Melachim Alef 21:2

2 And Ach’av spoke unto Navot, saying, Give me thy kerem (vineyard), that I may have it for an herb gan (garden), because it is karov (near) unto my Bais; and I will give thee in exchange for it a tov kerem (better vineyard) than it; or, if it seem tov in thine eyes, I will give thee the worth of it in kesef.

Melachim Alef 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.

Melachim Alef 21:2 In-Context

1 1 And it came to pass after these things, that Navot the Yizre’eli had a kerem (vineyard), which was in Yizre’el (Jezreel), beside the heikhal (palace) Ach’av Melech Shomron.

2 And Ach’av spoke unto Navot, saying, Give me thy kerem (vineyard), that I may have it for an herb gan (garden), because it is karov (near) unto my Bais; and I will give thee in exchange for it a tov kerem (better vineyard) than it; or, if it seem tov in thine eyes, I will give thee the worth of it in kesef.

3 And Navot said to Ach’av, Chalilah li me’Hashem (far be it from me before Hashem), that I should give the nachalat Avoti unto thee.

4 And Ach’av came into his Bais sar veza’ef (sullen and dejected) because of the davar which Navot the Yizre’eli had spoken to him; for he had said, I will not give thee the nachalat avoti. And he lay down upon his mittah, and turned away his face, and would eat no lechem.

5 But Izevel his isha came to him, and said unto him, Mah zeh (What [is] this?) Thy ruach is sarah (sullen), that thou eatest no lechem?