The Meaning of 1 Kings 13:2 Explained

1 Kings 13:2

KJV: 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.

YLT: 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.'

Darby: 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.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 1 Kings 13:2 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 13:1-10 - Judgment Upon Worthless Worship
What a noble name for anyone to bear-a man of God! Yet we all might so bear the impress of God in our character that those who come in contact with us might feel that ineffable something which you cannot define, which does not need advertising, but which tells that the person who bears it is truly a child of God.
The altar by which Jeroboam expected to consolidate his kingdom was the cause of its overthrow and disaster, until at last Israel was carried into captivity. When we turn from the fountain of living waters and hew out for ourselves broken cisterns that can hold no water, we start on a course of unfailing disaster and loss.
Literal obedience to God is indispensable to those who would carry his messages. It was a fit and proper answer that the prophet, in the first instance, gave the king. He rightly told Jeroboam that he must abide by the exact terms of his commission, and that the bribe of half of Jeroboam's house would not induce him to tarry even so long as to take a meal at the royal table. This minute and rigorous obedience stood out in striking contrast to the conduct of Jeroboam. God is exact and requires exact obedience.
1 Kings 13:1-34 - Breaking Three Commandments
From a worldly point of view Naboth might have done a good stroke of business by selling his estate to. Ahab. A royal price and assured favor might have been his-but he had a conscience! Above the persuasive tones of the monarch's offer sounded the voice of God: "The land shall not be sold for ever, for the land is mine." See Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7; Ezekiel 46:18.
Ahab knew perfectly well that Jezebel could not give him the property of another except by foul means, but he took pains not to inquire. Though the direct orders for Naboth's death did not come from him, yet, by his silence, he was an accomplice and an accessory; and divine justice penetrates all such specious excuses. God holds us responsible for wrongs which we do not arrest, though we have the power. The crime was blacker because of the pretext of religion, as suggested by a fast. See also 2 Kings 9:26. The blood of murdered innocence cries to God, and his requital, though delayed, is inevitable. See Revelation 6:9-10. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 13

1  Jeroboam's hand withers
6  and at the prayer of the prophet is restored
7  The prophet departs from Bethel
11  An old prophet brings him back
20  He is reproved by God
23  slain by a lion
26  buried by the old prophet
31  who confirms the prophecy
33  Jeroboam's obstinacy

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 13:2 mean?

And he cried out against the altar by the word of Yahweh and said altar altar thus says Yahweh behold a child shall 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 and bones men's shall be burned on you
וַיִּקְרָ֤א עַל־ הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ בִּדְבַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ מִזְבֵּ֣חַ מִזְבֵּ֔חַ כֹּ֖ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה הִנֵּֽה־ בֵ֞ן נוֹלָ֤ד לְבֵית־ דָּוִד֙ יֹאשִׁיָּ֣הוּ שְׁמ֔וֹ וְזָבַ֣ח עָלֶ֗יךָ אֶת־ כֹּהֲנֵ֤י הַבָּמוֹת֙ הַמַּקְטִרִ֣ים וְעַצְמ֥וֹת אָדָ֖ם יִשְׂרְפ֥וּ עָלֶֽיךָ

וַיִּקְרָ֤א  And  he  cried  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
עַל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙  the  altar 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
בִּדְבַ֣ר  by  the  word 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
יְהוָ֔ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
מִזְבֵּ֣חַ  altar 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
מִזְבֵּ֔חַ  altar 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
כֹּ֖ה  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֣ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֑ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הִנֵּֽה־  behold 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
בֵ֞ן  a  child 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
נוֹלָ֤ד  shall  be  born 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.
לְבֵית־  to  the  house 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
דָּוִד֙  of  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
יֹאשִׁיָּ֣הוּ  Josiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄאשִׁיָּה 
Sense: son of Amon by Jedidah who succeeded his father to the throne of Judah and reigned for 3 years; his reign is noteworthy for the great revivals back to the worship of Jehovah which he led.
שְׁמ֔וֹ  by  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
וְזָבַ֣ח  and  he  shall  sacrifice 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: זָבַח  
Sense: to slaughter, kill, sacrifice, slaughter for sacrifice.
עָלֶ֗יךָ  on  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
כֹּהֲנֵ֤י  the  priests 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
הַבָּמוֹת֙  of  the  high  places 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: בָּמָה  
Sense: high place, ridge, height, bamah (technical name for cultic platform).
הַמַּקְטִרִ֣ים  who  burn  incense 
Parse: Article, Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine plural
Root: מֻקְטָר 
Sense: .
וְעַצְמ֥וֹת  and  bones 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: עֶצֶם 
Sense: bone, essence, substance.
אָדָ֖ם  men's 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
יִשְׂרְפ֥וּ  shall  be  burned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׂרַף  
Sense: to burn.
עָלֶֽיךָ  on  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.