1Ahab is sore displeased at being refused the vineyard of Naboth. 5Jezebel comforteth him, and procureth Naboth to be stoned to death upon a false accusation of blasphemy. 15She sendeth Ahab to take possession of the vineyard. 17Elijah is sent to meet him, and denounceth God's judgments against Ahab and Jezebel for their wickedness. 27Ahab humbling himself before God, the punishment is deferred to his son's days.
1AND it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in 1Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
1 See of this city 1 Kings 18 on verse 45.
2And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of 2herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem 3good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.
2 Or, garden of green things. Hebr. a garden of verdure or of green things. The Hebrew word signifies all kind of green herbs, especially that which is sown and used for food. Compare Deut. 11:10.
3 See of this phrase, Gen. 19 on verse 8. The same is in verse 6: if it please thee.
3And Naboth said to Ahab, 4The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.
4 Hebr. Be that far unto me because of or for the Lord, etc. The reason of this refusal was, because God in his law had forbidden to alter or alienate the property of inheritances belonging to tribes and families, Lev. 25:23; Num. 36:7, etc.
4And Ahab came into his house 5heavy 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 laid him down upon his bed, and 6turned away his face, and would eat no 7bread.
5 Also verse 5. See 1 Kings 20 on verse 43.
6 Namely, toward the wall, away from men, not desiring to speak to any man, or to have anything to do with any man.
7 That is, no food. See Gen. 3 on verse 19. Also in the sequel.
5¶But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?
6And he said unto her, Because I spake 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.
7And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now 8govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be 9merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
8 Hebr. do: that is, govern, administer, maintain. The meaning is: that he was not worthy to be king over Israel, if he had not so much understanding or courage, as to compel one Naboth and to get his vineyard away from him.
9 Hebr. be good, that is, cheerful. See good for cheerful, Judges 16:25; 18:20; 1 Sam. 25:8, 36.
8So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto 10the elders and to the 11nobles that were in 12his city, 13dwelling with Naboth.
10 That is, magistrate, counsel, and governor of the city. Also Deut. 21:2; Judges 8:14; Ruth 4:2.
11 The Hebrew word signifies properly whites, whereby must be understood the nobles, most important and most honorable men, because they commonly went clothed in white. See the annotation at Gen. 41 on verse 42. Likewise verse 11 and Esther 8:15.
12 Also verse 11. Understand Jezreel, which is called Naboth’s city (as he himself is also called a Jezreelite, verses 1, 7.) because he dwelt therein, or perhaps was also born therein. See the like phrase, Gen. 23:10; 24:10, and the annotations thereon.
13 That is, who were his fellow citizens.
9And she wrote in the letters, saying, 14Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth 15on high among the people:
14 She gives this charge, that they would take notice of the life and conduct of Naboth. For, fasts were kept, among other reasons, also to make inquiry concerning some gross sins, that were public and notorious, and to punish them according to desert, to the end that the wrath of God might be turned away from the entire congregation.
15 Hebr. in the head of the people: also verse 12. Understand hereby an elevated place of the assembly, into which the parties accused were put, that they might the better be seen and heard of the people. Or, understand hereby an high and stately seat, in which the most important persons of the city (among whom it is perceived that Naboth was one) were wont to sit, and that Naboth was to sit there in his usual place, to take away all suspicion of evil which was intended and plotted against him.
10And set two men, 16sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst 17blaspheme God and the king. And then 18carry him out, and 19stone him, that he may die.
16 Understand by these, wicked, vicious men, having cast off the yoke of God’s fear and of human honesty, who are only bent to do mischief, without remorse of conscience at all. See Deut. 13 on verse 13.
17 Hebr. bless, which at this place means to curse or blaspheme. This act of cursing has been accounted so abominable that one did not dare to name it, but, in the place of it, it is mentioned euphemistically, as in Job 1:5, 11:2:9. Also verse 13.
18 Namely, outside the city; for, heretofore it was a custom for malefactors to be punished outside the cities and places of common dwelling places, as being unworthy to give up the ghost among the usual society of men. See Lev. 24:14, 23; Joshua 7:24; Mark 15:20.
19 As the Law, concerning blasphemy and cursing, given by Moses, required, Lev. 24:15, 16, etc.
11And the men 20of his city, even 21the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had 22sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them.
20 See on verse 8.
21 See on verse 8.
22 That is, had summoned by letters.
12They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth 23on high among the people.
23 See on verse 9.
13And there came in two men, 24children 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 did 25blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.
24 See on verse 10.
25 See on verse 10.
14Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.
15¶And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take 26possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead.
26 Hebr. by implication to inherit. It seems by this, that Naboth’s estate was confiscated for the king, his sons being also put to death, 2 Kings 9:26, and that under a false pretense of religion, as if they herein intended to follow the examples of God’s judgments, as such executed in times past upon Dathan, and Abiram, Num. 16:32, and then Achan, Joshua 7:24, 25, so that also their children were not spared. And in this manner did these judges perversely follow the examples of God’s extraordinary vengeance, which is in a manner hidden from us, but yet righteous, and not the ordinary law appointed for men to live by, which forbids to punish the children for the parents’ offence, Deut. 24:16.
16And 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 27Tishbite, saying,
27 See 1 Kings 17 on verse 1.
18Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, 28which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.
28 Understand where Ahab dwelt, and where he was in person at that time, when God uttered these words unto Elijah; he was upon going down to Naboth’s vineyard, where Elijah would find him, in which respect it is said in the following words, that Ahab was in the vineyard; because he would be there, when Elijah would arrive in Jezreel.
19And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, 29Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the 30place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.
29 Elijah is charged to put this question, not to make inquiry into Ahab’s sin as into a fact that was unknown, but to reprove Ahab for it, and to hold before him the righteous vengeance of God; because he had not only killed Naboth, but also taken the inheritance of Naboth’s heirs to himself, against the law of God.
30 That is, before the dogs, or, according as the dogs have licked the blood of Naboth, the dogs shall also lick your blood; such is the Hebrew word taken, Zeph. 2:10. Others understand this of the same place, not in particular of the field outside Jezreel, but in general of the land of Israel. For Jezreel, in which Naboth’s blood was shed outside this city, was situated in the tribe of Issachar; and Samaria (where the dogs licked the blood of Ahab, 1 Kings 22:38) was situated in the tribe of Ephraim. Or, if it be taken for the same field, then see the accomplishment in Ahab’s son, 2 Kings 9:26.
20And Ahab said to Elijah, 31Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast 32sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.
31 This is as much as if he had said: Art thou so bold, that thou darest come into my sight? Oughtest thou not to keep away from my sight, seeing thou mayest well perceive that I hate thee, because thou never leavest threatening me, and dealing with me like an enemy?
32 That is, has given over to the slavery of sin. For as he who sells himself for a slave to another, is contented to follow his will and command in all things; so is he said to sell himself to do evil, who gives himself over unto sin, to obey it in all things. This phrase is also used, 2 Kings 17:17; Isa. 50:1.
21Behold,a I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him 33that pisseth against the wall, and him 34that is shut up and left in Israel,
a 2 Kings 9:7, 8, 9.
33 See 1 Kings 14 on verse 10.
34 See Deut. 32 on verse 36.
22And will make thine house likeb the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and likec the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.
b 1 Kings 15:29.
c 1 Kings 16:3, 11.
23And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, 35The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.
35 See the accomplishment, 2 Kings 9:33, 34, etc.
2436Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shalld eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.
36 See 1 Kings 14 on verse 11.
d 2 Kings 9:35, 36, 37.
25¶But theree was none like unto Ahab, which did sell 37himself 38to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
e 1 Kings 16:33.
37 See on verse 20.
38 See 1 Kings 11 on verse 6.
26And he did very abominably in following 39idols, according to all things as did the 40Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
39 See Lev. 26 on verse 30.
40 Understand by one kind of the Canaanites likewise all the rest. See Gen. 15 on verse 16; Gen. 48 on verse 22.
27And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, 41that he rent his 42clothes, and put sackcloth upon his 43flesh, and fasted, and 44lay in sackcloth, and went 45softly.
41 An example of only outward and temporary repentance; which did not proceed from an heart purified by faith, and truly converted; as appears 1 Kings 22:8.
42 See Gen. 37 on verse 29.
43 See Gen. 37 on verse 34.
44 Namely, to sleep.
45 Or, slowly, tardy, lamely.
28And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
29Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, 46I will not bring the evil in his days: but 47in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.
46 An example of God’s goodness, in deferring the deserved punishment, because of some feigned humiliation.
47 See the realization of it in 2 Kings 9:23.