1 Kings 21:6
in 1 Kings 21Ahab answered, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and told him, ‘Give me your vineyard for silver, or if you wish, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ And he replied, ‘I will not give you my vineyard!’”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.
KJV
And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.
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This verse in 1 Kings 21
Commentary
3 notes on this verseAnd he said, because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, give me thy vineyard for money,.... Sell it him at his own price: or else, if it please thee; if he liked it better: I will give thee another vineyard for it; as good, or better; and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard; he represents this answer as surly and ill natured, and as the effect of obstinacy, concealing the reason Naboth alleged for his denial.
This site's exposition
heavy and displeased
on 1 Kings 21:4-6
A king who has just heard one poor man's no takes to his bed, turns away his face, and refuses bread, and the narrator gives the grief no dignity. The throne that could withstand Ben-hadad's army is undone by a vegetable garden. Jezebel finds him sullen rather than angry, and his own account to her in verse six repeats the offer nearly word for word, as though saying it again could make the answer different.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
), yet invidiously concealed Naboth's reason for his refusal, representing it as peevish, when it was conscientious-- I will not give it thee, whereas he said, I may not.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
The words behind it
28 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר | vaydaber | and he spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֵלֶ֗יהָ | ʾeleiha | to her | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אֲ֠דַבֵּר | ʾadaber | I spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| נָב֨וֹת | navot | Naboth | H5022 → | 22 times |
| הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִ֜י | haiyizreeli | the Jezreelite | H3158 → | 13 times |
| וָאֹ֣מַר | vaomar | and I said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| ל֗וֹ | lo | to him | ||
| תְּנָה־ | tenah- | give ! | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לִּ֤י | li | to me | ||
| אֶֽת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כַּרְמְךָ֙ | karmekha | vineyard your | H3754 → | 92 times |
| בְּכֶ֔סֶף | bekhesef | for money | H3701 → | 403 times |
| א֚וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| חָפֵ֣ץ | chafetz | [are] desiring | H2655 → | |
| אַתָּ֔ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| אֶתְּנָה־ | ʾetenah- | I will give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לְךָ֥ | lekha | to you | ||
| כֶ֖רֶם | kherem | a vineyard | H3754 → | 92 times |
| תַּחְתָּ֑יו | tachtav | in place of it | H8478 → | 505 times |
| וַיֹּ֕אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אֶתֵּ֥ן | ʾeten | I will give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לְךָ֖ | lekha | to you | ||
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כַּרְמִֽי׃ | karmi | vineyard my | H3754 → | 92 times |
וַיְדַבֵּ֣רand he spoke
vaydaberH1696 →1141 times
אֵלֶ֗יהָto her
ʾeleihaH413 →5510 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
אֲ֠דַבֵּרI spoke
ʾadaberH1696 →1141 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
נָב֨וֹתNaboth
navotH5022 →22 times
הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִ֜יthe Jezreelite
haiyizreeliH3158 →13 times
וָאֹ֣מַרand I said
vaomarH559 →5305 times
ל֗וֹto him
lo
תְּנָה־give !
tenah-H5414 →2011 times
לִּ֤יto me
li
אֶֽת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כַּרְמְךָ֙vineyard your
karmekhaH3754 →92 times
בְּכֶ֔סֶףfor money
bekhesefH3701 →403 times
א֚וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
חָפֵ֣ץ[are] desiring
chafetzH2655 →
אַתָּ֔הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
אֶתְּנָה־I will give
ʾetenah-H5414 →2011 times
לְךָ֥to you
lekha
כֶ֖רֶםa vineyard
kheremH3754 →92 times
תַּחְתָּ֑יוin place of it
tachtavH8478 →505 times
וַיֹּ֕אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
אֶתֵּ֥ןI will give
ʾetenH5414 →2011 times
לְךָ֖to you
lekha
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כַּרְמִֽי׃vineyard my
karmiH3754 →92 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
Proverbs 14:30A tranquil heart is life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
it leads to
- Proverbs 17:22
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
- Job 5:2
For resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple.
- Proverbs 4:23
Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.
- Proverbs 3:8
This will bring healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.
- Proverbs 12:4
A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but she who causes shame is like decay in his bones.
- Proverbs 17:22
Through
Esther 6:12Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 15:30
But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. And all the people with him covered their heads and went up,…
- Jeremiah 14:3–4
The nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns, but find no water; their jars return empty. They are ashamed and humiliated; they cover their heads.
- 1 Kings 21:4
So Ahab went to his palace, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had told him, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He lay down on his bed, turned his…
- 2 Samuel 15:30
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Kings

Who and where
2 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…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
