The Meaning of 1 Kings 21:4 Explained

1 Kings 21:4

KJV: 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.

YLT: and Ahab cometh in unto his house, sulky and wroth, because of the word that Naboth the Jezreelite hath spoken unto him when he saith, 'I do not give to thee the inheritance of my fathers,' and he lieth down on his bed, and turneth round his face, and hath not eaten bread.

Darby: And Ahab came into his house sullen and vexed because of the word that Naboth the Jizreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and ate no bread.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 1 Kings 21:4 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 21:4 mean?

So went Ahab into his house sullen and displeased because of the word which had spoken to him Naboth the Jezreelite for he had said not I will give you - the inheritance of my fathers And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and no would eat food
וַיָּבֹא֩ אַחְאָ֨ב אֶל־ בֵּית֜וֹ סַ֣ר וְזָעֵ֗ף עַל־ הַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁר־ דִּבֶּ֣ר אֵלָ֗יו נָבוֹת֙ הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִ֔י וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹֽא־ אֶתֵּ֥ן לְךָ֖ אֶת־ נַחֲלַ֣ת אֲבוֹתָ֑י וַיִּשְׁכַּב֙ עַל־ מִטָּת֔וֹ וַיַּסֵּ֥ב פָּנָ֖יו וְלֹֽא־ אָ֥כַל לָֽחֶם

וַיָּבֹא֩  So  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אַחְאָ֨ב  Ahab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַחְאָב 
Sense: king of Israel, son of Omri, husband of Jezebel.
אֶל־  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
בֵּית֜וֹ  his  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
סַ֣ר  sullen 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: סַר  
Sense: stubborn, implacable, rebellious, resentful, sullen.
וְזָעֵ֗ף  and  displeased 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: זָעֵף  
Sense: angry, raging, out of humour, vexed.
עַל־  because 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַדָּבָר֙  of  the  word 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
דִּבֶּ֣ר  had  spoken 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אֵלָ֗יו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
נָבוֹת֙  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.
הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִ֔י  the  Jezreelite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִזְרְעֵאלִי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Jezreel.
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר  for  he  had  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֶתֵּ֥ן  I  will  give 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
נַחֲלַ֣ת  the  inheritance 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: נַחֲלָה  
Sense: possession, property, inheritance, heritage.
אֲבוֹתָ֑י  of  my  fathers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
וַיִּשְׁכַּב֙  And  he  lay  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁכַב  
Sense: to lie down.
מִטָּת֔וֹ  his  bed 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מִטָּה  
Sense: couch, bed, bier.
וַיַּסֵּ֥ב  and  turned  away 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָבַב  
Sense: to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or arou nd, surround, encircle, change direction.
פָּנָ֖יו  his  face 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וְלֹֽא־  and  no 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
אָ֥כַל  would  eat 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
לָֽחֶם  food 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.