you: ‘David's family will have a son. His name will be Josiah. The priests of the high places are now burning incense on you, but Josiah will offer the priests on you and burn human bones on you, so you can never be used again!'"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;   Beth-El;   Calf;   Intercession;   Jeroboam;   Josiah;   Judgments;   Prophecy;   Reproof;   Rulers;   Thompson Chain Reference - Births Foretold;   Children;   Home;   Idolatrous;   Israel;   Israel-The Jews;   Josiah;   Kings of Israel;   Leaders;   Manifestations, Special Divine;   Mysteries-Revelations;   Priests;   Religious;   Signs Given;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Calves of Jeroboam;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Bethel;   Iddo;   Josiah;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Bethel;   Jeroboam;   Josiah;   Prophecy, prophet;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Jeroboam;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Elijah;   Jeroboam;   Prophet;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Bethel;   High Place;   Jeroboam;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Jadon;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Bethel ;   Josiah ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Josiah;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Law of Moses;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Jeroboam;   Prophecy;   Prophets;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Cremation;   High Place;   Josiah;   Old Prophet, the;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Cremation;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The man of God cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord: “Altar, altar, this is what the Lord says, ‘A son will be born to the house of David, named Josiah, and he will sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who are burning incense on you. Human bones will be burned on you.’”
Hebrew Names Version
He cried against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, altar, altar, thus says the LORD: Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Yoshiyahu by name; and on you shall he sacrifice the Kohanim of the high places who burn incense on you, and men's bones shall they burn on you.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
And the man cried against the altar by the word of the Lord and said, "O altar, altar, thus says the Lord : ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.'"
New Century Version
The Lord had commanded the man of God to speak against the altar. The man said, "Altar, altar, the Lord says to you: ‘David's family will have a son named Josiah. The priests for the places of worship now make their sacrifices on you, but Josiah will sacrifice those priests on you. Human bones will be burned on you.'"
New English Translation
With the authority of the Lord he cried out against the altar, "O altar, altar! This is what the Lord says, ‘Look, a son named Josiah will be born to the Davidic dynasty. He will sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who offer sacrifices on you. Human bones will be burned on you.'"
Amplified Bible
The man cried out against the [idolatrous] altar by the word of the LORD, "O altar, altar, thus says the Lord: 'Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on you shall he sacrifice [the bodies of] the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.'"
New American Standard Bible
And he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD and said, "Altar, altar, this is what the LORD says: 'Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones shall burn on you.'"
Geneva Bible (1587)
And he cryed against the altar by the comandement of the Lorde, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord, Beholde, a child shalbe borne vnto the house of Dauid, Iosiah by name, and vpon thee shall he sacrifice the Priestes of the hie places that burne incense vpon thee, and they shall burne mens bones vpon thee.
Legacy Standard Bible
And he cried against the altar by the word of Yahweh, and said, "O altar, altar, thus says Yahweh, ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah is his name; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.'"
Complete Jewish Bible
And by the word from Adonai he cried out against the altar: "Altar, altar, here is what Adonai says: ‘A son will be born to the house of David; his name will be Yoshiyahu; and on you he will sacrifice the cohanim of the high places who burn incense on you! They will burn human bones on you!'"
Darby Translation
And 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.
George Lamsa Translation
And the prophet cried against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, hear the word of the LORD, thus says the LORD: Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon you he shall offer the priests of the temples of idols who burn incense upon you, and mens bones shall be burnt upon you.
Good News Translation
Following the Lord 's command, the prophet denounced the altar: "O altar, altar, this is what the Lord says: A child, whose name will be Josiah, will be born to the family of David. He will slaughter on you the priests serving at the pagan altars who offer sacrifices on you, and he will burn human bones on you."
Lexham English Bible
Then he proclaimed against the altar by the word of Yahweh and said, "O altar, altar, thus says Yahweh: ‘Look, a son will be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones shall burn on you.'"
Literal Translation
And he cried against the altar, by the Word of Jehovah, and said, Altar! Altar! So says Jehovah, Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, his name Josiah, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who are burning incense on you, and they shall burn the bones of man on you.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he cried agaynst the altare thorow the worde of the LORDE, and sayde: O altar, altar, thus sayeth the LORDE: Beholde, there shal be borne vnto ye house of Dauid a sonne, Iosias by name which on the shal offer the prestes of the hye places, that burne incense vpon the, and mens bones shal he burne on the.
American Standard Version
And 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.
Bible in Basic English
And 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.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he cried against the aulter in the worde of the Lorde, and sayd: O aulter aulter, thus sayeth the Lorde: Behold, a childe shall be borne vnto the house of Dauid, Iosia by name, and vpon thee shall he offer the priestes of the hill aulters that burnt incense vpon thee, and mens bones shalbe burnt vpon thee.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he cried against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said: 'O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD: 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 offer upon thee, and men's bones shall they burn upon thee.'
King James Version (1611)
And hee cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord, Behold, a child shalbe borne vnto the house of Dauid, Iosiah by name, and vpon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burne incense vpon thee, and mens bones shall bee burnt vpon thee.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he cried against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord, Behold, a son is to be born to the house of David, Josias by name; and he shall offer upon thee the priests of the high places, even of them that sacrifice upon thee, and he shall burn men’s bones upon thee.
English Revised Version
And he cried against the altar by 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 sacrifice the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men’s bones shall they burn upon thee.
Berean Standard Bible
And 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.'"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And `the man of God criede ayens the auter, bi the word of the Lord, and seide, Auter! auter! the Lord seith these thingis, Lo! a sone, Josias by name, shal be borun to the hows of Dauid; and he schal offre on thee the preestis of hiye thingis, that brennen now encensis yn thee, and he schal brenne the bonys of men on thee.
Young's Literal Translation
and 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.'
Update Bible Version
And he cried against the altar by the word of Yahweh, and said, O altar, altar, thus says Yahweh: Look, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places that burn incense on you, and man's bones they shall burn on you.
Webster's Bible Translation
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 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.
World English Bible
He cried against the altar by the word of Yahweh, and said, altar, altar, thus says Yahweh: Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on you shall he sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men's bones shall they burn on you.
New King James Version
Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, "O altar, altar! Thus says the LORD: "Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men's bones shall be burned on you."'
New Living Translation
Then at the Lord 's command, he shouted, "O altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: A child named Josiah will be born into the dynasty of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests from the pagan shrines who come here to burn incense, and human bones will be burned on you."
New Life Bible
The man cried against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, "O altar, altar, this is what the Lord says. ‘See, a son will be born to the family of David. His name will be Josiah. On you he will burn the religious leaders of the high places who burn special perfume on you. Human bones will be burned on you.'"
New Revised Standard
and proclaimed against the altar by the word of the Lord , and said, "O altar, altar, thus says the Lord : ‘A son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who offer incense on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.'"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he made proclamation against the altar, by the word of Yahweh, and said, O altar! altar! Thus, saith Yahweh, - Lo! a son to be born unto the house of David, Josiah his name, who shall sacrifice upon thee the priests of the high-places, who are making a perfume upon thee, and, human bones, shall be burned upon thee;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he cried out 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, Josias by name, and he shall immolate upon thee the priests of the high places, who now burn incense upon thee, and he shall burn men’s bones upon thee.
Revised Standard Version
And the man cried against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, "O altar, altar, thus says the LORD: 'Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josi'ah by name; and he shall sacrifice upon you the priests of the high places who burn incense upon you, and men's bones shall be burned upon you.'"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He cried against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, "O altar, altar, thus says the LORD, 'Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.'"

Contextual Overview

1 The Lord commanded a man of God from Judah to go to the city of Bethel. King Jeroboam was standing at the altar offering incense when the man of God arrived. 2 The Lord had commanded the man of God to speak against the altar. He said, "Altar, the Lord says to you: ‘David's family will have a son. His name will be Josiah. The priests of the high places are now burning incense on you, but Josiah will offer the priests on you and burn human bones on you, so you can never be used again!'" 3 The man of God gave proof to the people that this would happen. He said, "This is the proof that the Lord told me about. He said, ‘This altar will break apart, and the ashes on it will fall onto the ground.'" 4 When King Jeroboam heard the message from the man of God about the altar in Bethel, he took his hand off the altar and pointed at the man. He said, "Arrest that man!" But when the king said this, his arm became paralyzed. He could not move it. 5 Then the altar broke into pieces, and all its ashes fell onto the ground. This proved that what the man of God had said came from the Lord . 6 Then King Jeroboam said to the man of God, "Please pray to the Lord your God for me. Ask him to heal my arm." So the man of God prayed to the Lord , and the king's arm was healed, as it was before. 7 Then the king said to the man of God, "Please come home with me. Come and eat with me. I will give you a gift." 8 But the man of God said to the king, "I will not go home with you, even if you give me half of your kingdom! I will not eat or drink anything in this place. 9 The Lord commanded me not to eat or drink anything here. He also commanded me not to go back the same way I came." 10 So he took a different road home. He did not go back the same way he came to Bethel.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

O altar: Deuteronomy 32:1, Isaiah 1:2, Isaiah 58:1, Jeremiah 22:29, Ezekiel 36:1, Ezekiel 36:4, Ezekiel 38:4, Luke 19:40

Josiah by name: 2 Kings 22:1, 2 Kings 22:2, 2 Kings 23:15-18, 2 Chronicles 34:1, 2 Chronicles 34:4-7, Isaiah 42:9, Isaiah 44:26-28, Isaiah 46:10, Isaiah 48:5-7

offer: 2 Kings 23:15-17

Reciprocal: Leviticus 10:1 - put incense Leviticus 26:30 - I will destroy 1 Kings 13:32 - the saying 1 Kings 20:35 - in the word 2 Kings 2:2 - Bethel 2 Kings 17:23 - as he had said 2 Kings 17:27 - one of the priests 2 Kings 23:16 - burned 2 Kings 23:20 - he slew 2 Chronicles 34:5 - he Ecclesiastes 3:2 - time to be born Isaiah 7:2 - the house Jeremiah 8:1 - General Ezekiel 6:4 - and I Ezekiel 37:4 - Prophesy Hosea 10:8 - their altars Amos 3:14 - I will Matthew 1:10 - Josias

Cross-References

Genesis 13:1
So Abram left Egypt. He traveled through the Negev with his wife and everything he owned. Lot was also with them.
Genesis 13:3
Abram continued traveling around. He left the Negev and went back to Bethel. He went to the place between the city of Bethel and Ai, where he and his family had camped before.
Genesis 13:9
We should separate. You can choose any place you want. If you go to the left, I will go to the right. If you go to the right, I will go to the left."
Genesis 13:10
Lot looked and saw the whole Jordan Valley. He saw that there was much water there. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. At that time the Jordan Valley all the way to Zoar was like the Lord 's Garden. This was good land, like the land of Egypt.)
Genesis 13:12
Abram stayed in the land of Canaan, and Lot lived among the cities in the valley. Lot moved as far as Sodom and made his camp there.
Genesis 13:13
The Lord knew that the people of Sodom were very evil sinners.
Genesis 24:35
The Lord has greatly blessed my master in everything. My master has become a great man. The Lord has given him many flocks of sheep and herds of cattle. He has much silver and gold and many servants. He has many camels and donkeys.
Deuteronomy 8:18
Remember the Lord your God is the one who gives you power to do these things. He does this because he wants to keep the agreement that he made with your ancestors, as he is doing today!
1 Samuel 2:7
The Lord makes some poor, and he makes others rich. He humbles some people, and he honors others.
Job 1:3
He owned 7000 sheep, 3000 camels, 1000 oxen, and 500 female donkeys. He had many servants. He was the richest man in the east.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord,.... By his order and command:

and said, O altar, altar; addressing himself not to Jeroboam, but the altar, thereby reproving his stupidity, the altar being as ready to hear as he; and because that was what moved the indignation of the Lord; and the word is repeated, to show the vehemency of the prophet's spirit, and his zeal against it; though the Jews commonly say it respects both altars, that at Dan, as well as this at Bethel:

thus saith the Lord, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; who was not born until three hundred years after this, according to the Jewish writers a: but it is generally reckoned to be more, even three hundred and fifty or three hundred and sixty years; this is a clear proof of the prescience, predetermination, and providence of God with respect to future events, contingent ones, such as depend upon the will of men; for what more so than giving a name to a child?

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; all which was fulfilled by Josiah, 2 Kings 23:15, it may be read, "the bones of a man", which the Jews understand of Jeroboam; but may only signify that, instead of the bones of beasts, which were burnt on it, the bones of men should be burnt, and even of the priests themselves; a glaring proof this of the truth of prophecy, and of divine revelation.

a Pirke Eliezer, c. 17.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A child shall be born ... Josiah by name - Divine predictions so seldom descend to such particularity as this, that doubts are entertained, even by orthodox theologians, with respect to the actual mention of Josiah’s name by a prophet living in the time of Jeroboam. Only one other instance that can be considered parallel occurs in the whole of Scripture - the mention of Cyrus by Isaiah. Of course no one who believes in the divine foreknowledge can doubt that God could, if He chose, cause events to be foretold minutely by his prophets; but certainly the general law of his Providence is, that He does not do so. If this law is to be at any time broken through, it will not be capriciously. Here it certainly does not appear what great effect was to be produced by the mention of Josiah’s name so long before his birth; and hence, a doubt arises whether we have in our present copies the true original text. The sense is complete without the words “Josiah by name;” and these words, if originally a marginal note, may easily have crept into the text by the mistake of a copyist. It is remarkable that, where this narrative is again referred to in Kings (marginal reference), there is no allusion to the fact that the man of God had prophesied of Josiah “by name.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 13:2. 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 defence; but all in vain, for Josiah, in the eighteenth year of his reign, literally accomplished this prophecy, as we may read, 2 Kings 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, verses 16-18. 2 Kings 23:16-18


 
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