1 Kings 21:7-16
21:7 a I’ll get you Naboth’s vineyard! With her ruthless disposition and actions, Jezebel displayed her cultural upbringing; Canaanite kings did as they pleased (21:8-10 b, 15 c, 25 d; see 19:1-2 e; 2 Kgs 9:30-31 f).Summary for 1Kgs 21:8-9: 21:8-9 g Call the citizens together: This kind of assembly would normally address sin that could bring divine judgment against the people (see Deut 21:1-9 h; Josh 7:10-12 i; 1 Sam 7:1-6 j). Jezebel convened it to bring false charges against an innocent person.
21:10 k scoundrels (literally sons of Belial): The Hebrew expression refers to totally evil reprobates (Deut 13:13 l; Judg 19:22 m; 1 Sam 10:27 n; Prov 6:12 o). Later Jewish writings attributed the name Belial to Satan, a use reflected by Paul in the New Testament (2 Cor 6:15 p).
• Legally, two witnesses were needed to establish a charge against a person (Deut 19:15 q; Matt 18:16 r). The twofold charge of Naboth’s blasphemy against God and against the king carried a penalty of death by stoning outside the city (Deut 17:5-6 s; 22:24 t). Naboth was apparently put to death on his own land (see 2 Kgs 9:21-26 u).
Summary for 1Kgs 21:13-14: 21:13-14 v As with Achan (Josh 7:24-26 w), Naboth’s sons were killed at the same time (see 2 Kgs 9:26 x), in this case to prevent the property from passing on to them. Because the charge carried the penalty of state execution (Deut 13:10-11 y; 17:5 z) and because Naboth no longer had male heirs, Ahab exercised the royal prerogative of confiscating the property (see 1 Sam 8:14 aa).
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