The Meaning of 1 Kings 21:13 Explained

1 Kings 21:13

KJV: 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.

YLT: and two men -- sons of worthlessness -- come in, and sit over-against him, and the men of worthlessness testify of him, even Naboth, before the people, saying, 'Naboth blessed God and Melech;' and they take him out to the outside of the city, and stone him with stones, and he dieth;

Darby: And there came the two men, sons of Belial, and sat before him; and the men of Belial witnessed against him, against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth blasphemed God and the king. And they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.

ASV: And the two men, the base fellows, came in and sat before him: and the base fellows bare witness against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did curse God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him to death with stones.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 1 Kings 21:13 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 21:1-29 - Breaking Three Commandments
From a worldly point of view Naboth might have done a good stroke of business by selling his estate to. Ahab. A royal price and assured favor might have been his-but he had a conscience! Above the persuasive tones of the monarch's offer sounded the voice of God: "The land shall not be sold for ever, for the land is mine." See Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7; Ezekiel 46:18.
Ahab knew perfectly well that Jezebel could not give him the property of another except by foul means, but he took pains not to inquire. Though the direct orders for Naboth's death did not come from him, yet, by his silence, he was an accomplice and an accessory; and divine justice penetrates all such specious excuses. God holds us responsible for wrongs which we do not arrest, though we have the power. The crime was blacker because of the pretext of religion, as suggested by a fast. See also 2 Kings 9:26. The blood of murdered innocence cries to God, and his requital, though delayed, is inevitable. See Revelation 6:9-10. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 21

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

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 21:13 mean?

And came in two men sons scoundrels and sat before him and witnessed against him the scoundrels against Naboth before the people saying has cursed Naboth God and the king And they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones so that he died
וַ֠יָּבֹאוּ שְׁנֵ֨י הָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים בְּנֵֽי־ בְלִיַּעַל֮ וַיֵּשְׁב֣וּ נֶגְדּוֹ֒ וַיְעִדֻהוּ֩ אַנְשֵׁ֨י הַבְּלִיַּ֜עַל אֶת־ נָב֗וֹת נֶ֤גֶד הָעָם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר בֵּרַ֥ךְ נָב֛וֹת אֱלֹהִ֖ים וָמֶ֑לֶךְ וַיֹּצִאֻ֙הוּ֙ מִח֣וּץ לָעִ֔יר וַיִּסְקְלֻ֥הוּ בָאֲבָנִ֖ים וַיָּמֹֽת

וַ֠יָּבֹאוּ  And  came  in 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
שְׁנֵ֨י  two 
Parse: Number, mdc
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
הָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים  men 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
בְּנֵֽי־  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
בְלִיַּעַל֮  scoundrels 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בְּלִיַּעַל  
Sense: worthlessness.
וַיֵּשְׁב֣וּ  and  sat 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
נֶגְדּוֹ֒  before  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: נֶגֶד  
Sense: what is conspicuous, what is in front of adv.
וַיְעִדֻהוּ֩  and  witnessed  against  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine singular
Root: עוּד 
Sense: to return, repeat, go about, do again.
הַבְּלִיַּ֜עַל  scoundrels 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בְּלִיַּעַל  
Sense: worthlessness.
אֶת־  against 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
נָב֗וֹת  Naboth 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָבֹות  
Sense: the vineyard owner of Jezreel who Ahab and Jezebel had killed so that they could have his vineyard.
נֶ֤גֶד  before 
Parse: Preposition
Root: נֶגֶד  
Sense: what is conspicuous, what is in front of adv.
הָעָם֙  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
לֵאמֹ֔ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
בֵּרַ֥ךְ  has  cursed 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּרַךְ 
Sense: to bless, kneel.
נָב֛וֹת  Naboth 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָבֹות  
Sense: the vineyard owner of Jezreel who Ahab and Jezebel had killed so that they could have his vineyard.
אֱלֹהִ֖ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וָמֶ֑לֶךְ  and  the  king 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וַיֹּצִאֻ֙הוּ֙  And  they  took  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
מִח֣וּץ  outside 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חוּץ  
Sense: outside, outward, street, the outside.
לָעִ֔יר  the  city 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
וַיִּסְקְלֻ֥הוּ  and  stoned  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine singular
Root: סָקַל  
Sense: to stone (to death), put to death by stoning.
בָאֲבָנִ֖ים  with  stones 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).
וַיָּמֹֽת  so  that  he  died 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.