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1 Kings Chapter
Twenty-one
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 21
In
this chapter we have an account of Ahab's design to have Naboth's vineyard, for
which he offered him another, or the value of that, but Naboth refusing to part
with it, Ahab fell sick, 1 Kings 21:1, the
reason of which being found out by Jezebel, she devised means to get Naboth put
to death under the colour of justice for blasphemy, 1 Kings 21:5, and
then bid Ahab go and take possession of the vineyard, where he was met by
Elijah, who denounced the judgments of God upon him, and Jezebel, and all his
family, for his injustice, 1 Kings 21:15, but
he humbling himself, the evil threatened was deferred to the days of his son, 1 Kings 21:27.
1 Kings 21:1 And
it came to pass after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a
vineyard which was in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab king of
Samaria.
YLT
1And it cometh to pass,
after these things, a vineyard hath been to Naboth the Jezreelite, that [is] in
Jezreel, near the palace of Ahab king of Samaria,
And it came to pass, after these things,.... After the
two battles with the king of Syria, in which Ahab was victorious, and after he
had let Benhadad, a blasphemer, and injurious to him, go free:
that Naboth the
Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel; of which place See Gill
on Hosea 1:5 or
"who was in Jezreel"; that is Naboth, for the vineyard was in
Samaria, 1 Kings 21:18.
hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria; that being the
metropolis of the kingdom of Israel, is put for it, who, besides his palace in
Samaria, had another in Jezreel; which, according to BuntingF25Travels,
&c. p. 164. , were sixteen miles distant from each other.
1 Kings 21:2 2 So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying,
“Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is
near, next to my house; and for it I will give you a vineyard better than it. Or,
if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money.”
YLT
2and Ahab speaketh unto
Naboth, saying, `Give to me thy vineyard, and it is to me for a garden of green
herbs, for it [is] near by my house, and I give to thee in its stead a better
vineyard than it; if good in thine eyes, I give to thee silver -- its price.'
And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, give me thy vineyard, that I
may have it for a garden of herbs,.... For a kitchen garden
to produce eatables of the vegetable kind for his household, or for a flower
garden; and perhaps for both, as Kimchi observes, it being customary to have
such in court yards, or behind the house; perhaps he might take his notion of
an herb garden from his neighbours the Syrians, who were very diligent and
laborious in cultivating their gardens, as PlinyF26Nat Hist. l. 20.
c. 5. ; hence
"multa
Syrorum olera',
the
many herbs of the Syrians, became a proverb with the Greeks:
because it is near unto mine house; lay very convenient for
him:
and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it
seemeth good unto thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money; which seems
very well spoken, that he would either give him a better in exchange, or
purchase it at its full value; he did not pretend to take it by usurpation, by
force, against his will, as it was represented by Samuel kings would do, 1 Samuel 8:14 as
yet such oppression and tyranny was not exercised.
1 Kings 21:3 3 But Naboth said to Ahab,
“The Lord
forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!”
YLT
3And Naboth saith unto Ahab,
`Far be it from me, by Jehovah, my giving the inheritance of my fathers to
thee;'
And Naboth said to Ahab, the Lord forbid it me that I should give
the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. The inheritances of
families were not to be alienated to another family, or tribe, nor even to be
sold, unless in extreme poverty, and then to return at the year of jubilee, Leviticus 25:23.
Now Naboth was a man in good circumstances, and under no necessity of selling
his vineyard; and, if he sold it, he might reasonably conclude, it becoming a
part of the royal demesnes, would never revert to his family; and therefore,
both out of regard to the law of God, and the good of his family, would not
part with it at any rate: this shows that he was a conscientious man, and
therefore is thought to be one of those that would not bow his knee to Baal,
and against whom Ahab had a grudge, and sought an opportunity against him.
1 Kings 21:4 4 So Ahab went into his
house sullen and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had
spoken to him; for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my
fathers.” And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat
no food.
YLT
4and Ahab cometh in unto his
house, sulky and wroth, because of the word that Naboth the Jezreelite hath
spoken unto him when he saith, `I do not give to thee the inheritance of my
fathers,' and he lieth down on his bed, and turneth round his face, and hath
not eaten bread.
And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased,.... Just in
the same humour he was after the prophet had delivered his message to him, 1 Kings 20:43,
where the same words are used as here:
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, neither by
way of exchange nor of purchase: and such a denial he could not bear, since it
looked like treating him with contempt, and taxing him with imprudence at
least, if not with injustice, or both:
and he laid him down upon his bed; or couch, which might be
not in his bedchamber, but in one of his halls, where his courtiers were:
and turned away his face; to the wall, not
choosing to have conversation with any of his nobles:
and would eat no bread; the vexation took away
his stomach, and he became melancholy, at least sullen.
1 Kings 21:5 5 But Jezebel his wife came
to him, and said to him, “Why is your spirit so sullen that you eat no food?”
YLT
5And Jezebel his wife cometh
in unto him, and speaketh unto him, `What [is] this? -- thy spirit sulky, and
thou art not eating bread!'
But Jezebel his wife came unto him, and said, why is thy spirit so
sad, that thou eatest no bread? She perceived he was low spirited, and
supposed he had met with something that had ruffled him, and made him so uneasy
that he could not eat his food; and she desired to know what it was, that she
might relieve him if possible.
1 Kings 21:6 6 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, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”
YLT
6And 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.'
And he said, because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said
unto him, give me thy vineyard for money,.... Sell it him at his
own price:
or else, if it please thee; if he liked it better:
I will give thee another vineyard for it; as good, or better; and
he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard; he represents this
answer as surly and ill natured, and as the effect of obstinacy, concealing the
reason Naboth alleged for his denial.
1 Kings 21:7 7 Then Jezebel his wife said
to him, “You now exercise authority over Israel! Arise, eat food, and let your
heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
YLT
7And Jezebel his wife saith
unto him, `Thou now dost execute rule over Israel! rise, eat bread, and let thy
heart be glad, -- I do give to thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.'
And Jezebel his wife said unto him, dost thou now govern the
kingdom of Israel?.... Art thou not king of Israel? canst thou not do as thou
pleasest? hast thou not power to oblige a subject to obey thy commands, and
especially in such a trifling matter as parting with a vineyard, and that upon
the most reasonable terms? thou hast too much demeaned thyself as a king; thou
oughtest to have exerted thy kingly power and authority, and demanded it from
him; the Targum is,
"thou
now shalt prosper in thy kingdom over Israel;'
thy
reign now is prosperous, and like to continue so, having obtained two such
victories over thine enemies, and therefore should not be dejected with such a
trifling thing as this:
arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: the kingdom
being in such a flourishing state; and let not this affair give thee any trouble
or uneasiness; I will take care of that, leave it with me:
I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite: without
paying any money, or giving another vineyard in exchange for it.
1 Kings 21:8 8 And she wrote letters in
Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the
elders and the nobles who were dwelling in the city with Naboth.
YLT
8And she writeth letters in
the name of Ahab, and sealeth with his seal, and sendeth the letters unto the
elders, and unto the freemen, who are in his city, those dwelling with Naboth,
So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal,.... He giving
her leave, no doubt, to take his seal; though she might not communicate her
scheme to him, lest he should object to it:
and sent the letters unto the elders, and to the nobles that were
in his city dwelling with Naboth: to the chief magistrates
of the city of Jezreel, where Naboth dwelt.
1 Kings 21:9 9 She wrote in the letters,
saying, Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth with high honor among the people;
YLT
9and she writeth in the
letters, saying, `Proclaim a fast, and cause Naboth to sit at the head of the
people,
And she wrote in the letters, saying, proclaim a fast,....
Pretending fears of some dreadful calamity coming upon the nation, and
therefore fasting and humiliation were necessary to avert it, and it would be
right to inquire what crimes were committed by men among them, and punish them
for them; and intimated to them that Naboth should be chosen as the great offender,
and be accused, condemned, and put to death, R. Joseph KimchiF1Apud
David. Kimchium in loc. thinks the phrase signifies "call an assembly or
congregation"; convene a court of judicature, from the use of the word in
the Talmudic languageF2Vid. Buxtorf. Talmud. Lexic. in rad צסת ; and so it is thought it is used in Jeremiah 36:6 and
indeed it can hardly be thought that Jezebel should have much notion of
fasting; and besides, if it was a public fast, why should it be proclaimed only
in Jezreel, and not throughout the kingdom?
and set Naboth on high among the people; the court
being set, bring him to the bar and arraign him; perhaps in their courts of
judicature there was a high place above the heads of the people, where
criminals accused used to stand when they took their trials, that they might be
seen and heard by all in court.
1 Kings 21:10 10 and seat two men,
scoundrels, before him to bear witness against him, saying, “You have
blasphemed God and the king.” Then take him out, and stone him, that he
may die.
YLT
10and cause two men -- sons
of worthlessness -- to sit over-against him, and they testify of him, saying,
Thou hast blessed God and Melech; and they have brought him out, and stoned
him, and he dieth.'
And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness
against him,.... Worthless wretches, that have cast off the yoke of the law,
as Belial signifies, lawless abandoned creatures, that have no conscience of
anything; "knights of the post", as we call them, that will swear
anything; these were to be set before Naboth, right against him to confront
him, and accuse him to his face, and charge him with crimes next mentioned:
saying, thou didst blaspheme God and the king: and so was
guilty of death for the former, if not for both, and of confiscation of estate
for the latter, which was the thing aimed at; and Jezebel was willing to make
sure work of it, and therefore would have him accused of both:
and then carry him out, and stone him, that he die; immediately,
without requiring the witnesses to give proof of their charge, and without
giving Naboth leave to answer for himself.
1 Kings 21:11 11 So the men of his city,
the elders and nobles who were inhabitants of his city, did as Jezebel had sent
to them, as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them.
YLT
11And the men of his city,
the elders and the freemen who are dwelling in his city, do as Jezebel hath
sent unto them, as written in the letters that she sent unto them,
And the men of the city, even the elders and the nobles who were
the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them,.... That
Jezebel should contrive so execrable a scheme, and that there should be such
sons of Belial among the common people to swear to such falsehoods, need not
seem strange; but that the elders and nobles of the city, the chief magistrates
thereof, should be so sadly and universally depraved as to execute such a piece
of villany, is really surprising. Idolatry, when it prevails, takes away all
sense of humanity and justice:
and as it was written in the
letters which she had sent unto them; they punctually,
exactly, obeyed the orders in them, as follows.
1 Kings 21:12 12 They proclaimed a fast,
and seated Naboth with high honor among the people.
YLT
12they have proclaimed a
fast, and caused Naboth to sit at the head of the people,
They proclaimed a fast,.... Or called a court;
see Gill on 1 Kings 21:9.
and set Naboth on high among the people; placed him at
the bar as a criminal; see Gill on 1 Kings 21:9, though
JosephusF3Antiqu. l. 3. c. 13. sect. 8. thinks he was set on an high
place in the court, because he was of an illustrious birth.
1 Kings 21:13 13 And two men, scoundrels,
came in and sat before him; and the scoundrels witnessed against him, against Naboth,
in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth has blasphemed God and the
king!” Then they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones, so that
he died.
YLT
13and two men -- sons of
worthlessness -- come in, and sit over-against him, and the men of
worthlessness testify of him, even Naboth, before the people, saying, `Naboth
blessed God and Melech;' and they take him out to the outside of the city, and
stone him with stones, and he dieth;
And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him,.... Which
position showed that they were his accusers, and had a charge against him; it
being usual for the accusers and accused to be set face to face, as it was the
manner of the Romans in later times, Acts 25:16.
Josephus saysF4Antiqu. l. 3. c. 13. sect. 8. there were
"three" men to accuse him; but the Targum, and all the ancient
versions, have only "two":
and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against
Naboth, in the presence of the people; both before the judges
of the court, and before all the people that filled it, who came to hear the
trial; so bold and impudent were they:
saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king; or
"bless", an euphemism; the phrase of cursing God being shocking to
the ear, and therefore such a word is used to express it, see Job 1:5,
then they carried him forth out of the city; without any
further process of examining witnesses, and of hearing what the accused had to
say in his defence; but immediately they carried him out of court, and out of
the city, to put him to death, malefactors being executed always without the
city:
and stoned him with stones, that he died; which was the
death blasphemers were put to, Leviticus 24:14, of
the manner of which; see Gill on Acts 7:58, it seems
from 2 Kings 9:26, that
his sons were stoned with him.
1 Kings 21:14 14 Then they sent to Jezebel,
saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”
YLT
14and they send unto Jezebel,
saying, `Naboth was stoned, and is dead.'
Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead. Not only
stoned, but stoned to death. This message was sent to her from the magistrates
of Jezreel; for though the letters came in Ahab's name, they might be privately
informed that this was a scheme of Jezebel's; besides, they knew she had the
sway at court, and especially that the news of this man's death would be
acceptable to her, and the more if he was of the 7000 that would not bow the
knee to Baal.
1 Kings 21:15 15 And it came to pass, when
Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, that Jezebel said to
Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which
he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.”
YLT
15And it cometh to pass, at
Jezebel's hearing that Naboth hath been stoned, and is dead, that Jezebel saith
unto Ahab, `Rise, possess the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, that he
refused to give to thee for money, for Naboth is not alive but dead.'
And it came to pass when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and
was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab,.... To whom she
communicated the news as soon as possible:
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; some think
that Naboth was a near relation to Ahab, his father's brother's sonF5T.
Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 48. 2. ; which they endeavour to support from his estate
lying next to Ahab's, and from his being ordered to be set in an high place
among the people; and Josephus, as before observed, says he was of illustrious
descent; and so Ahab upon his death, his sons being also put to death with him,
was next heir to his estate; and therefore Jezebel bid him enter on the
possession of it, he being dead, and his sons also, and therefore there was
nothing in his way to obstruct him: but rather her meaning is, that Naboth was
dead, not of a natural but violent death, by the hand of the civil magistrate;
as for blasphemy against God, so for treason against the king, in virtue of
which his estate was forfeited to the crown, and that Ahab had a right to
possess it; and so it was certainly condemned in later times however among the
Jews, that if a man was condemned to die by the sanhedrim, his goods came to
his heirs, but if for treason against the king, they ceded to himF6Sanhed.
ib. .
1 Kings 21:16 16 So it was, when Ahab heard
that Naboth was dead, that Ahab got up and went down to take possession of the
vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
YLT
16And it cometh to pass, at
Ahab's hearing that Naboth is dead, that Ahab riseth to go down unto the
vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to possess it.
And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead,.... Of which
he was informed by Jezebel:
that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the
Jezreelite, to take possession of it; if it was in Jezreel,
that was sixteen miles from Samaria, and lay lower than that, in a valley, and
therefore he is said to go down to it; and which he did very likely in great
state and pomp, many of his nobles and captains accompanying him, as we read
that Jehu and Bidkar did ride after him at this time, 2 Kings 9:25.
1 Kings 21:17 17 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah
the Tishbite, saying,
YLT
17And the word of Jehovah is
unto Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the prophet,.... Where he
now was, when this word came to him, is not certain; nor what he had been
employed in for some time past, since we hear nothing of him since the unction
of Elisha, other prophets of lesser note being employed in messages to Ahab
from time to time; perhaps Elijah, while Ahab was engaged in war with the king
of Syria, spent his time in founding or reviving the schools of the prophets,
and instructing and training up those that were in them for public usefulness,
since we afterwards hear of them; the word that came to him is, by the Targum,
called the word of prophecy, as indeed it was, foretelling the destruction of
Ahab and his house: saying; as follows.
1 Kings 21:18 18 “Arise, go down to meet
Ahab king of Israel, who lives in Samaria. There he is, in the
vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it.
YLT
18`Rise, go down to meet Ahab
king of Israel, who [is] in Samaria, -- lo, in the vineyard of Naboth, whither
he hath gone down to possess it,
Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria,.... Whose
seat was there, his palace where he dwelt; and Benjamin of Tudela saysF7Itinerar.
p. 38. , that in his time might be discerned in Samaria the palace of Ahab king
of Israel, that is, some traces of it; some connect the last clause with
Israel, as if the sense was, that Ahab was king over those tribes of Israel, of
which Samaria was the head:
behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth: or "will
be" by the time thou gettest thither; though the Arabic version is, he is
"now" in the vineyard of Naboth:
whither he is gone down to possess it; as if it was
his legal inheritance.
1 Kings 21:19 19 You shall speak to him,
saying, ‘Thus says the Lord:
“Have you murdered and also taken possession?”’ And you shall speak to him,
saying, ‘Thus says the Lord:
“In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your
blood, even yours.”’”
YLT
19and thou hast spoken unto
him, saying, Thus said Jehovah, Hast thou murdered, and also possessed? and
thou hast spoken unto him, saying, Thus said Jehovah, In the place where the
dogs licked the blood of Naboth, do the dogs lick thy blood, even thine.'
And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, thus saith the Lord, hast
thou killed, and also taken possession?.... Killed in order to
possess, and now taken possession upon the murder; some versions, as the
Vulgate Latin and Arabic, read without an interrogation, "thou hast killed
and hath taken possession", so Joseph Kimchi and Ben Melech; charging him
with the murder of Naboth, and the unjust possession of his vineyard; the
murder is ascribed to him, because his covetousness was the cause of it; and it
was done by the contrivance of his wife; and it is highly probable Ahab knew
more of it, and connived at it, and consented to it, than what is recorded, and
however, by taking possession upon it, he abetted the fact:
and thou shalt speak unto him, saying, in the place where dogs
licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine; which was
fulfilled in his sons, who were his flesh and blood, 2 Kings 9:26, for
the punishment was respited in his days, and transferred to his sons, see 1 Kings 21:29,
though dogs did lick his blood, even his blood also, according to this
prophecy, though not in the same place, see 1 Kings 22:38,
wherefore some take these words not to be expressive of the place where, but of
the cause or reason for which this should be done, and read the words,
"inasmuch", or "because dogs have licked"F8במקום אשר "pro eo
quod", Junius & Tremellius; "propierea quod", Grotius; so
some in Vatablus. , &c.
1 Kings 21:20 20 So Ahab said to Elijah,
“Have you found me, O my enemy?”
And he answered, “I have found you, because you have sold
yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord:
YLT
20And 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;
And Ahab said to Elijah, hast thou found me, O mine enemy?.... So he
reckoned him, because he dealt faithfully with him, and reproved him for his
sins, and denounced the judgments of God upon him for them:
and he answered, I have found thee; as a thief, a robber and
plunderer, in another's vineyard; he had found out his sin in murdering Naboth,
and unjustly possessing his vineyard, which was revealed to him by the Lord;
and now was come as his enemy, as he called him, as being against him, his
adversary, not that he hated his person, but his ways and works:
because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the
Lord; had given up himself wholly to his lusts, was abandoned to them,
and as much under the power of them as a man is that has sold himself to
another to be his slave; and which he served openly, publicly in the sight of
the omniscient God, and in defiance of him. Abarbinel gives another sense of
the word we render "sold thyself", that he "made himself
strange", as if he was ignorant, and did not know what Jezebel had done;
whereas he knew fully the whole truth of the matter, and that Naboth was killed
through her contrivance, and by her management purposely; and so he did evil in
the sight of that God that knows all things, pretending he was ignorant when he
was not, and this Elijah found out by divine revelation; so the word is used in
Genesis 42:6, but
the former sense is best, as appears from 1 Kings 21:25.
1 Kings 21:21 21 ‘Behold, I will bring
calamity on you. I will take away your posterity, and will cut off from Ahab
every male in Israel, both bond and free.
YLT
21lo, 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,
Behold, I will bring evil upon thee,.... Upon his own person,
by cutting him off with a violent death, though his family was so numerous,
having no less than seventy sons:
and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and
him that is shut up and left Israel; See Gill on 1 Kings 14:10.
1 Kings 21:22 22 I will make your house
like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the
son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me
to anger, and made Israel sin.’
YLT
22and given up thy house like
the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah,
for the provocation with which thou hast provoked [Me], and dost cause Israel
to sin.
And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of
Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah,.... Two of
his predecessors, whose families were utterly destroyed, 1 Kings 15:29,
for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and
made Israel to sin: not only by his worship of the calves, but of the idols of the
Zidonians, particularly Baal, and also of the Amorites, 1 Kings 21:26.
1 Kings 21:23 23 And concerning Jezebel the
Lord also spoke,
saying, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall[a] of
Jezreel.’
YLT
23`And also of Jezebel hath
Jehovah spoken, saying, The dogs do eat Jezebel in the bulwark of Jezreel;
And of Jezebel also spake the Lord,.... To Elijah, and by
him:
saying, the dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel or in the
inheritance or portion of Jezreel, as the Targum; Jarchi interprets it, the
valley of Jezreel; the fulfilment of this see in 2 Kings 9:30.
1 Kings 21:24 24 The dogs shall eat whoever
belongs to Ahab and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat
whoever dies in the field.”
YLT
24him who dieth of Ahab in a
city do the dogs eat, and him who dieth in a field do fowl of the heavens eat;
Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat, and him
that dieth in the field the fowls of the air shall eat. That is, they
shall have no burial, see 1 Kings 14:11
hitherto are the words of the Lord by Elijah; next follow the remarks of the
historian.
1 Kings 21:25 25 But there was no one like
Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord, because
Jezebel his wife stirred him up.
YLT
25surely there hath none been
like Ahab, who sold himself to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, whom
Jezebel his wife hath moved,
But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work
wickedness in the sight of the Lord,.... Not of any of his
predecessors, even those whose families had been destroyed, as his would be, 1 Kings 21:21. See
Gill on 1 Kings 21:20.
whom Jezebel his wife stirred up; to idolatry, revenge,
and murder, and to whose will he was a slave, and is one instance of his being
a captive to sin, and giving up himself to the power of it.
1 Kings 21:26 26 And he behaved very
abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had
done, whom the Lord
had cast out before the children of Israel.
YLT
26and he doth very abominably
to go after the idols, according to all that the Amorite did whom Jehovah
dispossessed from the presence of the sons of Israel.'
And he did very abominably in following idols,.... Which
were abominable to the Lord; "dunghill gods", as the Tigurine
version:
according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast
out before the children of Israel; meaning the seven
nations that formerly inhabited Canaan, but were driven out for their sins, to
make way for the children of Israel, of which the Amorites were one, and here
put for all the rest.
1 Kings 21:27 27 So it was, when Ahab heard
those words, that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body, and fasted
and lay in sackcloth, and went about mourning.
YLT
27And it cometh to pass, at
Ahab's hearing these words, that he rendeth his garments, and putteth sackcloth
on his flesh, and fasteth, and lieth in sackcloth, and goeth gently.
Delivered
in 1 Kings 21:21,
that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon, his flesh, tore off his
clothes, and stripped himself of all, even of his very shirt, and put sackcloth
on his bare flesh, a coarse cloth made of hair, and such as sacks are made
with:
and fasted, how long it is not said:
and lay in sackcloth; in the night on his bed,
would have no linen on him day nor night:
and went softly: step by step, as persons mourning,
grieving, and pensive, do; the Targum renders it "barefoot", and so
Jarchi.
1 Kings 21:28 28 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah
the Tishbite, saying,
YLT
28And the word of Jehovah is
unto Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite,.... After he
was gone from Ahab, and Ahab had been some time in this humble posture; the
Targum calls it the word of prophecy, and so it was, as the next verse shows:
saying: as follows.
1 Kings 21:29 29 “See how Ahab has humbled
himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring
the calamity in his days. In the days of his son I will bring the calamity on
his house.”
YLT
29`Hast thou seen that Ahab
hath been humbled before Me? because that he hath been humbled before Me, I
bring not in the evil in his days; in the days of his son I bring in the evil
on his house.'
Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me?.... Which yet
was but an external humiliation, to be seen only with bodily eyes, as were all
his actions and postures, before observed. Some Jewish writersF9Bereshit
Rabba in Abarbinel in loc. think his repentance was true and perfect, and his
conversion thorough and real: they tell usF11Pirke Eliezer, c. 43. ,
that he was in fasting and prayer morning and evening before the Lord, and was
studying in the law all his days, and returned not to his evil works any more,
and his repentance was accepted: but the contrary appears manifest; we never
read that he reproved Jezebel for the murder of Naboth, nor restored the
vineyard to his family, which he would have done had he been a true penitent;
nor did he leave his idols; we quickly hear of his consulting with the four
hundred prophets of the groves, and expressing his hatred of a true prophet of
the Lord, 1 Kings 22:6, his
humiliation arose from dread of punishment, and not from the true fear of God;
however, it was such as was never seen in any of his wicked predecessors, and
is taken notice of by the Lord. LutherF12Mensal. Colloqu. c. 32. p.
360. from these words concluded, and was persuaded, that he was saved:
because he humbled 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; this was not
a pardon, only a reprieve; the sentence pronounced on him and his family was
not taken off, nor countermanded, only the execution of it prolonged; it is
promised that the destruction of his family should not be in his lifetime, but
after his death, in his son's days, otherwise he himself died a violent death,
and the dogs licked his blood, as were foretold; however, this may be an
encouragement to those who are truly humbled for their sins, and really repent
of them, that they shall receive forgiveness at the hand of God, since he
showed so much regard to an outward humiliation and repentance.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)