1 Kings 21:11

11 Therefore his citizens, the greater men in birth, and the best men that dwelled with him in the city (And so his fellow citizens, the men of great age, that is, the elders, and the best men who lived with him in the city), did as Jezebel had commanded [to them], and as it was written in the letters, which she had sent to them.

1 Kings 21:11 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 21:11

And the men of the city, even the elders and the nobles who
were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them,
&c.] That Jezebel should contrive so execrable a scheme, and that there should be such sons of Belial among the common people to swear to such falsehoods, need not seem strange; but that the elders and nobles of the city, the chief magistrates thereof, should be so sadly and universally depraved as to execute such a piece of villany, is really surprising. Idolatry, when it prevails, takes away all sense of humanity and justice:

[and] as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them;
they punctually, exactly, obeyed the orders in them, as follows.

1 Kings 21:11 In-Context

9 And this was the sentence of the letter(s); Preach ye fasting, and make ye Naboth to sit among the first men of the people;
10 and send ye (in) privily two men, the sons of Belial, against him, and say they (this) false witnessing, Naboth hath blessed God, and the king , that is, hath cursed; and lead ye out him, and stone ye him, and die he so. (and privately, or stealthily, send ye in two men, the sons of Belial, opposite him, and then say they this false witness against him, Naboth hath cursed God, and the king; and then lead ye him out, and stone ye him, and so he shall die.)
11 Therefore his citizens, the greater men in birth, and the best men that dwelled with him in the city (And so his fellow citizens, the men of great age, that is, the elders, and the best men who lived with him in the city), did as Jezebel had commanded [to them], and as it was written in the letters, which she had sent to them.
12 They preached fasting, and made Naboth to sit among the first men of the people;
13 and when two men, (the) sons of the devil, were brought (in), they made them to sit against him (they had them sit opposite him), and they, that is, as men of the devil, said (false) witnessing against him before all the multitude, (saying,) Naboth blessed God, and the king, that is, Naboth hath cursed God, and the king; for which thing they led him without the city, and killed him with stones.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.