1 Rois 21:2

2 Achab parla à Naboth et lui dit: Donne-moi ta vigne, que j'en fasse un jardin de verdure; car elle est proche de ma maison; et, au lieu de cette vigne, je t'en donnerai une meilleure; ou, si cela te convient, je te donnerai de l'argent pour sa valeur.

1 Rois 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 Rois 21:2 In-Context

1 Il arriva, après ces choses, que Naboth, le Jizréélite, ayant une vigne à Jizréel, près du palais d'Achab, roi de Samarie,

2 Achab parla à Naboth et lui dit: Donne-moi ta vigne, que j'en fasse un jardin de verdure; car elle est proche de ma maison; et, au lieu de cette vigne, je t'en donnerai une meilleure; ou, si cela te convient, je te donnerai de l'argent pour sa valeur.

3 Mais Naboth répondit à Achab: Que l'Éternel me garde de te donner l'héritage de mes pères!

4 Et Achab vint en sa maison tout chagrin et irrité de la parole que lui avait dite Naboth, le Jizréélite: Je ne te donnerai pas l'héritage de mes pères; et il se coucha sur son lit, détourna son visage et ne mangea rien.

5 Alors Jésabel, sa femme, entra vers lui et lui dit: D'où vient que ton esprit est chagrin, et que tu ne manges pas?