1 Kings 21:29
in 1 Kings 21“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity during his days, but I will bring it upon his house in the days of his son.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days; but in his son’s day will I bring the evil upon his house.
KJV
Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth 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.
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This verse in 1 Kings 21
Commentary
10 notes on this verseSeest 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.
This site's exposition
the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite
on 1 Kings 21:28-29
The LORD asks Elijah, “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me?”, and gives the answer Himself. Because Ahab has humbled himself, the calamity will not come in his own days. It will fall “upon his house in the days of his son”, so the sentence is deferred and still stands. The text states the mercy as plainly as it stated the judgment nine verses earlier.
This site's exposition
Have you seen how Ahab has humbled
John Gill reads the humbling of Ahab as outward only, the sackcloth and fasting of verse 27. Adam Clarke reads it as true repentance, shallow and short-lived, and still seen by God. The calamity waits for the days of his son.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
In this place the question comes up: how do we interpret what the Lord said to Elijah: "Have you seen how Ahab has been moved at my presence? I will not bring evils in his days, but in his sons' days will I bring evils"—or how do we say that repentance avails before God?
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Humbleth himself - His humiliation was real, though not lasting, and accordingly pleasing to God. This discovers the great goodness of God, and his readiness to shew mercy. It teaches us to take notice of that which is good, even in the worst of men.
God is rewarding their external services with external mercies. (4.) This encourages all those that truly repent and unfeignedly believe the holy gospel. If a pretending partial penitent shall go to his house reprieved, doubtless a sincere penitent shall go to his house justified.
Naboth's Vineyard Refused to Ahab. 1 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.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:94%@v1-2
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself - He did abase himself; he did truly repent him of his sins, and it was such a repentance as was genuine in the sight of God: He humbleth himself Before Me. The penitent heart ever meets the merciful eye of God; repentance is highly esteemed by the Father of compassion, even where it is comparatively shallow and short-lived. Any measure of godly sorrow has a proportionate measure of God’s regard; where it is deep and lasting, the heart of God is set upon it.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Going softly, that is, barefoot, and with a pensive manner, within doors. He manifested all the external signs, conventional and natural, of the deepest sorrow. He was wretched, and so great is the mercy of God, that, in consequence of his humiliation, the threatened punishment was deferred.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The evil - i. e., the main evil. See 1Ki 21:19 note; and compare 1Ki 22:38 with marginal reference.
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הֲֽרָאִ֔יתָ | haraita | ¿ have you seen | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| נִכְנַ֥ע | nikhna' | he has humbled himself | H3665 → | |
| אַחְאָ֖ב | ʾachav | Ahab | H256 → | 92 times |
| מִלְּפָנָ֑י | milefanai | from to before me | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יַ֜עַן | yaan | because | H3282 → | 99 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| נִכְנַ֣ע | nikhna' | he has humbled himself | H3665 → | |
| מִפָּנַ֗י | mipanai | from before me | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אָבִ֤יא | ʾavi' | I will bring | H935 → | 2568 times |
| הָֽרָעָה֙ | haraah | <the> evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
| בְּיָמָ֔יו | beyamav | in days his | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| בִּימֵ֣י | bimei | in [the] days of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| בְנ֔וֹ | veno | son his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אָבִ֥יא | ʾavi' | I will bring | H935 → | 2568 times |
| הָרָעָ֖ה | haraah | <the> evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| בֵּיתֽוֹ׃ | beito | house his | H1004 → | 2046 times |
הֲֽרָאִ֔יתָ¿ have you seen
haraitaH7200 →1300 times
כִּֽי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
נִכְנַ֥עhe has humbled himself
nikhna'H3665 →
אַחְאָ֖בAhab
ʾachavH256 →92 times
מִלְּפָנָ֑יfrom to before me
milefanaiH6440 →2123 times
יַ֜עַןbecause
yaanH3282 →99 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
נִכְנַ֣עhe has humbled himself
nikhna'H3665 →
מִפָּנַ֗יfrom before me
mipanaiH6440 →2123 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
אָבִ֤יאI will bring
ʾavi'H935 →2568 times
הָֽרָעָה֙<the> evil
haraahH7451 →662 times
בְּיָמָ֔יוin days his
beyamavH3117 →2304 times
בִּימֵ֣יin [the] days of
bimeiH3117 →2304 times
בְנ֔וֹson his
venoH1121 →4930 times
אָבִ֥יאI will bring
ʾavi'H935 →2568 times
הָרָעָ֖ה<the> evil
haraahH7451 →662 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
בֵּיתֽוֹ׃house his
beitoH1004 →2046 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
2 Peter 3:9The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 2:4
who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
- Romans 2:4
Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?
- Psalms 86:15
But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness.
- Habakkuk 2:3
For the vision awaits an appointed time; it testifies of the end and does not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it, since it will surely come and will not delay.
- Isaiah 30:18
Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore He rises to show you compassion, for the LORD is a just God. Blessed are all who wait for Him.
- 1 Timothy 2:4
Through
Micah 7:18Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion?
it leads to
- Isaiah 43:25
I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more.
- Isaiah 44:22
I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like a mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.
- Isaiah 43:25
Through
Psalms 86:15But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness.
it leads to
- Ephesians 2:4–7
But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
- Ephesians 2:4–7
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, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, On Naboth the Jezreelite 17.70-73; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.