1 Kings 21:17-29

1 Kings 21:17-29

[17] And the word  of the LORD  came to Elijah  the Tishbite,  saying,  [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  [19] And thou shalt speak  unto him, saying,  the LORD,  Hast thou killed,  and also taken possession?  And thou shalt speak  unto him, saying,  the LORD,  In the place  where dogs  licked  the blood  of Naboth  shall dogs  lick  thy blood,  [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.  [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,  [22] And will make  thine 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.  [23] And of Jezebel  also spake  the LORD,  saying,  The dogs  shall eat  Jezebel  of Jezreel.  [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.  [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.  [26] And he did very  abominably  idols,  according to all things as did  the Amorites,  whom the LORD  cast out  before  the children  of Israel.  [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.  [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. 

What does 1 Kings 21:17-29 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Again God told Elijah to "go" ( 1 Kings 21:18; cf. 1 Kings 17:3; cf. 1 Kings 17:9; 1 Kings 18:1; 1 Kings 19:15). As a faithful servant, he went to confront the king again. Compare Samuel"s second announcement of God"s judgment on Saul ( 1 Samuel 15). Ahab was not in Samaria at this time ( 1 Kings 21:18), but in Jezreel ( 1 Kings 21:19). The mention of Samaria was evidently an ironical reference to Ahab"s capital. Murdering someone and taking possession of his property was a capital offense under the Law of Moses (cf2Samuel11; 2 Samuel 12:13). It would be a great shame for Ahab to have his blood flow in the streets of his winter capital. It would be an even greater disgrace to have it licked up by wild scavengers, as Naboth"s blood had been ( 1 Kings 21:19; cf. Galatians 6:7). God did not punish him exactly this way because Ahab repented later ( 1 Kings 21:27-29; cf. 2 Kings 9:25-26).
Elijah was Ahab"s enemy because the prophet was God"s representative whom the king had decided to oppose ( 1 Kings 21:20). Ahab had sold himself ( 1 Kings 21:20) in that he had sacrificed his own life and future to obtain what he wanted (cf. Saul). The wages God would pay him for this would be trouble and death (cf. Romans 6:23). God would remove all human support from Ahab and would sweep him away like so much filth ( 1 Kings 21:21). The Hebrew word translated "disaster" in 1 Kings 21:21 (d"h) is similar to the one translated "evil" in 1 Kings 21:20 (hd"). This wordplay emphasizes the correspondence between Ahab"s sins and their punishment. God would also cut off Ahab"s dynasty for the same reasons He terminated Jeroboam and Baasha"s houses ( 1 Kings 21:22). As for Jezebel, wild dogs, which normally lived off the garbage in cities, would eat her ( 1 Kings 21:23). Furthermore, all of Ahab"s descendants would experience ignoble deaths ( 1 Kings 21:24; cf. 1 Kings 14:11; 1 Kings 16:4).
The writer"s assessment of Ahab was that he was the worst ruler in Israel yet ( 1 Kings 21:25; cf. 1 Kings 16:30). He was as bad as the Canaanites whom God drove out because of their wickedness ( 1 Kings 21:26; cf. Leviticus 18:25-30). Nevertheless he was a king over God"s chosen people, though not of the Davidic line. Samson was also very Canaanitish in his thoughts and ways, even though he was a judge in Israel.
Ahab"s genuine repentance when he heard his fate from Israel"s true King resulted in God relenting and lightening his sentence ( 1 Kings 21:27-29; cf. Exodus 32:14; Numbers 14:12; Numbers 14:20; Psalm 106:44-45; Jeremiah 18:6-12). Samson also repented ( Judges 16:28). Not Ahab but his son Joram (i.e, Jehoram) would bleed on Naboth"s land in Jezreel ( 1 Kings 21:19; 2 Kings 9:25-26). There is no indication here or elsewhere that Jezebel ever repented.
"The story of Naboth warns against the use of piety and legality to cloak injustice. It teaches that those who support the plots of a Jezebel, whether by silent acquiescence or overt complicity, share her crime. It is a resounding affirmation that injustice touches God, that "as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me" ( Matthew 25:40; Matthew 25:45), that in the cosmic order of things there is a power at work that makes for justice. And the story attests that there is awesome power in the conscience and protest of the individual servant of God." [1]