1 Kings 21:1

Ahab Covets Naboth's Vineyard

1 Now it came about after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in ¹Jezreel beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.

1 Kings 21:1 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 21:1

And it came to pass, after these things
After the two battles with the king of Syria, in which Ahab was victorious, and after he had let Benhadad, a blasphemer, and injurious to him, go free:

[that] Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel;
of which place (See Gill on Hosea 1:5) or "who was in Jezreel"; that is Naboth, for the vineyard was in Samaria, ( 1 Kings 21:18 )

hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria;
that being the metropolis of the kingdom of Israel, is put for it, who, besides his palace in Samaria, had another in Jezreel; which, according to Bunting ^F25, were sixteen miles distant from each other.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 Travels p. 164.

1 Kings 21:1 In-Context

1 Now it came about after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.

2 Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, "Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden because it is close beside my house, and I will give you a better vineyard than it in its place; if you like , I will give you the price of it in money."

3 But Naboth said to Ahab, "The LORD forbid me that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers."

4 So Ahab came into his house sullen and vexed because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and ate no food.

5 But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, "How is it that your spirit is so sullen that you are not eating food?"

Cross References

• 1. Judges 6:33; 1 Kings 18:45, 46