1 Kings 21:13
in 1 Kings 21And the two scoundrels came in and sat opposite Naboth, and these men testified against him before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king!” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the two men, the base fellows, came in and sat before him: and the base fellows bare witness against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did curse God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him to death with stones.
KJV
And 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.
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This verse in 1 Kings 21
Commentary
5 notes on this verseAnd 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, Act 25:
This site's exposition
did as Jezebel had sent unto them
on 1 Kings 21:11-14
The elders and nobles of Jezreel, men who owed Naboth nothing but common citizenship, carry out a queen's forged order against a neighbor without any recorded objection. They proclaim the fast, seat him where the crowd can see him, hear the false charge, and stone him outside the city, then send word back to Jezebel in four words, Naboth is stoned, and is dead. Barnes notes the parallel record that Naboth's sons died with him, so that no heir was left to reclaim the vineyard Jezebel intended for the king.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
), and, as it should seem, his sons with him, or after him; for, when God came to make inquisition for blood, we find this article in the account ( 2 Kings ix. 26 ), I have seen the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Naboth had sons who were also put to death at this time (marginal reference). It is not improbable that they were stoned together with their parent (compare Jos 7:24-25). In the East, a parent’s guilt constantly involves the punishment of his children. Contrast 2Ki 14:6.
And stoned him with stones - As they pretended to find him guilty of treason against God and the king, it is likely they destroyed the whole of his family; and then the king seized on his grounds as confiscated, or as escheated to the king, without any heir at law. That his family was destroyed appears strongly intimated, 2Ki 9:26; Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, And the Blood of His Sons, saith the Lord.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Navos cursed. A euphemism for curse. And Targum [Yonoson rendered], Navos blasphemed against God and cursed the king. 2 Thus making him liable to death for either offense. The reason for mentioning both offenses is to arouse the people’s anger against Navos and thereby he would be executed quickly.
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
25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַ֠יָּבֹאוּ | vaiyavou | and they came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| שְׁנֵ֨י | shenei | [the] two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| הָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים | haanashim | the men | H582 → | 566 times |
| בְּנֵֽי־ | benei- | sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| בְלִיַּעַל֮ | veliyaal | worthlessness | H1100 → | 27 times |
| וַיֵּשְׁב֣וּ | vaiyeshevu | and they sat | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| נֶגְדּוֹ֒ | negdo | before him | H5048 → | 151 times |
| וַיְעִדֻהוּ֩ | vayiduhu | and they testified against him | H5749 → | 44 times |
| אַנְשֵׁ֨י | ʾanshei | [the] men of | H582 → | 566 times |
| הַבְּלִיַּ֜עַל | habeliyaal | <the> worthlessness | H1100 → | 27 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| נָב֗וֹת | navot | Naboth | H5022 → | 22 times |
| נֶ֤גֶד | neged | before | H5048 → | 151 times |
| הָעָם֙ | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| בֵּרַ֥ךְ | berakh | he has blessed | H1288 → | 330 times |
| נָב֛וֹת | navot | Naboth | H5022 → | 22 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֖ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וָמֶ֑לֶךְ | vamelekh | and [the] king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וַיֹּצִאֻ֙הוּ֙ | vaiyotziuhu | and they took out him | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| מִח֣וּץ | michutz | from [the] outside | H2351 → | 164 times |
| לָעִ֔יר | lair | of the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| וַיִּסְקְלֻ֥הוּ | vaiyiskeluhu | and they stoned him | H5619 → | 22 times |
| בָאֲבָנִ֖ים | vaavanim | with <the> stones | H68 → | 273 times |
| וַיָּמֹֽת׃ | vaiyamot | and he died | H4191 → | 839 times |
וַ֠יָּבֹאוּand they came
vaiyavouH935 →2568 times
שְׁנֵ֨י[the] two
sheneiH8147 →768 times
הָאֲנָשִׁ֥יםthe men
haanashimH582 →566 times
בְּנֵֽי־sons of
benei-H1121 →4930 times
בְלִיַּעַל֮worthlessness
veliyaalH1100 →27 times
וַיֵּשְׁב֣וּand they sat
vaiyeshevuH3427 →1079 times
נֶגְדּוֹ֒before him
negdoH5048 →151 times
וַיְעִדֻהוּ֩and they testified against him
vayiduhuH5749 →44 times
אַנְשֵׁ֨י[the] men of
ʾansheiH582 →566 times
הַבְּלִיַּ֜עַל<the> worthlessness
habeliyaalH1100 →27 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
נָב֗וֹתNaboth
navotH5022 →22 times
נֶ֤גֶדbefore
negedH5048 →151 times
הָעָם֙the people
haamH5971 →1873 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
בֵּרַ֥ךְhe has blessed
berakhH1288 →330 times
נָב֛וֹתNaboth
navotH5022 →22 times
אֱלֹהִ֖יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
וָמֶ֑לֶךְand [the] king
vamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וַיֹּצִאֻ֙הוּ֙and they took out him
vaiyotziuhuH3318 →1067 times
מִח֣וּץfrom [the] outside
michutzH2351 →164 times
לָעִ֔ירof the city
lairH5892 →1090 times
וַיִּסְקְלֻ֥הוּand they stoned him
vaiyiskeluhuH5619 →22 times
בָאֲבָנִ֖יםwith <the> stones
vaavanimH68 →273 times
וַיָּמֹֽת׃and he died
vaiyamotH4191 →839 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
Ecclesiastes 4:1Again I looked, and I considered all the oppression taking place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; the power lay in the hands of their…
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 3:16
Furthermore, I saw under the sun that in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.
- Ecclesiastes 5:8
If you see the oppression of the poor and the denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be astonished at the matter; for one official is watched by a superior, and…
- 2 Timothy 4:16–17
At my first defense, no one stood with me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be charged against them.
- Ecclesiastes 3:16
Through
Psalms 27:12Do not hand me over to the will of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.
it leads to
- Psalms 31:8
You have not delivered me to the enemy; You have set my feet in the open.
- Matthew 26:59–60
Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were seeking false testimony against Jesus in order to put Him to death.
- Psalms 41:11
By this I know that You delight in me, for my enemy does not triumph over me.
- Psalms 35:11
Hostile witnesses come forward; they make charges I know nothing about.
- Psalms 31:8
Through
Luke 23:2And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man subverting our nation, forbidding payment of taxes to Caesar, and proclaiming Himself to be Christ, a King.”
it leads to
- Acts 17:6–7
But when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have now come here,
- Acts 17:6–7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
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); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.