The Meaning of 1 Kings 21:20 Explained

1 Kings 21:20

KJV: 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.

YLT: And Ahab saith unto Elijah, 'Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?' and he saith, 'I have found -- because of thy selling thyself to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah;

Darby: And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, mine enemy? And he said, I have found thee; because thou hast sold thyself to do evil in the sight of Jehovah.

ASV: 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 do that which is evil in the sight of Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 1 Kings 21:20 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 21:17-29 - Humbled By The Prophet's Rebuke
Once before, when his presence had been urgently needed, Elijah had fled for his life. But there was no vacillation now. He dared face not only Ahab, but his two ruthless captains. He acted as an incarnate conscience. Ahab had perhaps solaced himself with the idea that he was not a murderer. How should he know what Jezebel had done with his seal! But the crime was not Jezebel's alone; it was his also. "Thus saith the Lord, Thou hast killed."
Though the king knew it not, Elijah was his best friend, while Jezebel was his direst foe. Sin distorts everything. Let us not be surprised if men hate us and count us their enemies when we charge them with their sins! "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you"¦ and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely." Each of the woes which the prophet foretold came true. Ahab postponed their fulfillment for some three years by a partial repentance; but at the end of that time he went back to his evil ways, and every item was fulfilled. God is faithful. He bears witness to His witnesses. His mills grind slowly, but they grind to powder!
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 21:20 mean?

So said Ahab to Elijah have you found me my enemy and he answered I have found [you] because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of Yahweh
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אַחְאָב֙ אֶל־ אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ הַֽמְצָאתַ֖נִי ؟ אֹיְבִ֑י וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מָצָ֔אתִי יַ֚עַן הִתְמַכֶּרְךָ֔ לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהוָֽה

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  So  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אַחְאָב֙  Ahab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַחְאָב 
Sense: king of Israel, son of Omri, husband of Jezebel.
אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ  Elijah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵלִיָּה 
Sense: the great prophet of the reign of Ahab.
הַֽמְצָאתַ֖נִי  have  you  found  me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
؟ אֹיְבִ֑י  my  enemy 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  and  he  answered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
מָצָ֔אתִי  I  have  found  [you] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
יַ֚עַן  because 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַעַן  
Sense: because, therefore, because that, on account of prep.
הִתְמַכֶּרְךָ֔  you  have  sold  yourself 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מָכַר  
Sense: to sell.
לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת  to  do 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
הָרַ֖ע  evil 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
בְּעֵינֵ֥י  in  the  sight  of 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
יְהוָֽה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.