# 1 Kings 21 📖: Naboth's Vineyard [[📚 Explore the Bible Books]] [[-1 Kings Overview]] | [[1 Kings 20]] | [[1 Kings 22]] > [!info] Table of Contents > [[#📜 Scripture Text (NET)]] > [[#📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary]] > [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]] > [[#🧠 Chapter Summary]] > [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]] > [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]] > [[#💬 Discussion Questions]] > [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]] > [[#🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference]] > [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]] > [[#📂 Internal Notes]] ## 📜 Scripture Text (NET) (The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005) ## Ahab Murders Naboth [[#Verse 01.]] After this the following episode took place. Naboth the Jezreelite owned a vineyard in Jezreel adjacent to the palace of King Ahab of Samaria. [[#Verse 02.]] Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard so I can make a vegetable garden out of it, for it is adjacent to my palace. I will give you an even better vineyard in its place, or if you prefer, I will pay you silver for it.” [[#Verse 03.]] But Naboth replied to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should sell you my ancestral inheritance.” [[#Verse 04.]] So Ahab went into his palace, bitter and angry that Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not sell to you my ancestral inheritance.” He lay down on his bed, pouted, and would not eat.  [[#Verse 05.]] Then his wife Jezebel came in and said to him, “Why do you have a bitter attitude and refuse to eat?”  [[#Verse 06.]] He answered her, “While I was talking to Naboth the Jezreelite, I said to him, ‘Sell me your vineyard for silver, or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not sell you my vineyard.’” [[#Verse 07.]] His wife Jezebel said to him, “You are the king of Israel! Get up, eat some food, and have a good time. I will get the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you.” [[#Verse 08.]] She wrote out orders, signed Ahab’s name to them, and sealed them with his seal. She then sent the orders to the leaders and to the nobles who lived in Naboth’s city. [[#Verse 09.]] This is what she wrote: “Observe a time of fasting and seat Naboth in front of the people.  [[#Verse 10.]] Also seat two villains opposite him and have them testify, ‘You cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.” [[#Verse 11.]] The men of the city, the leaders, and the nobles who lived there followed the written orders Jezebel had sent them.  [[#Verse 12.]] They observed a time of fasting and put Naboth in front of the people.  [[#Verse 13.]] The two villains arrived and sat opposite him. Then the villains testified against Naboth right before the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they dragged him outside the city and stoned him to death.  [[#Verse 14.]] Then they reported to Jezebel, “Naboth has been stoned to death.” [[#Verse 15.]] When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up, take possession of the vineyard Naboth the Jezreelite refused to sell you for silver, for Naboth is no longer alive; he’s dead.” [[#Verse 16.]] When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. [[#Verse 17.]] The Lord’s message came to Elijah the Tishbite:  [[#Verse 18.]] “Get up, go down and meet King Ahab of Israel who lives in Samaria. He is at the vineyard of Naboth; he has gone down there to take possession of it.  [[#Verse 19.]] Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord has said: “Haven’t you committed murder and taken possession of the property of the deceased?”’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord has said: “In the spot where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood they will also lick up your blood—yes, yours!”’” [[#Verse 20.]] When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So, you have found me, my enemy!” Elijah replied, “I have found you, because you are committed to doing evil in the sight of the Lord. [[#Verse 21.]] The Lord says, ‘Look, I am ready to bring disaster on you. I will destroy you and cut off every last male belonging to Ahab in Israel, including even the weak and incapacitated. [[#Verse 22.]] I will make your dynasty like those of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah because you angered me and made Israel sin.’ [[#Verse 22.]] I will make your dynasty like those of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah because you angered me and made Israel sin.’ [[#Verse 23.]] The Lord says this about Jezebel, ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the outer wall of Jezreel.’  [[#Verse 24.]] As for Ahab’s family, dogs will eat the ones who die in the city, and the birds of the sky will eat the ones who die in the country.”  [[#Verse 25.]] (There had never been anyone like Ahab, who was firmly committed to doing evil in the sight of the Lord, urged on by his wife Jezebel.  [[#Verse 26.]] He was so wicked he worshiped the disgusting idols, just as the Amorites whom the Lord had driven out from before the Israelites.) [[#Verse 27.]] When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He slept in sackcloth and walked around dejected. [[#Verse 28.]] The Lord’s message came to Elijah the Tishbite,  [[#Verse 29.]] “Have you noticed how Ahab shows remorse before me? Because he shows remorse before me, I will not bring disaster on his dynasty during his lifetime, but during the reign of his son.” ## 📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary ###### Overall. ###### Verse 01. ###### Verse 02. ###### Verse 03. ###### Verse 04. ###### Verse 05. ###### Verse 06. ###### Verse 07. ###### Verse 08. ###### Verse 09. ###### Verse 10. ###### Verse 11. ###### Verse 12. ###### Verse 13. ###### Verse 14. ###### Verse 15. ###### Verse 16. ###### Verse 17. ###### Verse 18. ###### Verse 19. ###### Verse 20. ###### Verse 21. ###### Verse 22. ###### Verse 23. ###### Verse 24. ###### Verse 25. ###### Verse 26. ###### Verse 27. ###### Verse 28. ###### Verse 29. ## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights 1. Naboth's vineyard was in Jezreel beside Ahab's palace (21:1). 2. Under God's law, family land was not to be permanently sold (Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7). 3. Ahab went home sullen and angry and refused to eat (21:4). 4. Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal (21:8). 5. Calling a fast (21:9) suggested some serious wrongdoing had brought trouble on the town. 6. The Law required at least two witnesses for a death sentence (Deuteronomy 17:6), so Jezebel arranged two false ones (21:10). 7. 2 Kings 9:26 adds that Naboth's sons were also killed, which would remove any heirs to the land. 8. Ahab greeted Elijah by calling him his enemy (21:20). 9. Elijah prophesied that dogs would eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel (21:23), fulfilled in 2 Kings 9:30-37. 10. Because Ahab humbled himself, the disaster on his house was delayed to his son's days (21:29). ## 🧠 Chapter Summary > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter Christ is the innocent One condemned by false witnesses. Naboth was falsely accused and stoned outside the city (21:13), and Jesus was falsely accused (Mark 14:55-59) and suffered outside the city gate to make His people holy (Hebrews 13:12). ## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## 💬 Discussion Questions 1. Naboth refused to sell his family inheritance because he honored God's law (21:3). What would it look like to stand firm when powerful people pressure you? 2. Ahab sulked, and Jezebel acted (21:4-7). How can a leader become responsible for evil he allows others to do? 3. Ahab humbled himself, and God delayed judgment (21:27-29). What does that show about God's response to humility, even from a wicked man? ## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember - 📖 verse 3: Naboth refuses to give away the inheritance of his ancestors. - 📖 verse 19: The dogs will lick Ahab's blood where they licked Naboth's. - 📖 verse 29: Because Ahab humbled himself, God delays the disaster. ## 🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference - 🔗 [[Leviticus 25#Verse 23.|Leviticus 25:23]] - The land belongs to the Lord. - 🔗 [[Exodus 20#Verse 16.|Exodus 20:16-17]] - Do not give false testimony or covet. - 🔗 [[2 Kings 09#Verse 30.|2 Kings 9:30-37]] - Jezebel's death fulfills Elijah's word. - 🔗 [[Mark 14#Verse 55.|Mark 14:55-59]] - False witnesses testify against Jesus. - 🔗 [[Hebrews 13#Verse 12.|Hebrews 13:12]] - Jesus suffered outside the city gate. ## 🙏 Devotional Reflection 📝 SOAP: [[1 Kings 21 - SOAP|What is Leadership For?]] ## 📂 Internal Notes