1 Kings 21

King James Version

Full text for 1 Kings Chapter 21

1¶ And it came to pass after these things, [that] Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which [was] in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.

2And 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.

3And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.

4And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.

5¶ But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?

6And 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.

7And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, [and] eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

8So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed [them] with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that [were] in his city, dwelling with Naboth.

9And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people:

10And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And [then] carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.

11And the men of his city, [even] the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, [and] as it [was] written in the letters which she had sent unto them.

12They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.

13And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, [even] against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.

14Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.

15And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead.

16And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

17¶ And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

18Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which [is] in Samaria: behold, [he is] in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.

19And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.

20And 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.

21Behold, 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,

22And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked [me] to anger, and made Israel to sin.

23And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.

24Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.

25But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.

26And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all [things] as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

27And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

28And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

29Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: [but] in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

King Ahab coveted Naboth's vineyard, but Naboth refused to sell his ancestral inheritance. Queen Jezebel then orchestrated Naboth's false accusation of blasphemy and subsequent stoning to death, allowing Ahab to take possession. The prophet Elijah confronted Ahab with the LORD's severe judgment upon him and his house for this wickedness, though the full execution of the judgment was deferred due to Ahab's temporary humility.

Medium Summary

King Ahab desired Naboth's vineyard, which was adjacent to his palace, and offered to purchase or exchange it. Naboth, however, refused to part with his ancestral inheritance, citing the LORD's law. Ahab became deeply dejected, prompting his wife, Queen Jezebel, to intervene. Jezebel, using Ahab's authority, conspired with the elders and nobles of Jezreel to falsely accuse Naboth of blasphemy against God and the king. Consequently, Naboth was unjustly stoned to death, enabling Ahab to seize the vineyard. The LORD then sent the prophet Elijah to confront Ahab in the newly acquired vineyard, pronouncing a severe judgment upon him, his lineage, and Jezebel for their actions. This judgment included the violent end of Ahab's house and Jezebel's body being consumed by dogs. Upon hearing Elijah's words, Ahab demonstrated a measure of humility, leading the LORD to postpone the full extent of the calamity until the reign of his son.

Long Summary

The chapter begins with King Ahab's strong desire for Naboth the Jezreelite's vineyard, conveniently located near his palace. Ahab offered Naboth a better vineyard or monetary compensation, but Naboth steadfastly refused, declaring that the LORD forbade him from giving away his ancestral inheritance. Ahab reacted with profound displeasure, retreating to his bed and refusing to eat. His wife, Queen Jezebel, observing his distress, promised to secure the vineyard for him. Jezebel then devised a wicked plot, writing letters in Ahab's name, sealed with his royal seal, and dispatching them to the elders and nobles of Jezreel. These letters commanded them to proclaim a fast, elevate Naboth among the people, and then arrange for two "sons of Belial" to falsely accuse him of blaspheming God and the king. Following this accusation, Naboth was to be taken outside the city and stoned to death. The city's elders and nobles obediently carried out Jezebel's instructions, resulting in Naboth's unjust execution. Upon hearing of Naboth's death, Jezebel informed Ahab, who promptly went to take possession of the vineyard. However, the LORD intervened, sending the prophet Elijah to meet Ahab in the very vineyard he had wrongfully acquired. Elijah delivered a stern divine indictment, questioning Ahab's actions of both killing and taking possession. The LORD's judgment pronounced that dogs would lick Ahab's blood in the same place where Naboth's blood was shed, and his entire posterity would be cut off, his house becoming like those of Jeroboam and Baasha due to his provocation and leading Israel to sin. Furthermore, a specific judgment was given against Jezebel, stating that dogs would consume her body by the wall of Jezreel. The chapter notes that Ahab was unparalleled in his wickedness, being stirred up by Jezebel to work evil and follow idols. Upon hearing these severe pronouncements, Ahab displayed a remarkable act of humility: he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, fasted, and walked softly. Observing Ahab's self-abasement, the LORD communicated to Elijah that the full extent of the evil would not come upon Ahab's house during his own lifetime but would be brought upon his son's house instead.

Core Concepts

  • Inheritance RightsNaboth's refusal to sell his vineyard highlights the ancient Israelite principle of preserving ancestral land, which was considered a sacred trust and not merely personal property, as it was allotted by God.
  • Abuse of Royal PowerQueen Jezebel's actions exemplify the corrupt and tyrannical use of royal authority, manipulating legal and religious processes to achieve personal desires, leading to the unjust execution of an innocent man.
  • False Witness and InjusticeThe plot against Naboth involved the deliberate use of "sons of Belial" (worthless men) to bear false witness, resulting in a perversion of justice and a capital punishment based on fabricated charges.
  • Divine JudgmentThe LORD's direct intervention through Elijah demonstrates divine justice, pronouncing severe consequences upon Ahab, his house, and Jezebel for their covetousness, murder, and idolatry.
  • Repentance and Deferred JudgmentAhab's act of humbling himself—tearing clothes, wearing sackcloth, and fasting—illustrates a form of repentance, which led the LORD to defer the full calamity upon his house until his son's reign.
  • Idolatry and WickednessThe chapter explicitly states that Ahab "did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD" and "did very abominably in following idols," linking his moral corruption to his spiritual apostasy, exacerbated by Jezebel's influence.
  • The Role of the ProphetElijah serves as God's messenger, boldly confronting the king with divine judgment, demonstrating the prophet's crucial role in holding even the highest authorities accountable to God's law.