1 Kings 21:2

2 Therefore Ahab spake to Naboth, and said, Give thou to me thy vineyard, that I make to me thereof a garden of worts, for it is nigh to me, and nigh mine house; and I shall give to thee a better vinery for it; either if thou guessest it more profitable to thee, I shall give thee the price of silver, as much as it is worth. (And so Ahab spoke to Naboth, and said, Give thou thy vineyard to me, so that I can make a herb garden out of it for myself, for it is close to me, and close to my house; and I shall give thee a better vineyard for it; or if thou guessest that it be more profitable to thee, I shall give thee the price of it in silver, for as much as it is worth.)

1 Kings 21:2 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 21:2

And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, give me thy vineyard,
that I may have it for a garden of herbs
For a kitchen garden to produce eatables of the vegetable kind for his household, or for a flower garden; and perhaps for both, as Kimchi observes, it being customary to have such in court yards, or behind the house; perhaps he might take his notion of an herb garden from his neighbours the Syrians, who were very diligent and laborious in cultivating their gardens, as Pliny ^F26; hence

``multa Syrorum olera'',

the many herbs of the Syrians, became a proverb with the Greeks:

because it is near unto mine house;
lay very convenient for him:

and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it
seemeth good unto thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money;
which seems very well spoken, that he would either give him a better in exchange, or purchase it at its full value; he did not pretend to take it by usurpation, by force, against his will, as it was represented by Samuel kings would do, ( 1 Samuel 8:14 ) as yet such oppression and tyranny was not exercised.

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 Nat Hist. l. 20. c. 5.

1 Kings 21:2 In-Context

1 Forsooth after these words, in that time, the vinery of Naboth of Jezreel, that was in Jezreel, was beside the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria. (Now after these things, at that time, Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel, beside the palace of Ahab, the king of Samaria, that is, the king of Israel.)

2 Therefore Ahab spake to Naboth, and said, Give thou to me thy vineyard, that I make to me thereof a garden of worts, for it is nigh to me, and nigh mine house; and I shall give to thee a better vinery for it; either if thou guessest it more profitable to thee, I shall give thee the price of silver, as much as it is worth. (And so Ahab spoke to Naboth, and said, Give thou thy vineyard to me, so that I can make a herb garden out of it for myself, for it is close to me, and close to my house; and I shall give thee a better vineyard for it; or if thou guessest that it be more profitable to thee, I shall give thee the price of it in silver, for as much as it is worth.)

3 To whom Naboth answered, The Lord be merciful to me, that I give not to thee the heritage of my fathers.

4 Therefore Ahab came into his house, having indignation, and gnashing on the word which Naboth of Jezreel had spoken to him, and said, I shall not give to thee the heritage of my fathers. And Ahab casted down himself into his bed, and turned away his face to the wall, and ate not bread (And Ahab threw himself down onto his bed, and turned his face to the wall, and ate no food).

5 And Jezebel, his wife, entered to him, and said to him, What is this thing, whereof thy soul is made sorry? and why eatest thou not bread? (and why eatest thou no food?)