1 Kings 21:16

21:16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead,¹ he got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

1 Kings 21:12

21:12 They observed a time of fasting and put Naboth in front of the people.

1 Kings 21:14-15

21:14 Then they reported to Jezebel, “Naboth has been stoned to death.”²

21:15 When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she³ said to Ahab, “Get up, take possession of the vineyard Naboth the Jezreelite refused to sell you for silver, for Naboth is no longer alive; he’s dead.”

1 Kings 21:3

21:3 But Naboth replied to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should sell you my ancestral inheritance.”⁴

1 Kings 21:9

21:9 This is what she wrote:⁵ “Observe a time of fasting and seat Naboth in front of the people.

1 Kings 21:13

21:13 The two villains arrived and sat opposite him. Then the villains testified against Naboth right before the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they dragged him⁶ outside the city and stoned him to death.⁷

1 Kings 21:1

Ahab Murders Naboth

21:1 After this the following episode took place.⁸ Naboth the Jezreelite owned a vineyard in Jezreel adjacent to the palace of King Ahab of Samaria.⁹

1 Kings 21:8

21:8 She wrote out orders,¹⁰ signed Ahab’s name to them,¹¹ and sealed them with his seal. She then sent the orders¹² to the leaders¹³ and to the nobles who lived in Naboth’s city.¹⁴

1 Kings 21:18

21:18 “Get up, go down and meet King Ahab of Israel who lives in Samaria. He is at the vineyard of Naboth; he has gone down there to take possession of it.

1 Kings 21:4

21:4 So Ahab went into his palace, bitter and angry that Naboth the Jezreelite had said,¹⁵ “I will not sell to you my ancestral inheritance.”¹⁶ He lay down on his bed, pouted,¹⁷ and would not eat.

1 Kings 21:6-7

21:6 He answered her, “While I was talking to Naboth the Jezreelite, I said to him, ‘Sell me your vineyard for silver, or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not sell you my vineyard.’”¹⁸ 21:7 His wife Jezebel said to him, “You are the king of Israel!¹⁹ Get up, eat some food, and have a good time.²⁰ I will get the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you.”

1 Kings 21:19

21:19 Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Haven’t you committed murder and taken possession of the property of the deceased?”’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “In the spot where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood they will also lick up your blood – yes, yours!”’”

1 Kings 21:2

21:2 Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard so I can make a vegetable garden out of it, for it is adjacent to my palace. I will give you an even better vineyard in its place, or if you prefer,²¹ I will pay you silver for it.”²²

¹tc The Old Greek translation includes the following words here: “he tore his garments and put on sackcloth. After these things.”

²tn Heb “Naboth was stoned and he died.” So also in v. 15.

³tn Heb “Jezebel”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“she”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

⁴tn Heb “Far be it from me, by the Lord, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you.”

⁵tn Heb “she wrote on the scrolls, saying.”

⁶tn Heb “led him.”

⁷tn Heb “and they stoned him with stones and he died.”

⁷tn Heb “after these things.” The words “the following episode took place” are added for stylistic reasons.

⁸sn King Ahab of Samaria. Samaria, as the capital of the northern kingdom, here stands for the nation of Israel.

⁸tn Heb “scrolls.”

⁹tn Heb “in the name of Ahab.”

¹⁰tn Heb “scrolls.”

¹¹tn Heb “elders.”

¹²tn Heb “to the nobles who were in his city, the ones who lived with Naboth.”

⁹tn Heb “on account of the word that Naboth the Jezreelite spoke to him.”

¹⁰tn Heb “I will not give to you the inheritance of my fathers.”

¹¹tn Heb “turned away his face.”

¹⁰tn Heb “While I was talking…, I said…, he said….” Ahab’s explanation is one lengthy sentence in the Hebrew text, which is divided in the English translation for stylistic reasons.

¹¹tn Heb “You, now, you are exercising kingship over Israel.”

¹²tn Heb “so your heart [i.e., disposition] might be well.”

¹²tn Heb “if it is good in your eyes.”

¹³tc The Old Greek translation includes the following words: “And it will be mine as a garden of herbs.”