1 Kings 21:5-15

5 But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, "Why is your spirit so vexed that you eat no food?"
6 And he said to her, "Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, 'Give me your vineyard for money, or else, if it please you, I will give you another vineyard for it.' And he answered, 'I will not give you my vineyard.'"
7 And Jezebel his wife said to him, "Do you now govern Israel? Arise and eat bread and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite."
8 1So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and she sent the letters to 2the elders and the leaders who lived with Naboth in his city.
9 And she wrote in the letters, "Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people.
10 And set two 3worthless men opposite him, and let them bring a charge against him, saying, 4'You have cursed[a] God and the king.' Then take him out and stone him to death."
11 And the men of his city, 5the elders and the leaders who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them. As it was written in the letters that she had sent to them,
12 6they proclaimed a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people.
13 And the two worthless men came in and sat opposite him. And the worthless men brought a charge against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, "Naboth cursed God and the king." So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones.
14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, "Naboth has been stoned; he is dead."
15 As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, "Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money, for Naboth is not alive, but dead."

1 Kings 21:5-15 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 21

In this chapter we have an account of Ahab's design to have Naboth's vineyard, for which he offered him another, or the value of that, but Naboth refusing to part with it, Ahab fell sick, 1Ki 21:1-4, the reason of which being found out by Jezebel, she devised means to get Naboth put to death under the colour of justice for blasphemy, 1Ki 21:5-14, and then bid Ahab go and take possession of the vineyard, where he was met by Elijah, who denounced the judgments of God upon him, and Jezebel, and all his family, for his injustice, 1Ki 21:15-26, but he humbling himself, the evil threatened was deferred to the days of his son, 1Ki 21:27-29.

Cross References 6

  • 1. [Esther 3:12]
  • 2. 1 Kings 20:7; Ruth 4:2
  • 3. See Deuteronomy 13:13
  • 4. Exodus 22:28; Leviticus 24:16; [Acts 6:11; Acts 23:5]
  • 5. [See ver. 8 above]
  • 6. [Isaiah 58:4]

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Hebrew blessed; also verse 13
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.