1 Kings 21:11

11 And the men of his city, ¹the 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,

1 Kings 21:11 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 21:11

And the men of the city, even the elders and the nobles who
were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them,
&c.] That Jezebel should contrive so execrable a scheme, and that there should be such sons of Belial among the common people to swear to such falsehoods, need not seem strange; but that the elders and nobles of the city, the chief magistrates thereof, should be so sadly and universally depraved as to execute such a piece of villany, is really surprising. Idolatry, when it prevails, takes away all sense of humanity and justice:

[and] as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them;
they punctually, exactly, obeyed the orders in them, as follows.

1 Kings 21:11 In-Context

9 And she wrote in the letters, "Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people.

10 And set two worthless men opposite him, and let them bring a charge against him, saying, 'You have cursed God and the king.' Then take him out and stone him to death."

11 And the men of his city, the 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 they 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.

Cross References

• 1. [See ver. 8 above]