1 Kings 21:7

7 Jezebel his wife said to him, "Now, you {rule} over Israel. Get up, eat food, and let your heart be {cheerful}. I myself will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite."

1 Kings 21:7 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 21:7

And Jezebel his wife said unto him, dost thou now govern the
kingdom of Israel?
&c.] Art thou not king of Israel? canst thou not do as thou pleasest? hast thou not power to oblige a subject to obey thy commands, and especially in such a trifling matter as parting with a vineyard, and that upon the most reasonable terms? thou hast too much demeaned thyself as a king; thou oughtest to have exerted thy kingly power and authority, and demanded it from him; the Targum is,

``thou now shalt prosper in thy kingdom over Israel;''

thy reign now is prosperous, and like to continue so, having obtained two such victories over thine enemies, and therefore should not be dejected with such a trifling thing as this:

arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry:
the kingdom being in such a flourishing state; and let not this affair give thee any trouble or uneasiness; I will take care of that, leave it with me:

I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite:
without paying any money, or giving another vineyard in exchange for it.

1 Kings 21:7 In-Context

5 Then Jezebel his wife came to him, and she said to him, "What is this, that your spirit is sullen and you are not eating food?"

6 Then he said to her, "When I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and asked him, 'Give me your vineyard for money, or it you prefer, I will give you a vineyard in place of it,' he said, 'I will not give you my vineyard.'"

7 Jezebel his wife said to him, "Now, you {rule} over Israel. Get up, eat food, and let your heart be {cheerful}. I myself will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite."

8 So she wrote letters in the name of Ahab and sealed them with his seal. She sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who [were] dwelling with Naboth in his city.

9 She had written in the letters, saying, "Call a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "do kingship"
• [b]. Literally "good"