1-4 Ahab being denied Naboth's vineyard, is grieved 5-14 Jezebel writing letters against Naboth, he is condemned of blasphemy 15,16 Ahab take possession of the vineyard 17-24 Elijah denounces judgments against Ahab and Jezebel 25-29 Wicked Ahab repenting, God defers the judgment

A.M. 3105 B.C. 899
after 1Ki 20:35-43 2Ch 28:22 Ezr 9:13,14 Isa 9:13 Jer 5:3

Jezreel 1Ki 18:45 Jos 19:18 Jud 6:33 1Sa 29:1 Ho 1:4,5

2 And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.

Give me The request of Ahab, at first view, appears fair and honourable. But, as he most evidentially wished Naboth to {alienate it finally}, which was expressly forbidden and provided against in the law of God, (Le 25:14-28,) it was high iniquity in Ahab to tempt him to do it, and to covet it showed the depravity of his soul. Ge 3:6 Ex 20:17 De 5:21 1Sa 8:14 Jer 22:17 Hab 2:9-11 Lu 12:15 1Ti 6:9 Jas 1:14,15

a garden of herbs 2Ki 9:27 De 11:10 Ec 2:5 So 4:15

seems good to thee [heb] be good in thine eyes Ge 16:6 1Sa 8:6 29:6

3 And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.

The Lord Ge 44:7,17 Jos 22:29 24:16 1Sa 12:23 24:6 26:9-11 1Ch 11:19 Job 27:5 Ro 3:4,6,31 6:2,15 7:7,13 1Co 6:15 Ga 6:14

I should give Le 25:23 Nu 36:7 Eze 46:18

4 And Ahab came into his house heavy 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 turned away his face, and would eat no bread.

heavy Job 5:2 Isa 57:20,21 Jon 4:1,9 Hab 2:9-12

I will not 1Ki 21:3 Nu 22:13,14

And he laid him Ge 4:5-8 2Sa 13:2,4 Ec 6:9 7:8,9 Eph 4:27 Jas 1:14

5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?

Jezebel 1Ki 21:25 16:31 18:4 19:2 Ge 3:6

Why is thy spirit 2Sa 13:4 Ne 2:2 Es 4:5

6 And 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.

Because 1Ki 21:2 Es 5:9-14 6:12 Pr 14:30 1Ti 6:9,10 Jas 4:2-7

I will not give 1Ki 21:3,4

7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

Dost thou now 1Sa 8:4 2Sa 13:4 Pr 30:31 Ec 4:1 8:4 Da 5:19-21

I will give thee 1Ki 21:15,16 Mic 2:1,2 7:3

8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth.

she wrote 2Sa 11:14,15 2Ch 32:17 Ezr 4:7,8,11 Ne 6:5 Es 3:12-15 8:8-13

the elders Nu 11:16 De 16:18,19 21:1-9

the nobles 1Ki 21:1 2Ki 10:1-7,11

9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people:

Proclaim a fast Ge 34:13-17 Isa 58:4 Mt 2:8 23:14 Lu 20:47 Joh 18:28

on high among [heb] in the top of

10 And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.

two men De 19:15 Mt 26:59,60 Ac 6:11

sons of Belial De 13:13 Jud 19:22

Thou didst blaspheme Some, with Parkhurst, would render the original, bairachta elohim wamailech, `Thou hast blessed the gods and Molech;' a sense, however, which seems extremely forced, and not acknowledged by any of the ancient versions, though the LXX and Vulgate render bairachata by (), benedixit, `blessed.' It is no unusual thing for a word to have opposite senses. Ex 22:28 Le 24:15 Mt 26:59-66 Joh 10:33 Ac 6:13

11 And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them.

did as Jezebel Ex 1:17,21 23:1,2 Le 19:15 1Sa 22:17 23:20 2Ki 10:6,7 2Ch 24:21 Pr 29:12,26 Da 3:18-25 Ho 5:11 Mic 6:16 Mt 2:12,16 Ac 4:19 5:29

12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.

1Ki 21:8-10 Isa 58:4

13 And there came in two men, children 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 blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.

the men of Belial Ex 20:16 De 5:20 19:16-21 Ps 27:12 35:11 Pr 6:19 19:5,9 25:18 Mal 3:5 Mr 14:56-59

blaspheme God Job 1:5,11 2:9 Mt 9:3 Ac 6:11

the king Ec 10:20 Isa 8:21 Am 7:10 Lu 23:2 Joh 19:12 Ac 24:5

they carried him Le 24:11-16 Nu 15:35,36 De 13:10 21:21 22:21,24 Jos 7:24,25 2Ki 9:26 Ec 4:1 Ac 7:57-59

14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.

Naboth is stoned 2Sa 11:14-24 Ec 5:8 8:14

15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, 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.

Arise 1Ki 21:7 Pr 1:10-16 4:17

16 And 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.

Ahab rose up 2Sa 1:13-16 4:9-12 11:25-27 23:15-17 Ps 50:18 Isa 33:15 Ob 1:12-14 Ro 1:32 2Pe 2:15

17 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

2Ki 1:15,16 5:26 Ps 9:12 Isa 26:21

18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.

which is in Samaria 1Ki 13:32 2Ch 22:9

19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.

Hast thou killed Ge 3:11 4:9,10 2Sa 12:9 Mic 3:1-4 Hab 2:9,12

In the place This punishment, on Ahab's humiliation and repentance, was transferred from him to his son Jehoram, (ver. 29) in whom it was literally accomplished: 1Ki 21:29 22:38 Jud 1:7 2Sa 12:11 2Ki 9:25,26 Es 7:10 Ps 7:15,16 9:16 58:10,11 Mt 7:2

20 And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.

Hast thou found me 1Ki 18:17 22:8 2Ch 18:7,17 Am 5:10 Mr 12:12 Ga 4:16 Re 11:10 Am 5:10 Mr 12:12 Ga 4:16 Re 11:10

thou hast sold 1Ki 21:25 2Ki 17:17 Isa 50:1 52:3 Ro 7:14

to work 1Ki 16:30 2Ki 21:2 2Ch 33:6 Eph 4:19

21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,

Behold 1Ki 14:10 Ex 20:5,6 2Ki 9:7-9 10:1-7,11-14,17,30

him that pisseth 1Sa 25:22,34

him that is shut up 1Ki 14:10 De 32:36 2Ki 9:8,9 14:26

22 And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.

make thine 1Ki 15:29 16:3,11

made Israel to sin 1Ki 14:16 15:30,34 16:26

23 And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.

Jezebel 1Ki 21:25 2Ki 9:10,30-37

the dogs Shocking as this must appear to minds that have been humanized by the kindly influence of Christianity, we still find similar instances in the accounts of modern travellers. Mr. Bruce says, that when at Gondar, `the bodies of those killed by the sword were hewn to pieces and scattered about the streets, being denied burial. I was miserable, and almost driven to despair, at seeing my hunting dogs, twice let loose by the carelessness of my servants, bringing into the court-yard the heads and arms of slaughtered men, and which I could no way prevent, but by the destruction of the dogs themselves.'

wall. or, ditch

24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.

that dieth 1Ki 14:11 16:4 Isa 14:19 Jer 15:3 Eze 32:4,5 39:18-20 Re 19:18

25 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.

But there 1Ki 21:20 16:30-33 2Ki 23:25

sell himself 1Ki 21:20 2Ki 17:17 Isa 50:1 52:3 Ro 6:19 7:14

whom Jezebel 1Ki 21:7 11:1-4 16:31 18:4 19:2 Pr 22:14 Ec 7:26 Mr 6:17-27 Ac 6:12 14:2

stirred up. or, incited

26 And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

very abominably 2Ch 15:8 Isa 65:4 Jer 16:18 44:4 Eze 18:12 1Pe 4:3 Re 21:8

according to Ge 15:16 Le 18:25-30 20:22,23 De 12:31 2Ki 16:3 21:2,11 2Ch 33:2,9 36:14 Ezr 9:11-14 Ps 106:35-39 Eze 16:47

27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

he rent Ge 37:34 2Ki 6:30 18:37 Jon 3:6

lay in sackcloth 2Sa 12:17 Job 16:15 Isa 22:12 58:5-8 Joe 1:13

went softly Isa 38:15

28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.

Seest thou Jer 7:17 Lu 7:44

Ahab Ex 10:3 Ps 18:44 66:3 78:34-37

I will not Ps 86:15 Eze 33:10,11 Mic 7:18 Ro 2:4 2Pe 3:9

the evil in 1Ki 21:21-23

in his son's days 2Ki 9:25,26,33-37 10:1-7,11