1 Kings 21:10

10 and seat two ¹worthless men before him, and let them testify against him, saying, '²You cursed God and the king.' Then take him out and ³stone him to death."

1 Kings 21:10 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 21:10

And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness
against him
Worthless wretches, that have cast off the yoke of the law, as Belial signifies, lawless abandoned creatures, that have no conscience of anything; "knights of the post", as we call them, that will swear anything; these were to be set before Naboth, right against him to confront him, and accuse him to his face, and charge him with crimes next mentioned:

saying, thou didst blaspheme God and the king:
and so was guilty of death for the former, if not for both, and of confiscation of estate for the latter, which was the thing aimed at; and Jezebel was willing to make sure work of it, and therefore would have him accused of both:

and then carry him out, and stone him, that he die;
immediately, without requiring the witnesses to give proof of their charge, and without giving Naboth leave to answer for himself.

1 Kings 21:10 In-Context

8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and sent letters to the elders and to the nobles who were living with Naboth in his city.

9 Now she wrote in the letters, saying, "Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people;

10 and seat two worthless men before him, and let them testify against him, saying, 'You cursed God and the king.' Then take him out and stone him to death."

11 So the men of his city, the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them, just as it was written in the letters which she had sent them.

12 They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the people.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Samuel 2:12; 2 Samuel 20:1
• 2. Exodus 22:28; Leviticus 24:15, 16; Acts 6:11
• 3. Leviticus 24:14

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "so that he dies"