1 Reyes 21:2

2 Y Acab habló a Nabot, diciendo: Dame tu viña para que me sirva de huerta para hortaliza porque está cerca, al lado de mi casa, y yo te daré en su lugar una viña mejor; si prefieres, te daré su precio en dinero.

1 Reyes 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 Reyes 21:2 In-Context

1 Y sucedió que después de estas cosas, Nabot de Jezreel tenía una viña que estaba en Jezreel, junto al palacio de Acab, rey de Samaria.

2 Y Acab habló a Nabot, diciendo: Dame tu viña para que me sirva de huerta para hortaliza porque está cerca, al lado de mi casa, y yo te daré en su lugar una viña mejor; si prefieres, te daré su precio en dinero.

3 Pero Nabot le dijo a Acab: No permita el SEÑOR que te dé la herencia de mis padres.

4 Acab entonces se fue a su casa disgustado y molesto a causa de la palabra que Nabot de Jezreel le había dicho; pues dijo: No te daré la herencia de mis padres. Y se acostó en su cama, volvió su rostro y no comió.

5 Pero Jezabel su mujer se acercó a él, y le dijo: ¿Por qué está tu espíritu tan decaído que no comes?