16 And it came to pass, when Ahab H256 heard H8085 that Naboth H5022 was dead, H4191 that Ahab H256 rose up H6965 to go down H3381 to the vineyard H3754 of Naboth H5022 the Jezreelite, H3158 to take possession H3423 of it.
And David H1732 said H559 unto the young man H5288 that told H5046 him, Whence art thou? And he answered, H559 I am the son H1121 of a stranger, H376 H1616 an Amalekite. H6003 And David H1732 said H559 unto him, How wast thou not afraid H3372 to stretch forth H7971 thine hand H3027 to destroy H7843 the LORD'S H3068 anointed? H4899 And David H1732 called H7121 one H259 of the young men, H5288 and said, H559 Go near, H5066 and fall H6293 upon him. And he smote H5221 him that he died. H4191 And David H1732 said H559 unto him, Thy blood H1818 be upon thy head; H7218 for thy mouth H6310 hath testified H6030 against thee, saying, H559 I have slain H4191 the LORD'S H3068 anointed. H4899
And David H1732 answered H6030 Rechab H7394 and Baanah H1196 his brother, H251 the sons H1121 of Rimmon H7417 the Beerothite, H886 and said H559 unto them, As the LORD H3068 liveth, H2416 who hath redeemed H6299 my soul H5315 out of all adversity, H6869 When one told H5046 me, saying, H559 Behold, Saul H7586 is dead, H4191 thinking to have brought H5869 good tidings, H1319 I took hold H270 of him, and slew H2026 him in Ziklag, H6860 who thought that I would have given H5414 him a reward for his tidings: H1309 How much more, when wicked H7563 men H582 have slain H2026 a righteous H6662 person H376 in his own house H1004 upon his bed? H4904 shall I not therefore now require H1245 his blood H1818 of your hand, H3027 and take you away H1197 from the earth? H776 And David H1732 commanded H6680 his young men, H5288 and they slew H2026 them, and cut off H7112 their hands H3027 and their feet, H7272 and hanged them up H8518 over the pool H1295 in Hebron. H2275 But they took H3947 the head H7218 of Ishbosheth, H378 and buried H6912 it in the sepulchre H6913 of Abner H74 in Hebron. H2275
Then David H1732 said H559 unto the messenger, H4397 Thus shalt thou say H559 unto Joab, H3097 Let not this thing H1697 displease H3415 H5869 thee, for the sword H2719 devoureth H398 one as well as another: H2090 make thy battle H4421 more strong H2388 against the city, H5892 and overthrow H2040 it: and encourage H2388 thou him. And when the wife H802 of Uriah H223 heard H8085 that Uriah H223 her husband H376 was dead, H4191 she mourned H5594 for her husband. H1167 And when the mourning H60 was past, H5674 David H1732 sent H7971 and fetched H622 her to his house, H1004 and she became his wife, H802 and bare H3205 him a son. H1121 But the thing H1697 that David H1732 had done H6213 displeased H3415 H5869 the LORD. H3068
And David H1732 longed, H183 and said, H559 Oh that one would give me drink H8248 of the water H4325 of the well H953 of Bethlehem, H1035 which is by the gate! H8179 And the three H7969 mighty men H1368 brake through H1234 the host H4264 of the Philistines, H6430 and drew H7579 water H4325 out of the well H953 of Bethlehem, H1035 that was by the gate, H8179 and took H5375 it, and brought H935 it to David: H1732 nevertheless he would H14 not drink H8354 thereof, but poured it out H5258 unto the LORD. H3068 And he said, H559 Be it far H2486 from me, O LORD, H3068 that I should do H6213 this: is not this the blood H1818 of the men H582 that went H1980 in jeopardy of their lives? H5315 therefore he would H14 not drink H8354 it. These things did H6213 these three H7969 mighty men. H1368
When thou sawest H7200 a thief, H1590 then thou consentedst H7521 with him, and hast been partaker H2506 with adulterers. H5003
He that walketh H1980 righteously, H6666 and speaketh H1696 uprightly; H4339 he that despiseth H3988 the gain H1215 of oppressions, H4642 that shaketh H5287 his hands H3709 from holding H8551 of bribes, H7810 that stoppeth H331 his ears H241 from hearing H8085 of blood, H1818 and shutteth H6105 his eyes H5869 from seeing H7200 evil; H7451
But thou shouldest not have looked H7200 on the day H3117 of thy brother H251 in the day H3117 that he became a stranger; H5235 neither shouldest thou have rejoiced H8055 over the children H1121 of Judah H3063 in the day H3117 of their destruction; H6 neither shouldest thou have spoken H6310 proudly H1431 in the day H3117 of distress. H6869 Thou shouldest not have entered H935 into the gate H8179 of my people H5971 in the day H3117 of their calamity; H343 yea, thou shouldest not have looked H7200 on their affliction H7451 in the day H3117 of their calamity, H343 nor have laid H7971 hands on their substance H2428 in the day H3117 of their calamity; H343 Neither shouldest thou have stood H5975 in the crossway, H6563 to cut off H3772 those of his that did escape; H6412 neither shouldest thou have delivered up H5462 those of his that did remain H8300 in the day H3117 of distress. H6869
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Kings 21
Commentary on 1 Kings 21 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 21
1Ki 21:1-4. Naboth Refuses Ahab His Vineyard.
1-3. Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel—Ahab was desirous, from its contiguity to the palace, to possess it for a vegetable garden. He proposed to Naboth to give him a better in exchange, or to obtain it by purchase; but the owner declined to part with it. In persisting in his refusal, Naboth was not actuated by any feelings of disloyalty or disrespect to the king, but solely from a conscientious regard to the divine law, which, for important reasons, had prohibited the sale of a paternal inheritance [Le 25:23; Nu 36:7]; or if, through extreme poverty or debt, an assignation of it to another was unavoidable, the conveyance was made on the condition of its being redeemable at any time [Le 25:25-27]; at all events, of its reverting at the jubilee to the owner [Le 25:28]. In short, it could not be alienated from the family, and it was on this ground that Naboth (1Ki 21:3) refused to comply with the king's demand. It was not, therefore, any rudeness or disrespect that made Ahab heavy and displeased, but his sulky and pettish demeanor betrays a spirit of selfishness that could not brook to be disappointed of a favorite object, and that would have pushed him into lawless tyranny had he possessed any natural force of character.
4. turned away his face—either to conceal from his attendants the vexation of spirit he felt, or, by the affectation of great sorrow, rouse them to devise some means of gratifying his wishes.
1Ki 21:5-16. Jezebel Causes Naboth to Be Stoned.
7. Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel?—This is not so much a question as an exclamation—a sarcastic taunt; "A pretty king thou art! Canst not thou use thy power and take what thy heart is set upon?"
arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard—After upbraiding Ahab for his pusillanimity and bidding him act as a king, Jezebel tells him to trouble himself no more about such a trifle; she would guarantee the possession of the vineyard.
8. So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal—The seal-ring contained the name of the king and gave validity to the documents to which it was affixed (Es 8:8; Da 6:17). By allowing her the use of his signet-ring, Ahab passively consented to Jezebel's proceeding. Being written in the king's name, it had the character of a royal mandate.
sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city—They were the civic authorities of Jezreel, and would, in all likelihood, be the creatures and fit tools of Jezebel. It is evident that, though Ahab had recently been in Jezreel, when he made the offer to Naboth, both he and Jezebel were now in Samaria (1Ki 20:43).
9. Proclaim a fast, &c.—Those obsequious and unprincipled magistrates did according to orders. Pretending that a heavy guilt lay on one, or some unknown party, who was charged with blaspheming God and the king and that Ahab was threatening vengeance on the whole city unless the culprit were discovered and punished, they assembled the people to observe a solemn fast. Fasts were commanded on extraordinary occasions affecting the public interests of the state (2Ch 20:3; Ezr 8:21; Joe 1:14; 2:15; Jon 3:5). The wicked authorities of Jezreel, by proclaiming the fast, wished to give an external appearance of justice to their proceedings and convey an impression among the people that Naboth's crime amounted to treason against the king's life.
set Naboth on high—During a trial the panel, or accused person, was placed on a high seat, in the presence of all the court; but as the guilty person was supposed to be unknown, the setting of Naboth on high among the people must have been owing to his being among the distinguished men of the place.
13. there came in two men—worthless fellows who had been bribed to swear a falsehood. The law required two witnesses in capital offenses (De 17:6; 19:15; Nu 35:30; Mt 26:60). Cursing God and cursing the king are mentioned in the law (Ex 22:28) as offenses closely connected, the king of Israel being the earthly representative of God in His kingdom.
they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him—The law, which forbade cursing the rulers of the people, does not specify the penalty for this offense but either usage had sanctioned or the authorities of Jezreel had originated stoning as the proper punishment. It was always inflicted out of the city (Ac 7:58).
14-16. Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession—Naboth's execution having been announced, and his family being involved in the same fatal sentence (2Ki 9:26), his property became forfeited to the crown, not by law, but traditionary usage (see 2Sa 16:4).
16. Ahab rose up to go down—from Samaria to Jezreel.
1Ki 21:17-29. Elijah Denounces Judgments against Ahab and Jezebel.
17-19. Hast thou killed, and also taken possession?—While Ahab was in the act of surveying his ill-gotten possession, Elijah, by divine commission, stood before him. The appearance of the prophet, at such a time, was ominous of evil, but his language was much more so (compare Eze 45:8; 46:16-18). Instead of shrinking with horror from the atrocious crime, Ahab eagerly hastened to his newly acquired property.
19. In the place where dogs licked, &c.—a righteous retribution of Providence. The prediction was accomplished, not in Jezreel, but in Samaria; and not on Ahab personally, in consequence of his repentance (1Ki 21:29), but on his son (2Ki 9:25). The words "in the place where" might be rendered "in like manner as."
20. thou hast sold thyself to work evil—that is, allowed sin to acquire the unchecked and habitual mastery over thee (2Ki 17:17; Ro 7:11).
21, 22. will make thine house, &c.—(see on 1Ki 15:29 and 1Ki 16:3-12). Jezebel, though included among the members of Ahab's house, has her ignominious fate expressly foretold (see 2Ki 9:30).
27-29. Ahab … rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly—He was not obdurate, like Jezebel. This terrible announcement made a deep impression on the king's heart, and led, for a while, to sincere repentance. Going softly, that is, barefoot, and with a pensive manner, within doors. He manifested all the external signs, conventional and natural, of the deepest sorrow. He was wretched, and so great is the mercy of God, that, in consequence of his humiliation, the threatened punishment was deferred.