1 Kings 21:2-22

2 And Ahab spoke unto Naboth, saying, "Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house. And I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money."
3 And Naboth said to Ahab, "The LORD forbid me that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee."
4 And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, "I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers." And he lay down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.
5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, "Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?"
6 And he said unto her, "Because I spoke unto Naboth the Jezreelite and said unto him, `Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it.' And he answered, `I will not give thee my vineyard.'"
7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, "Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? Arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry. I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite."
8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles who were in his city, dwelling with Naboth.
9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, "Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.
10 And set two men, sons of Belial, before him to bear witness against him, saying, `Thou didst blaspheme God and the king.' And then carry him out and stone him, that he may die."
11 And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them.
12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.
13 And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him; and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, "Naboth blasphemed God and the king." Then they carried him forth out of the city and stoned him with stones, so that he died.
14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, "Naboth has been stoned and is dead."
15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, "Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead."
16 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite to take possession of it.
17 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
18 "Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he has gone down to possess it.
19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, `Thus saith the LORD: Hast thou killed and also taken possession?' And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, `Thus saith the LORD, "In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.'"
20 And Ahab said to Elijah, "Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?" And he answered, "I have found thee, because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.
21 `Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that urinates against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel.
22 And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked Me to anger and made Israel sin.'

1 Kings 21:2-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 21

In this chapter we have an account of Ahab's design to have Naboth's vineyard, for which he offered him another, or the value of that, but Naboth refusing to part with it, Ahab fell sick, 1Ki 21:1-4, the reason of which being found out by Jezebel, she devised means to get Naboth put to death under the colour of justice for blasphemy, 1Ki 21:5-14, and then bid Ahab go and take possession of the vineyard, where he was met by Elijah, who denounced the judgments of God upon him, and Jezebel, and all his family, for his injustice, 1Ki 21:15-26, but he humbling himself, the evil threatened was deferred to the days of his son, 1Ki 21:27-29.

Third Millennium Bible (TMB), New Authorized Version, Copyright 1998 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc., Gary, SD 57237. All rights reserved.