The Meaning of 1 Kings 21:2 Explained

1 Kings 21:2

KJV: 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.

YLT: and Ahab speaketh unto Naboth, saying, 'Give to me thy vineyard, and it is to me for a garden of green herbs, for it is near by my house, and I give to thee in its stead a better vineyard than it; if good in thine eyes, I give to thee silver -- its price.'

Darby: And Ahab spoke to Naboth saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, for it is near, by the side of my house; and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; if it seem good to thee, I will give thee its value in money.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 1 Kings 21:2 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 21:2 mean?

So spoke Ahab to Naboth saying Give me - your vineyard that may have it I for a garden vegetable because it [is] near next to my house and I will give you for it a vineyard better than it [Or] if it seems good to you I will give in money worth of this [one]
וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אַחְאָ֣ב אֶל־ נָב֣וֹת ׀ לֵאמֹר֩ ׀ תְּנָה־ לִּ֨י אֶֽת־ כַּרְמְךָ֜ וִֽיהִי־ לִ֣י לְגַן־ יָרָ֗ק כִּ֣י ה֤וּא קָרוֹב֙ אֵ֣צֶל בֵּיתִ֔י וְאֶתְּנָ֤ה לְךָ֙ תַּחְתָּ֔יו כֶּ֖רֶם ט֣וֹב מִמֶּ֑נּוּ אִ֚ם ט֣וֹב בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ אֶתְּנָה־ כֶ֖סֶף מְחִ֥יר זֶֽה

וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר  So  spoke 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אַחְאָ֣ב  Ahab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַחְאָב 
Sense: king of Israel, son of Omri, husband of Jezebel.
נָב֣וֹת ׀  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.
לֵאמֹר֩ ׀  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
תְּנָה־  Give 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לִּ֨י  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
אֶֽת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
כַּרְמְךָ֜  your  vineyard 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: כֶּרֶם 
Sense: vineyard.
וִֽיהִי־  that  may  have  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Jussive, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְגַן־  for  a  garden 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common singular construct
Root: גַּן 
Sense: garden, enclosure.
יָרָ֗ק  vegetable 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָרָק  
Sense: herbs, herbage, vegetables, garden greens.
כִּ֣י  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
ה֤וּא  it  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
קָרוֹב֙  near 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קָרֹוב  
Sense: near.
אֵ֣צֶל  next  to 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֵצֶל  
Sense: beside, by, near, nearness, joining, proximity subst.
בֵּיתִ֔י  my  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
וְאֶתְּנָ֤ה  and  I  will  give 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
תַּחְתָּ֔יו  for  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
כֶּ֖רֶם  a  vineyard 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּרֶם 
Sense: vineyard.
ט֣וֹב  better 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
מִמֶּ֑נּוּ  than  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
אִ֚ם  [Or]  if 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
ט֣וֹב  it  seems  good 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ  to  you 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc, second person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
אֶתְּנָה־  I  will  give 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
כֶ֖סֶף  in  money 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
מְחִ֥יר  worth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מְחִיר  
Sense: price, hire.
זֶֽה  of  this  [one] 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.