27 And it came to pass, when Ahab H256 heard H8085 those words, H1697 that he rent H7167 his clothes, H899 and put H7760 sackcloth H8242 upon his flesh, H1320 and fasted, H6684 and lay H7901 in sackcloth, H8242 and went H1980 softly. H328
And it came to pass, when the king H4428 heard H8085 the words H1697 of the woman, H802 that he rent H7167 his clothes; H899 and he passed by H5674 upon the wall, H2346 and the people H5971 looked, H7200 and, behold, he had sackcloth H8242 within H1004 upon his flesh. H1320
And Jacob H3290 rent H7167 his clothes, H8071 and put H7760 sackcloth H8242 upon his loins, H4975 and mourned H56 for his son H1121 many H7227 days. H3117
David H1732 therefore besought H1245 God H430 for the child; H5288 and David H1732 fasted, H6684 H6685 and went in, H935 and lay H7901 all night H3885 upon the earth. H776 And the elders H2205 of his house H1004 arose, H6965 and went to him, to raise him up H6965 from the earth: H776 but he would H14 not, neither did he eat H1262 bread H3899 with them.
Then came H935 Eliakim H471 the son H1121 of Hilkiah, H2518 which was over the household, H1004 and Shebna H7644 the scribe, H5608 and Joah H3098 the son H1121 of Asaph H623 the recorder, H2142 to Hezekiah H2396 with their clothes H899 rent, H7167 and told H5046 him the words H1697 of Rabshakeh. H7262
And in that day H3117 did the Lord H136 GOD H3069 of hosts H6635 call H7121 to weeping, H1065 and to mourning, H4553 and to baldness, H7144 and to girding H2296 with sackcloth: H8242
What shall I say? H1696 he hath both spoken H559 unto me, and himself hath done H6213 it: I shall go softly H1718 all my years H8141 in the bitterness H4751 of my soul. H5315
Is it such a fast H6685 that I have chosen? H977 a day H3117 for a man H120 to afflict H6031 his soul? H5315 is it to bow down H3721 his head H7218 as a bulrush, H100 and to spread H3331 sackcloth H8242 and ashes H665 under him? wilt thou call H7121 this H2088 a fast, H6685 and an acceptable H7522 day H3117 to the LORD? H3068 Is not this the fast H6685 that I have chosen? H977 to loose H6605 the bands H2784 of wickedness, H7562 to undo H5425 the heavy H4133 burdens, H92 and to let the oppressed H7533 go H7971 free, H2670 and that ye break H5423 every yoke? H4133 Is it not to deal H6536 thy bread H3899 to the hungry, H7457 and that thou bring H935 the poor H6041 that are cast out H4788 to thy house? H1004 when thou seest H7200 the naked, H6174 that thou cover H3680 him; and that thou hide H5956 not thyself from thine own flesh? H1320 Then shall thy light H216 break forth H1234 as the morning, H7837 and thine health H724 shall spring forth H6779 speedily: H4120 and thy righteousness H6664 shall go H1980 before H6440 thee; the glory H3519 of the LORD H3068 shall be thy rereward. H622
Gird H2296 yourselves, and lament, H5594 ye priests: H3548 howl, H3213 ye ministers H8334 of the altar: H4196 come, H935 lie all night H3885 in sackcloth, H8242 ye ministers H8334 of my God: H430 for the meat offering H4503 and the drink offering H5262 is withholden H4513 from the house H1004 of your God. H430
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.