1 Kings 21:1-16

1 Kings 21:1-16

[1] And it came to pass after  these things,  that Naboth  the Jezreelite  had a vineyard,  which was in Jezreel,  hard by  the palace  of Ahab  king  of Samaria.  [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.  [3] And Naboth  said  to Ahab,  The LORD  forbid  it me, that I should give  the inheritance  of my fathers  unto thee. [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.  [5] But Jezebel  his wife  came  to him, and said  unto him, Why is thy spirit  so sad,  that thou eatest  no bread?  [6] And he said  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.  [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.  [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.  [9] And she wrote  in the letters,  saying,  Proclaim  a fast,  and set  Naboth  on high  among the people:  [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.  [11] 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  [12] They proclaimed  a fast,  and set  Naboth  on high  among the people.  [13] And there came  in two  children  of Belial,  and sat  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.  [14] Then 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 possession  of the vineyard  of Naboth  the Jezreelite,  which he refused  to give  thee for money:  for Naboth  is not alive,  but dead.  [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.

What does 1 Kings 21:1-16 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Even though Jezebel was behind the murder of Naboth, God held her husband Ahab responsible ( 1 Kings 21:19). Jezebel"s evil influence over her husband stands out in this story. [1] Ahab was willing to murder a godly Israelite to obtain a mere vegetable garden.
"A vineyard, like an olive-orchard, is not just land that may have been in the family for a long time: it represents a high investment in many years of unfruitful care before it reaches maturity." [2]
Naboth sought to live by the Mosaic Law ( 1 Kings 21:3; cf. Leviticus 25:23-28; Numbers 36:7). Ahab"s "sullen and vexed" feelings ( 1 Kings 21:4; cf. 1 Kings 20:43) were the result of his perception that Naboth"s position was unassailable legally. Compare Saul"s moodiness following his disobedience and sentence.
Jezebel believed Ahab was the supreme authority in Israel ( 1 Kings 21:7), an opinion he shared (cf. 1 Kings 20:42). This was the root of many of Ahab and Jezebel"s difficulties (cf. Saul and his daughter Michal, and Ahab and his daughter Athaliah). They failed to acknowledge Yahweh"s sovereignty over Israel. Jezebel obviously knew the Mosaic Law ( 1 Kings 21:10). It required two witnesses in capital offense cases ( Deuteronomy 17:6-7). Cursing God was a capital offense ( Leviticus 24:16). Jezebel elevated cursing the king to a crime on the same level with cursing Yahweh ( 1 Kings 21:10). This was inappropriate but consistent with her concept of Israel"s king. She formed her plot in conscious disobedience to God"s revealed will.
The elders and nobles of Jezreel were under Jezebel"s thumb ( 1 Kings 21:11). They were not faithful to Yahweh. They probably could not have been to stay in office under Ahab. Jezebel also executed Naboth"s sons ( 2 Kings 9:26). When Ahab heard what his wife had done, he did not reprove her but took advantage of her actions and in doing so approved them ( 1 Kings 21:16). Naboth"s vineyard was in Jezreel, not Samaria. [3]
"The most heinous act of Ahab came in the matter of Naboth. A king"s primary responsibility was to render justice in the land. Ahab egregiously violated this requirement by stealing from a man he had murdered (through Jezebel)." [4]
Compare Saul"s unjustified attempts to kill David.