The Meaning of 1 Kings 21:6 Explained

1 Kings 21:6

KJV: And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.

YLT: And he saith unto her, 'Because I speak unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and say to him, Give to me thy vineyard for money, or if thou desire, I give to thee a vineyard in its stead; and he saith, I do not give to thee my vineyard.'

Darby: And he said to her, Because I spoke to Naboth the Jizreelite and said to him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee a vineyard for it; and he said, I will not give thee my vineyard.

ASV: And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he said  unto her, Because I spake  unto Naboth  the Jezreelite,  and said  unto him, Give  me thy vineyard  for money;  or else, if it please  thee, I will give  thee [another] vineyard  for it: and he answered,  I will not give  thee my vineyard. 

What does 1 Kings 21:6 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 21:6 mean?

and he said to her because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him Give me - your vineyard for money or else if it pleases you I will give you [another] vineyard for it and He answered not I will give - my vineyard
וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אֵלֶ֗יהָ כִּֽי־ אֲ֠דַבֵּר אֶל־ נָב֨וֹת הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִ֜י וָאֹ֣מַר ל֗וֹ תְּנָה־ לִּ֤י אֶֽת־ כַּרְמְךָ֙ בְּכֶ֔סֶף א֚וֹ אִם־ חָפֵ֣ץ אַתָּ֔ה אֶתְּנָה־ לְךָ֥ כֶ֖רֶם תַּחְתָּ֑יו וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹֽא־ אֶתֵּ֥ן אֶת־ כַּרְמִֽי

וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר  and  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אֵלֶ֗יהָ  to  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
כִּֽי־  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
אֲ֠דַבֵּר  I  spoke 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
נָב֨וֹת  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.
הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִ֜י  the  Jezreelite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִזְרְעֵאלִי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Jezreel.
וָאֹ֣מַר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
ל֗וֹ  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
תְּנָה־  Give 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לִּ֤י  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.
כַּרְמְךָ֙  your  vineyard 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: כֶּרֶם 
Sense: vineyard.
בְּכֶ֔סֶף  for  money 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
א֚וֹ  or  else 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אֹו 
Sense: or, rather.
חָפֵ֣ץ  it  pleases 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: חָפֵץ  
Sense: desiring, delighting in, having pleasure in.
אֶתְּנָה־  I  will  give 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
כֶ֖רֶם  [another]  vineyard 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּרֶם 
Sense: vineyard.
תַּחְתָּ֑יו  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.
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר  and  He  answered 
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.
כַּרְמִֽי  my  vineyard 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: כֶּרֶם 
Sense: vineyard.