11 And the men H582 of his city, H5892 even the elders H2205 and the nobles H2715 who were the inhabitants H3427 in his city, H5892 did H6213 as Jezebel H348 had sent H7971 unto them, and as it was written H3789 in the letters H5612 which she had sent H7971 unto them.
If a ruler H4910 hearken H7181 to lies, H1697 H8267 all his servants H8334 are wicked. H7563
Then G5119 Herod, G2264 when he saw G1492 that G3754 he was mocked G1702 of G5259 the wise men, G3097 was exceeding G3029 wroth, G2373 and G2532 sent forth, G649 and slew G337 all G3956 the children G3816 that were in G1722 Bethlehem, G965 and G2532 in G1722 all G3956 the coasts G3725 thereof, G846 from G575 two years old G1332 and G2532 under, G2736 according G2596 to the time G5550 which G3739 he had diligently enquired G198 of G3844 the wise men. G3097
And G2532 being warned of God G5537 in G2596 a dream G3677 that they should G344 not G3361 return G344 to G4314 Herod, G2264 they departed G402 into G1519 their own G846 country G5561 another G1223 G243 way. G3598
For the statutes H2708 of Omri H6018 are kept, H8104 and all the works H4639 of the house H1004 of Ahab, H256 and ye walk H3212 in their counsels; H4156 that I should make H5414 thee a desolation, H8047 and the inhabitants H3427 thereof an hissing: H8322 therefore ye shall bear H5375 the reproach H2781 of my people. H5971
Ephraim H669 is oppressed H6231 and broken H7533 in judgment, H4941 because he willingly H2974 walked H1980 after H310 the commandment. H6673
But if H2006 not, H3809 be it H1934 known H3046 unto thee, O king, H4430 that we will H383 not H3809 serve H6399 thy gods, H426 nor H3809 worship H5457 the golden H1722 image H6755 which thou hast set up. H6966 Then H116 was Nebuchadnezzar H5020 full H4391 of fury, H2528 and the form H6755 of his visage H600 was changed H8133 against H5922 Shadrach, H7715 Meshach, H4336 and Abednego: H5665 therefore he spake, H6032 and commanded H560 that they should heat H228 the furnace H861 one H2298 seven times H7655 more H5922 than H1768 it was wont H2370 to be heated. H228 And he commanded H560 the most H2429 mighty H1401 men H1400 that were in his army H2429 to bind H3729 Shadrach, H7715 Meshach, H4336 and Abednego, H5665 and to cast H7412 them into the burning H3345 fiery H5135 furnace. H861 Then H116 these H479 men H1400 were bound H3729 in their coats, H5622 their hosen, H6361 H6361 and their hats, H3737 and their other garments, H3831 and were cast H7412 into the midst H1459 of the burning H3345 fiery H5135 furnace. H861 Therefore H3606 H6903 because H4481 H1836 the king's H4430 commandment H4406 was urgent, H2685 and the furnace H861 exceeding H3493 hot, H228 the flame H7631 of the fire H5135 slew H6992 those H479 men H1400 H1994 that took up H5267 Shadrach, H7715 Meshach, H4336 and Abednego. H5665 And these H479 three H8532 men, H1400 Shadrach, H7715 Meshach, H4336 and Abednego, H5665 fell down H5308 bound H3729 into the midst H1459 of the burning H3345 fiery H5135 furnace. H861 Then H116 Nebuchadnezzar H5020 the king H4430 was astonied, H8429 and rose up H6966 in haste, H927 and spake, H6032 and said H560 unto his counsellors, H1907 Did not H3809 we cast H7412 three H8532 men H1400 bound H3729 into the midst H1459 of the fire? H5135 They answered H6032 and said H560 unto the king, H4430 True, H3330 O king. H4430 He answered H6032 and said, H560 Lo, H1888 I H576 see H2370 four H703 men H1400 loose, H8271 walking H1981 in the midst H1459 of the fire, H5135 and they have H383 no H3809 hurt; H2257 and the form H7299 of the fourth H7244 is like H1821 the Son H1247 of God. H426
But the midwives H3205 feared H3372 God, H430 and did H6213 not as the king H4428 of Egypt H4714 commanded H1696 them, but saved H2421 the men children H3206 alive. H2421
And they conspired H7194 against him, and stoned H7275 him with stones H68 at the commandment H4687 of the king H4428 in the court H2691 of the house H1004 of the LORD. H3068
Then he wrote H3789 a letter H5612 the second time H8145 to them, saying, H559 If ye be mine, and if ye will hearken H8085 unto my voice, H6963 take H3947 ye the heads H7218 of the men H582 your master's H113 sons, H1121 and come H935 to me to Jezreel H3157 by to morrow H4279 this time. H6256 Now the king's H4428 sons, H1121 being seventy H7657 persons, H376 were with the great men H1419 of the city, H5892 which brought them up. H1431 And it came to pass, when the letter H5612 came H935 to them, that they took H3947 the king's H4428 sons, H1121 and slew H7819 seventy H7657 persons, H376 and put H7760 their heads H7218 in baskets, H1731 and sent H7971 him them to Jezreel. H3157
Now therefore, O king, H4428 come down H3381 according to all the desire H185 of thy soul H5315 to come down; H3381 and our part shall be to deliver H5462 him into the king's H4428 hand. H3027
And the king H4428 said H559 unto the footmen H7323 that stood H5324 about him, Turn, H5437 and slay H4191 the priests H3548 of the LORD; H3068 because their hand H3027 also is with David, H1732 and because they knew H3045 when he fled, H1272 and did not shew H1540 H241 it to me. But the servants H5650 of the king H4428 would H14 not put forth H7971 their hand H3027 to fall H6293 upon the priests H3548 of the LORD. H3068
Thou shalt not raise H5375 a false H7723 report: H8088 put H7896 not thine hand H3027 with the wicked H7563 to be an unrighteous H2555 witness. H5707 Thou shalt not follow H310 a multitude H7227 to do evil; H7451 neither shalt thou speak H6030 in a cause H7379 to decline H5186 after H310 many H7227 to wrest H5186 judgment:
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Kings 21
Commentary on 1 Kings 21 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 21
1Ki 21:1-4. Naboth Refuses Ahab His Vineyard.
1-3. Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel—Ahab was desirous, from its contiguity to the palace, to possess it for a vegetable garden. He proposed to Naboth to give him a better in exchange, or to obtain it by purchase; but the owner declined to part with it. In persisting in his refusal, Naboth was not actuated by any feelings of disloyalty or disrespect to the king, but solely from a conscientious regard to the divine law, which, for important reasons, had prohibited the sale of a paternal inheritance [Le 25:23; Nu 36:7]; or if, through extreme poverty or debt, an assignation of it to another was unavoidable, the conveyance was made on the condition of its being redeemable at any time [Le 25:25-27]; at all events, of its reverting at the jubilee to the owner [Le 25:28]. In short, it could not be alienated from the family, and it was on this ground that Naboth (1Ki 21:3) refused to comply with the king's demand. It was not, therefore, any rudeness or disrespect that made Ahab heavy and displeased, but his sulky and pettish demeanor betrays a spirit of selfishness that could not brook to be disappointed of a favorite object, and that would have pushed him into lawless tyranny had he possessed any natural force of character.
4. turned away his face—either to conceal from his attendants the vexation of spirit he felt, or, by the affectation of great sorrow, rouse them to devise some means of gratifying his wishes.
1Ki 21:5-16. Jezebel Causes Naboth to Be Stoned.
7. Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel?—This is not so much a question as an exclamation—a sarcastic taunt; "A pretty king thou art! Canst not thou use thy power and take what thy heart is set upon?"
arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard—After upbraiding Ahab for his pusillanimity and bidding him act as a king, Jezebel tells him to trouble himself no more about such a trifle; she would guarantee the possession of the vineyard.
8. So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal—The seal-ring contained the name of the king and gave validity to the documents to which it was affixed (Es 8:8; Da 6:17). By allowing her the use of his signet-ring, Ahab passively consented to Jezebel's proceeding. Being written in the king's name, it had the character of a royal mandate.
sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city—They were the civic authorities of Jezreel, and would, in all likelihood, be the creatures and fit tools of Jezebel. It is evident that, though Ahab had recently been in Jezreel, when he made the offer to Naboth, both he and Jezebel were now in Samaria (1Ki 20:43).
9. Proclaim a fast, &c.—Those obsequious and unprincipled magistrates did according to orders. Pretending that a heavy guilt lay on one, or some unknown party, who was charged with blaspheming God and the king and that Ahab was threatening vengeance on the whole city unless the culprit were discovered and punished, they assembled the people to observe a solemn fast. Fasts were commanded on extraordinary occasions affecting the public interests of the state (2Ch 20:3; Ezr 8:21; Joe 1:14; 2:15; Jon 3:5). The wicked authorities of Jezreel, by proclaiming the fast, wished to give an external appearance of justice to their proceedings and convey an impression among the people that Naboth's crime amounted to treason against the king's life.
set Naboth on high—During a trial the panel, or accused person, was placed on a high seat, in the presence of all the court; but as the guilty person was supposed to be unknown, the setting of Naboth on high among the people must have been owing to his being among the distinguished men of the place.
13. there came in two men—worthless fellows who had been bribed to swear a falsehood. The law required two witnesses in capital offenses (De 17:6; 19:15; Nu 35:30; Mt 26:60). Cursing God and cursing the king are mentioned in the law (Ex 22:28) as offenses closely connected, the king of Israel being the earthly representative of God in His kingdom.
they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him—The law, which forbade cursing the rulers of the people, does not specify the penalty for this offense but either usage had sanctioned or the authorities of Jezreel had originated stoning as the proper punishment. It was always inflicted out of the city (Ac 7:58).
14-16. Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession—Naboth's execution having been announced, and his family being involved in the same fatal sentence (2Ki 9:26), his property became forfeited to the crown, not by law, but traditionary usage (see 2Sa 16:4).
16. Ahab rose up to go down—from Samaria to Jezreel.
1Ki 21:17-29. Elijah Denounces Judgments against Ahab and Jezebel.
17-19. Hast thou killed, and also taken possession?—While Ahab was in the act of surveying his ill-gotten possession, Elijah, by divine commission, stood before him. The appearance of the prophet, at such a time, was ominous of evil, but his language was much more so (compare Eze 45:8; 46:16-18). Instead of shrinking with horror from the atrocious crime, Ahab eagerly hastened to his newly acquired property.
19. In the place where dogs licked, &c.—a righteous retribution of Providence. The prediction was accomplished, not in Jezreel, but in Samaria; and not on Ahab personally, in consequence of his repentance (1Ki 21:29), but on his son (2Ki 9:25). The words "in the place where" might be rendered "in like manner as."
20. thou hast sold thyself to work evil—that is, allowed sin to acquire the unchecked and habitual mastery over thee (2Ki 17:17; Ro 7:11).
21, 22. will make thine house, &c.—(see on 1Ki 15:29 and 1Ki 16:3-12). Jezebel, though included among the members of Ahab's house, has her ignominious fate expressly foretold (see 2Ki 9:30).
27-29. Ahab … rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly—He was not obdurate, like Jezebel. This terrible announcement made a deep impression on the king's heart, and led, for a while, to sincere repentance. Going softly, that is, barefoot, and with a pensive manner, within doors. He manifested all the external signs, conventional and natural, of the deepest sorrow. He was wretched, and so great is the mercy of God, that, in consequence of his humiliation, the threatened punishment was deferred.