1 Kings 21:1
in 1 Kings 21Some time later, Naboth the Jezreelite happened to own a vineyard in Jezreel next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in 1 Kings 21
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAn ancient story tells of the two neighbors, King Ahab and a poor man, Naboth. Which of these do we consider the poorer, which the richer: the one who had been endowed with a king's measure of wealth, insatiable and unsatisfied with his wealth, who longed for the little vineyard of the poor man; or the other, heartily despising a "king's fortune of much gold" and imperial wealth, who was satisfied with his vineyard?
This site's exposition
Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard
on 1 Kings 21:1-3
Naboth refuses a fair price and a better vineyard because Ahab is not the last owner of Israelite land, the LORD is, and the law forbade trading a tribal inheritance away in perpetuity. The oath the Lord forbid it me sets Naboth's ground beneath the covenant law of Leviticus 25:23, the land is mine, and the ruling secured for the daughters of Zelophehad at Numbers 36:7, that an inheritance should not remove from tribe to tribe. Ahab hears a business offer declined; Naboth is standing on ground the king has no authority to buy.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
The story of Nabuthe is ancient, happening every day. For who among the wealthy does not desire another's possessions daily? Who among the very rich does not strive to evict the poor from their small plot of land and drive the destitute off their ancestral estate? Who is content with what they have? Whose heart is not inflamed by their neighbor's wealth? Therefore, it is not just one Achab who is born, but, what is worse, an Achab is born every day and never dies in this age. If one is killed, many rise up: more who take than who lose. Not only one Nabuthe the poor is killed: every day Nabuthe is struck down, every day the poor are killed. This human race, struck with fear, now yields its own lands, and with their little ones, the poor laden with their pledge, migrate. The weeping wife follows, as if she were accompanying her husband to the grave. She grieves less, however, who mourns the deaths of her own; because even though she has lost the protection of her husband, she possesses his tomb; and if she does not have children, nevertheless she does not lament the exiles, she does not sigh with heavier grief for the funeral rites of her tender offspring.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And it came to pass, after these things,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
A vineyard ... in Jezreel - The name Jezreel is applied in Scripture, not merely to the town 1Ki 18:46, but also to the valley or plain which lies below it, between Mount Gilboa and Little Hermon (2Sa 2:9; 2Ki 9:10; Hos 1:5; etc.). The palace of Ahab at Jezreel was on the eastern side of the city, looking toward the Jordan down the valley above described. It abutted on the town wall 2Ki 9:30-31. Immediately below it was a dry moat.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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.
After these things - This and the twentieth chapter are transposed in the Septuagint; this preceding the account of the Syrian war with Ben-hadad. Josephus gives the history in the same order.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
After these things [this occurred]. Yet another [incident] to bring his death near.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֗י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| אַחַר֙ | ʾachar | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| הַדְּבָרִ֣ים | hadevarim | the things | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הָאֵ֔לֶּה | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
| כֶּ֧רֶם | kerem | a vineyard | H3754 → | 92 times |
| הָיָ֛ה | hayah | it belonged | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לְנָב֥וֹת | lenavot | to Naboth | H5022 → | 22 times |
| הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִ֖י | haiyizreeli | the Jezreelite | H3158 → | 13 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בְּיִזְרְעֶ֑אל | beyizreel | [was] in Jezreel | H3157 → | 36 times |
| אֵ֚צֶל | ʾetzel | beside | H681 → | 61 times |
| הֵיכַ֣ל | heikhal | [the] palace of | H1964 → | 80 times |
| אַחְאָ֔ב | ʾachav | Ahab | H256 → | 92 times |
| מֶ֖לֶךְ | melekh | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| שֹׁמְרֽוֹן׃ | shomeron | Samaria | H8111 → | 109 times |
וַיְהִ֗יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
אַחַר֙after
ʾacharH310 →715 times
הַדְּבָרִ֣יםthe things
hadevarimH1697 →1440 times
הָאֵ֔לֶּה<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
כֶּ֧רֶםa vineyard
keremH3754 →92 times
הָיָ֛הit belonged
hayahH1961 →3559 times
לְנָב֥וֹתto Naboth
lenavotH5022 →22 times
הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִ֖יthe Jezreelite
haiyizreeliH3158 →13 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בְּיִזְרְעֶ֑אל[was] in Jezreel
beyizreelH3157 →36 times
אֵ֚צֶלbeside
ʾetzelH681 →61 times
הֵיכַ֣ל[the] palace of
heikhalH1964 →80 times
אַחְאָ֔בAhab
ʾachavH256 →92 times
מֶ֖לֶךְ[the] king of
melekhH4428 →2525 times
שֹׁמְרֽוֹן׃Samaria
shomeronH8111 →109 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Judges 6:33Then all the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east gathered together, crossed over the Jordan, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.
it leads to
- Joshua 17:16
“The hill country is not enough for us,” they replied, “and all the Canaanites who live in the valley have iron chariots, both in Beth-shean with its towns and in the Valley of Jezreel.”
- Judges 6:3
Whenever the Israelites would plant their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east would come up and invade them,
- Isaiah 8:9–10
Huddle together, O peoples, and be shattered; pay attention, all you distant lands; prepare for battle, and be shattered; prepare for battle, and be shattered!
- Joshua 17:16
Through
Joshua 19:18Their territory included Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem,
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 28:4
The Philistines came together and camped at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and camped at Gilboa.
- 2 Kings 4:8
One day Elisha went to Shunem, and a prominent woman who lived there persuaded him to have a meal. So whenever he would pass by, he would stop there to eat.
- 1 Samuel 28:4
Through
2 Chronicles 28:22In the time of his distress, King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 21:13
Surely testing will come! And what if even the scepter, which the sword despises, does not continue?’ declares the Lord GOD.
- Isaiah 1:5
Why do you want more beatings? Why do you keep rebelling? Your head has a massive wound, and your whole heart is afflicted.
- Jeremiah 5:3
O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than…
- Ezekiel 21:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Kings
Who and where
4 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonDivided kingdomAhabSeventh king of the northern kingdom, son of Omri, who "did evil above all that were before him"; Elijah's chief antagonist, conde…
- PersonDivided kingdomNabothThe Jezreelite who refused to sell the inheritance of his fathers to Ahab; framed by Jezebel's letters and stoned — the vineyard w…
- PlaceThe northern hill countrySamariaThe hill Omri bought and built his capital on, where Ahab raised a temple to Baal, where the four lepers found the Aramean camp em…
- PlaceNorthern IsraelJezreelAhab's summer capital beside Naboth's vineyard; the city of the dogs' prophecy, where Jezebel fell and Jehu's wheels rolled.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, Letter 38 (To Simplician), Section 8; Ambrose of Milan, On Naboth the Jezreelite, Chapter 1, 1; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).