1 Kings 21

1 Some time later [after these events, sometime thereafter], Naboth [a Jezreelite, an inhabitant of Jezreel] the Jezreelite happened to own [possess, have title to] a vineyard [a garden or plot of land used for growing vines and other crops] in Jezreel [a city in Israel, God sows or nurtures growth] next to [beside, near, adjacent to] the palace [the royal residence, a large public building] of Ahab [a king of Israel, a ruler] king of Samaria [the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel, watch mountain]. word study 2 So Ahab [the king of Israel] said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard [a garden of vines, a plot of land] to use as a vegetable [vegetable or herb] garden, since it is next to [near, beside, adjacent to] my palace [house, dwelling place]. I will give you a better [more pleasant, more desirable] vineyard in its place—or if you prefer [if it seems good to you, if it pleases you], I will give you its value [price, worth] in silver [money, payment].” word study 3 But Naboth replied, “The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] forbid [express strong disapproval, God forbid] that I should give [to put, or set something] you the inheritance [something passed down, a family heirloom] of my fathers [ancestors, forefathers].” word study 4 So Ahab went to his palace [sulking and infuriated], sullen [heavy and displeased] and angry [vexed] because Naboth the Jezreelite [a native of Jezreel] had told him, “I will not give you [refuse to grant] the inheritance [property or legacy] of my fathers [ancestors].” He lay down on his bed [stretched himself out], turned his face away [turned away his presence], and refused to eat [would not take food]. word study 5 Soon his wife [queen, female partner] Jezebel [wife of King Ahab, a queen of Israel] came in and asked, “Why are you so [stubborn, rebellious] sullen that you refuse [eat nothing, have no desire for food] to eat [consume bread, partake in a meal]?” word study 6 Ahab answered, “Because I spoke [communicated with] to Naboth the Jezreelite [a native of Jezreel, sown of God] and told him, ‘Give me your vineyard [a garden or plot of land used for growing vines and other crops] for silver [money, payment, or wealth], or if you wish [delighting in, taking pleasure], I will give you another vineyard [a different plot of land] in its place [underneath, below].’ And he replied, ‘I will not [absence or negation] give you my vineyard [my property, my possession]!’” word study 7 But his wife Jezebel [a queen of Israel, known for her evil deeds] said to him, “Do you not reign [govern, rule with authority] over Israel? Get up [rise, stand up], eat some food [bread, a meal], and be cheerful [of good cheer, joyful], for I will get [give, obtain] you the vineyard [a garden or plot of land used for growing vines] of Naboth [an Israelite, a Jezreelite] the Jezreelite [a native of Jezreel, sown of God].” word study 8 Then Jezebel wrote letters [in the name of, with the authority of] in Ahab’s [the king of Israel, her husband] name, sealed them [marked with his signet, authenticated] with his seal, and sent them [dispatched, delivered] to the elders [respected leaders, old men] and nobles [prominent men, those of high rank] who lived [dwelt, resided] with Naboth [the owner of the vineyard, a Jezreelite] in his city [the place of his residence, Jezreel]. word study 9 In the letters [scrolls, written documents] she wrote: “Proclaim [call out, announce] a fast [time of abstinence, spiritual discipline] and give Naboth [the Israelite owner of a vineyard] a seat of honor [a place of prominence, at the head] among the people [the nation, the community]. word study 10 But seat two [wicked, worthless] scoundrels [sons of Belial, evil men] opposite him and have them testify [bear witness, give false testimony], ‘You have [blasphemed] cursed both God [Elohim, the supreme deity] and the king [the ruler, the monarch]!’ Then take him out [carry him away, lead him outside] and stone him to death [execute him by stoning, put him to death].” word study 11 So the [responsible men and] elders [old, experienced leaders] and nobles [pure, and high-ranking officials] who lived [dwelt, resided] in Naboth’s city [town, community] did as Jezebel [the queen, wife of King Ahab] had instructed [sent, commanded] in the letters [written documents, scrolls] she had written [recorded, sent] to them. word study 12 They proclaimed [declared, announced] a fast [day of public sorrow, abstaining from food] and gave Naboth [the Israelite vineyard owner] a seat of honor [at the head, in a place of prominence] among the people [the nation, a gathering of individuals]. word study 13 And the two [wicked, worthless] scoundrels came in and sat opposite Naboth, and these men [sons of Belial, evil men] testified against him before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed [blasphemed, spoken against] both God [Elohim, the supreme ruler] and the king [the ruler, monarch]!” So they took him outside [beyond the walls of] the city and stoned him to death [killed him with stones, as a form of capital punishment]. word study 14 Then they sent [dispatched, commissioned] word to Jezebel [the wife of King Ahab, a queen of Israel]: “Naboth [an Israelite who owned a vineyard in Jezreel] has been stoned [executed by throwing stones, put to death] to death [killed, deceased, as a punishment].” word study 15 When Jezebel [the wife of King Ahab, a queen of Israel] heard that Naboth had been stoned [as a punishment] to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up [rise, stand up] and take possession [occupy, claim as your own] of the vineyard [a garden or plot of land for growing vines] of Naboth the Jezreelite [a native of Jezreel], who refused [denied] to give it to you for silver [money, payment]. For Naboth is no longer alive [living, breathing], but dead [deceased, lifeless].” word study 16 And when Ahab [the king of Israel] heard [to hear and listen, often implying attention and obedience] that Naboth [an Israelite who owned a vineyard in Jezreel] was dead [to die, either literally or as a punishment], he got up [to rise or stand up, used in various contexts] and went down [to go down or descend, like going to a lower place] to take possession [to possess, to take control of something] of the vineyard [a garden or plot of land used for growing vines and other crops] of Naboth the Jezreelite [a native of Jezreel, meaning sown of God]. word study 17 Then the word [message from God, divine utterance] of the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] came to Elijah [my God is Jehovah, a prophet of God] the Tishbite [from Tishbe, a region in Gilead], saying [to speak, to command, to proclaim], word study 18 “Get up [arise, stand up] and go down [to a lower place, descend] to meet [encounter, befall] Ahab [the king who did evil] king of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, God’s chosen people], who is in [dwelling, residing] Samaria [the watch mountain, capital of the northern kingdom]. See [behold, look], he is in the vineyard [a garden for vines] of Naboth [the Jezreelite, an Israelite], of which [that specific one] he has gone [descended] to take possession [to occupy, drive out others, and control]. word study 19 Tell him that this is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says: ‘Have you not [committed the act of] murdered [killed, taken a life] a man and [also] seized [taken possession of, occupied] his land [inheritance, property]?’ Then tell him that this is also what the LORD [the supreme Ruler] says: ‘In the place [location, site] where the dogs [despised animals] licked up [consumed, drained] the blood [life force, vital fluid] of Naboth, there also the dogs will lick up [consume, drain] your blood [life force, vital fluid]—yes, yours [your own, belonging to you]!’ ” word study 20 When Elijah [the prophet of God, my God is Jehovah] arrived, Ahab [the king of Israel, a descendant of Omri] said to him, “So you have found [discovered, come upon] me out, my [personal, sworn] enemy [adversary, one who opposes].” He replied, “I have found [encountered, come across] you out because you have sold [given over, surrendered] yourself to do [perform, commit] evil [wickedness, bad] in the sight [presence, gaze] of the LORD [Yehovah, the one true God]. word study 21 This is what the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] says: ‘I will bring [send, inflict] calamity [evil, disaster] on you and consume [utterly sweep away, destroy] your descendants [posterity, offspring]; I will cut off [destroy, eliminate] from Ahab [the king of Israel] every male [man-child, him that pisseth against the wall] in Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, his descendants], both slave [him that is shut up, restrained] and free [him that is left at large]. word study 22 I will make your house [like the family of Jeroboam, a dynasty of sin] like that of Jeroboam [the people will contend] son of Nebat [an Ephraimite] and like that of Baasha [one who provokes] son of Ahijah [brother of Jehovah], because you have provoked [to anger, stirred up] My anger [vexation, frustration] and caused Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, his descendants] to sin [to miss the mark, go wrong].’ word study 23 And the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] also [even, too] speaks concerning Jezebel [the wife of King Ahab, a queen of Israel]: ‘The dogs [despised or lowly creatures] will devour [eat, consume] Jezebel by the wall [rampart, strong fortress] of Jezreel [the city where God sows or nurtures growth].’ word study 24 Anyone belonging to Ahab [a king of Israel, descendant of Omri] who dies [meets their earthly end, perishes] in the city [a populated area, urban settlement] will be eaten by dogs [despised animals, scavengers], and anyone who dies [succumbs to mortality, meets their demise] in the field [a rural area, open country] will be eaten by the birds [creatures of the air, flying beings] of the air [the atmosphere, heavenly realm].” word study 25 (Surely there was never one like Ahab [a king of Israel], who sold [gave himself up to do evil] himself to do evil [wickedness, bad things] in the sight [eyes, presence] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], incited [stirred up, provoked] by his wife [woman, female partner] Jezebel [a queen of Israel, known for her evil deeds]. word study 26 He committed the most [exceedingly, very] detestable [abhorrent, abominable] acts by going [walking, following] after [behind, in pursuit of] idols [idolatrous images, false gods], just like [according to all that] the Amorites [a Canaanite tribe, descendants of Canaan] whom the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] had driven out [dispossessed, cast out] before [from the presence of] the Israelites [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people].) word study 27 When Ahab [the king of Israel, a man of great wickedness] heard these words [the prophetic message, the divine warning], he tore [rent, ripped apart] his clothes, put on sackcloth [a coarse cloth], and fasted [abstained from food, humbled himself]. He lay down in sackcloth [on the ground, in a state of humility] and walked around meekly [softly, in a gentle and subdued manner, with a broken spirit]. word study 28 Then the word [message, declaration] of the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] came [was given, existed] to Elijah [my God is Jehovah, the prophet] the Tishbite [from Tishbe, a region in Gilead], saying [to speak, to command, to proclaim]: word study 29 “Have you seen [behold, observed] how Ahab [the king of Israel] has humbled [made himself low, submitted] himself before Me [in My presence, face to face]? Because he has humbled [bowed down, been submissive] himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity [evil, disaster] during his days [lifetime, time on earth], but I will bring it upon his house [family, descendants] in the days [time, era] of his son [offspring, heir].” word study