The First Book of the Kings, commonly called the Third Book of the Kings
1 Kings 21
Chapter XXI · Vol. II, pp. 758–760
1 Ahab being denied Naboth's vineyard is grieved. 5 Jezebel writing letters against Naboth, he is condemned of blasphemy. 15 Ahab taketh possession of the vineyard. 17 Elijah denounceth judgments against Ahab and Jezebel. 27 Wicked Ahab repenting, God deferreth the judgment.
1 And it came to pass after athese things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in bJezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
2 And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, cGive me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house; and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee,1 I will give thee the worth of it in money
c 1 Sa.8.14. 1 Jn.2.16. 1 Ti.6.9,10, with Ex.20.17. De.5.21.
1 Heb. be good in thine eyes.
3 And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that dI should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.2
d Le.25.23. Nu.36.7. Eze.46.18.
2 Ahab seems to propose fairly and generously for the vineyard, but it is evident he wished Naboth to alienate his paternal property contrary to the law, Le. 25.14-28; which it was a sin in the one to desire, as it would have been in the other to concede.—C.
4 And Ahab came into his house eheavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers: and he flaid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.3
e ch.20.43. Es.5.13. Job 5.2. 1 Ti.6.9,10. ver.2.
f ver.5. 2 Sa.13.2,4.
3 The unmanly spirit of a pettish and spoiled child, unworthy of a man, unworthy of a king. The evidence of affections set upon 'things on the earth,' and consequently regardless of 'things above.'—C.
5 But gJezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?
6 And he said unto her, hBecause I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.
h ver.2. Job 5.2. Pr.14.30. 1 Ti.6.9,10.
7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, iDost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry:4 I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
8 So she kwrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto lthe elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth.
9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, mProclaim5 a fast,6 and set Naboth on high among the people:7
m Is.58.4. Lu.20.47. Jn.18.28. Mat.2.8.
5 Or, Call an assembly.
6 There were amongst the Jews some fasts fixed, Zec. 8. 19, others occasional, Joel 1. 14, but from Is. 58. 4 it is evident that these assemblies were grievously perverted as occasions of popular tumult and perversion of public justice—the fast being an occasion of exciting, not their religious, but their superstitious prejudices—prejudices which, like those of infidelity, are generally inexorable, cruel, and murderous.—C.
7 Heb. in the top of the people.
10 And set two men, nsons of Belial, before him, to obear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king:8 and then carryp him out, and stone him, that he may die.9
n De.13.13. 1 Sa.2.12. 2 Sa.23.6. ver.13.
A.M. 3105. B.C. 899.
o De.19.15. Le.24.14-16. Ac.6.11,13.
8 Or, the gods and the king, an accusation which was in part probably true. For if Naboth was a worshipper of the true God, it is not unlikely he might, as in duty and conscience bound, have spoken disrespectfully, and, in that sense, blasphemously of Jezebel's false gods. There would thus be a semblance of justice, by a perversion of law.—C.
9 It was a preconcerted scheme for perjury and murder. The charge was false; but the two witnesses affirmed it, and therefore the elders of the city had a pretext for putting to death a man who was in reality innocent. Blasphemy was by Jewish law punishable with death. There was also an express statute against cursing a civil ruler, Ex. 22. 28.—P.
11 And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, qdid as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them:
12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.
13 And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial rwitnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did sblaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him twith stones, that he died.
r De.19.18,19. Pr.19.9. Mar.14.56-58.
s Job 1.5; 2.9. Ac.6.11,13. Lu.23.2.
t And his sons, 2 Ki.9.26. Jos.7.24,25. Nu.15.32,36; 16.32,33.
15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, xtake possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead.
x ver.7,13.
16 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead,1 that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
1 It is evident from 2 Ki. 9. 26 that Naboth's sons were, by some additional perjury, implicated in the charge against their father; for the one perjury was as easily purchased as the other, and that Ahab now thought the way clear for a possession, as by attainder for treason, or forfeiture to the crown.—C.
18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.
19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, zHast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, aIn the place where dogs licked the blood2 of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.
z 2 Sa.12.9. Ge.4.9-12. Hab.2.9-12.
a 2 Sa.12.11. ch.22.38. 2 Ki.9.25,26. Ps.9.12,15,16; 7.15,16.
2 It is in vain to look for a literal fulfilment of this prediction. Thus it would have been fulfilled, but the humiliation of Ahab induced the merciful God to say, 'I will not bring the evil in his days, but in the days of his son,' ver. 30. Now dogs did lick the blood of Ahab, but it was at the pool of Samaria. And how literally the prediction concerning his son was fulfilled, see 2 Ki.9.25.—Clarke.
20 And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O bmine enemy?3 And he answered, I have found thee; because thou hast csold thyself to work evil4 in the sight of the LORD.
b ch.18.17; 22.8. Am.5.10. Ga.4.16.
3 Elijah was his best, perhaps his only friend; yet, like all other thoughtless wicked men, he counts him his enemy 'because he tells him the truth.'—C.
c 2 Ki.17.17. Ep.4.19. Ge.13.13. ver.25.
4 Every sinner seeks his price; and 'verily he has his reward.' Our first parents sinned, expecting to be 'as gods.' Ahab sinned, expecting first a vineyard; and, secondly, contentment; but in each case, the sale was a sale of holy liberty, and the consequence a slavery to the power of evil.—C.
21 Behold, dI will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the 5wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,6
d ch.14.10; 15.29; 16.3,4,11; 22.34-38. 2 Ki.i. ix.x.
A.M. 3105. B.C. 899.
5 The dog that roams at large without a master, as in some European and most eastern towns.—C.
6 Him that is fortified and secure as legitimate and acknowledged heir of the kingdom.—C.
22 And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.
24 Himf that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.
f ch.14.11; 16.4. Je.15.3. ver.21,22.
25 (But there gwas none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom hJezebel his wife stirred up.8
26 And he did9 very abominably in following idols, according to iall things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.)
27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he krent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.1
k Ge.37.29,34. 2 Ki.18.37; 22.11. Jonah 3.6. Is.38.15; 37.1. Ac.24.25. 2 Co.7.10.
1 The efforts of translators to expound this term have been various, yet concurrent. Yet is not the real meaning to be found in ver. 29, humbly? Mi.6.8.—C.
28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
29 Seestl thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days:2 but in his mson's days will I bring the evil upon his house.
l Ps.78.34-37. Jonah 3.6-11.
2 God had said, ver. 21, 'I will bring evil upon thee.' How does he now transfer it to his posterity? He did bring evil upon him by his threatening the excision of his house; but lays upon him no more than the certain anticipation, and on his impenitent son the dreadful reality.—C.
m 2 Ki.i.vi.ix.x. ch.11.12,35.
Notes
[Ver. 8. Naboth dwelt in Jezreel and had his patrimony there. It therefore was his city. But though Ahab had a palace there, Jezreel was not his usual place of residence. Samaria was the capital of the kingdom, and he appears to have returned to it after vainly endeavouring to obtain possession of Naboth's vineyard while on a visit to Jezreel. The whole narrative shows that Naboth's accusation and death occurred at Jezreel, his native city, and that Ahab and Jezebel were then at a distance. P.]
Reflections.—Nearness to great men often exposes to oppression; and there is need of steadfast adherence to the Lord's command when we meet with strong temptations. How insatiable is a covetous heart! Many great men, in all that they have, can enjoy but small pleasure because of some fancied want: and proud and discontented spirits terribly torment themselves. What a plague to nations are covetous and tyrannical rulers! Having their heart set on wickedness, the devil quickly furnishes the means: and nothing is too base and hypocritical, or even horrid or blasphemous, for them to stick at. When sin has hardened their heart, men glory in their wickedness and are lost to shame. But that which is unlawfully gotten frequently proves a burden instead of a comfort. The very presence of faithful ministers, who cannot endure to see the wicked perishing in their iniquities, is a terror to such, and their faithful rebukes torment them: but how much more, and how often even in this life, does the eternal justice of God perplex and pursue them! Legal terrors may produce strong professions of repentance, but only a sense of God's pardoning love can convert the heart. And if God mark such regard to apparent repentance how great is his mercy, and how great is his regard to those who sorrow after a godly sort!