The Meaning of 1 Kings 21:21 Explained

1 Kings 21:21

KJV: 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,

YLT: lo, I am bringing in unto thee evil, and have taken away thy posterity, and cut off to Ahab those sitting on the wall, and restrained, and left, in Israel,

Darby: Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab every male, and him that is shut up and left in Israel;

ASV: Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will utterly sweep thee away and will cut off from Ahab every man-child, and him that is shut up and him that is left at large in Israel:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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, 

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

Behold - I will bring on you calamity and I will take away your posterity and will cut off from Ahab every male wall and both bond and free in Israel
הִנְנִ֨י [מבי] (מֵבִ֤יא) אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ רָעָ֔ה וּבִעַרְתִּ֖י אַחֲרֶ֑יךָ וְהִכְרַתִּ֤י לְאַחְאָב֙ מַשְׁתִּ֣ין בְּקִ֔יר וְעָצ֥וּר וְעָז֖וּב בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל

הִנְנִ֨י  Behold 
Parse: Interjection, first person common singular
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
[מבי]  - 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
(מֵבִ֤יא)  I  will  bring 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙  on  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
רָעָ֔ה  calamity 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
וּבִעַרְתִּ֖י  and  I  will  take  away 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: בָּעַר 
Sense: to burn, consume, kindle, be kindled.
אַחֲרֶ֑יךָ  your  posterity 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
וְהִכְרַתִּ֤י  and  will  cut  off 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
לְאַחְאָב֙  from  Ahab 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַחְאָב 
Sense: king of Israel, son of Omri, husband of Jezebel.
מַשְׁתִּ֣ין  every  male 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שִׁין 
Sense: (Hiphil) to urinate.
בְּקִ֔יר  wall 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קִיר  
Sense: wall, side.
וְעָצ֥וּר  and  both  bond 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: עָצַר  
Sense: to restrain, retain, close up, shut, withhold, refrain, stay, detain.
וְעָז֖וּב  and  free 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: עָזַב 
Sense: to leave, loose, forsake.
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל  in  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.