1 Kings 21:15

15 Forsooth it was done, when Jezebel had heard Naboth stoned and dead, she spake to Ahab, Rise thou, take in possession the vinery of Naboth of Jezreel, which would not assent to thee, and give it for [the] money taken; for Naboth liveth not, but is dead. (And it was done, when Jezebel had heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, she spoke to Ahab, and said, Rise thou up, and take in possession the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel, who would not assent to thee, and give it to thee for the money received; for Naboth no longer liveth, but now is dead.)

1 Kings 21:15 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 21:15

And it came to pass when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned,
and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab
To whom she communicated the news as soon as possible:

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;
some think that Naboth was a near relation to Ahab, his father's brother's son ^F5; which they endeavour to support from his estate lying next to Ahab's, and from his being ordered to be set in an high place among the people; and Josephus, as before observed, says he was of illustrious descent; and so Ahab upon his death, his sons being also put to death with him, was next heir to his estate; and therefore Jezebel bid him enter on the possession of it, he being dead, and his sons also, and therefore there was nothing in his way to obstruct him: but rather her meaning is, that Naboth was dead, not of a natural but violent death, by the hand of the civil magistrate; as for blasphemy against God, so for treason against the king, in virtue of which his estate was forfeited to the crown, and that Ahab had a right to possess it; and so it was certainly condemned in later times however among the Jews, that if a man was condemned to die by the sanhedrim, his goods came to his heirs, but if for treason against the king, they ceded to him ^F6.

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 48. 2.
F6 Sanhed. ib.

1 Kings 21:15 In-Context

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.

14 And they sent to Jezebel, and said, Naboth is stoned (Naboth was stoned), and is dead.

15 Forsooth it was done, when Jezebel had heard Naboth stoned and dead, she spake to Ahab, Rise thou, take in possession the vinery of Naboth of Jezreel, which would not assent to thee, and give it for [the] money taken; for Naboth liveth not, but is dead. (And it was done, when Jezebel had heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, she spoke to Ahab, and said, Rise thou up, and take in possession the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel, who would not assent to thee, and give it to thee for the money received; for Naboth no longer liveth, but now is dead.)

16 And when Ahab had heard this, that is, Naboth to be dead, he rose, and went down into the vinery of Naboth of Jezreel, to have it into possession. (And when Ahab had heard this, that is, that Naboth was dead, he rose up, and went down to the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel, to take possession of it.)

17 Therefore the word of the Lord was made to Elijah of Tishbe, and said,