LIFE OF ELIJAH CHAPTER 4

I KI�GS 21 COMME�TARYWritten and edited by Glenn Pease

PREFACE

Many other authors are quoted in this study, and some are not named. Credit will be given

if the name of the author is sent to me. Some may not want their wisdom shared in this way,

and if they object and wish it to be removed they can let me know also at my e-mail address

which is glenn_p86@yahoo.com

�aboth's Vineyard

1 Some time later there was an incident involving a

vineyard belonging to �aboth the Jezreelite. The

vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab

king of Samaria.

1. Ron Ritchie gives us some background to this story. “�ow, in Chapter 20 (which we

didn't have time to cover) Ben-hadad king of Syria came down and attacked Israel,

surrounded the northern capital of Samaria, and had Ahab and Jezebel trapped like birds

in a cage. In the midst of the tension the Lord sent an unnamed prophet to tell Ahab that

God would destroy the Syrian army and the nation would know he was God. In time that

prophecy came true with the death of some 127,000 Syrian soldiers. The only man left alive

was King Ben-hadad, to whom Ahab extended mercy instead of the sword, violating God's

ban on sparing anyone. Ahab called this wicked king "my brother," but God would use him

as an instrument to take Ahab's own life in another Syrian war some three years later. So

God spoke to King Ahab through one of his prophets and said, "Thus says the LORD,

'Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction,

therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.'" (1 Kings 20:42.)

And Ahab went home "sullen and vexed." He was depressed.

That brings us to chapter 21, where we read that �aboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in

Jezreel beside the palace of Ahab (his summer residence). With the words of the prophet of

God in Ahab's heart informing him of his impending death, rather than falling down

before God in sackcloth and ashes, he left the capital of Samaria in this depression and

went north to his summer palace in Jezreel. He was annoyed and pressured in his

relationship with the Lord. He was concerned about what he should do with his life. There

was no joy in his victory over the Syrians.

All wrapped up in himself, Ahab went out to walk along the wall of the palace, where he

noticed the vineyard of �aboth. He began looking at and then coveting (longing for with

envy) this vineyard, and he began to plan a way to buy it from �aboth so that he could turn

it into a vegetable garden. Ahab was quite aware of the tenth commandment: "You shall

not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male

servant or his female servant [employees] or his ox [tractor] or his donkey [car] or anything

that belongs to your neighbor." (Exodus 20:17.) But he made his plans anyway, only to

discover that the vineyard was not for sale because �aboth said, "The LORD forbid me

that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers." He refused to sell the land to the king

based on the law of Moses which stated, "...�o inheritance of the sons of Israel shall be

transferred from tribe to tribe, for the sons of Israel shall each hold to the inheritance of

the tribe of his fathers." (�umbers 36:7; see also Leviticus 25:23-28.) �aboth was bound by

the command of God and not by a personal issue.”

2 Ahab said to �aboth, "Let me have your vineyard to

use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my

palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard

or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth."

1. Clarke, “The request of Ahab seems at first view fair and honourable. �aboth's vineyard

was nigh to the palace of Ahab, and he wished to add it to his own for a kitchen garden, or

perhaps a grass-plat, gan yarak; and he offers to give him either a better vineyard for it, or

to give him its worth in money. �aboth rejects the proposal with horror: The Lord forbid it

me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to thee. �o man could finally alienate any

part of the parental inheritance; it might be sold or mortgaged till the jubilee, but at that

time it must revert to its original owner, if not redeemed before; for this God had

particularly enjoined Leviticus 25:14-17,25-28: therefore �aboth properly said, ; 1 Kings

21:3, The Lord forbid it me, to give the inheritance of my fathers. Ahab most evidently

wished him to alienate it finally, and this is what God's law had expressly forbidden;

therefore he could not, consistently with his duty to God, indulge Ahab; and it was high

iniquity in Ahab to tempt him to do it; and to covet it showed the depravity of Ahab's soul.

But we see farther that, despotic as those kings were, they dared not seize on the

inheritance of any man. This would have been a flagrant breach of the law and constitution

of the country; and this indeed would have been inconsistent with the character which they

sustained, viz., the Lord's vicegerents. The Jewish kings had no authority either to alter the

old laws, or to make new ones. "The Hindoos," says Mr. Ward, "are as strongly attached to

their homesteads as the Jews were. Though the heads of the family be employed in a distant

part of the country, and though the homesteads may be almost in ruins, they cling still to

the family inheritance with a fondness bordering on superstition."

2. Henry, “Ahab coveting his neighbour's vineyard, which unhappily lay near his palace

and conveniently for a kitchen-garden. Perhaps �aboth had been pleased that he had a

vineyard which lay so advantageously for a prospect of the royal gardens, or the vending of

its productions to the royal family; but the situation of it proved fatal to him. If he had had

no vineyard, or it had lain obscure in some remote place, he would have preserved his life.

But many a man's possessions have been his snare, and his neighbourhood to greatness has

been of pernicious consequence. Ahab sets his eye and heart on this vineyard, 1 Kings 21:2 .

It will be a pretty addition to his demesne, a convenient out-let to his palace; and nothing

will serve him but it must be his own. He is welcome to the fruits of it, welcome to walk in

it; �aboth perhaps would have made him a lease of it for his life, to please him; but nothing

will please him unless he have an absolute property in it, he and his heirs for ever.”

3. Coffman, “Samuel had prophesied that, when Israel got that king they all wanted, he

would take their fields and their vineyards (1 Samuel 8:14 ). Ahab gave them a

demonstration of what that prophecy meant!”

3 But �aboth replied, "The LORD forbid that I

should give you the inheritance of my fathers."

1. David Roper, “In contrast to all the other nations of this time, the Israelites were

commanded to maintain their inheritance, the portion of land that they inherited from

their fathers. When the nation of Israel conquered the land of Canaan, the land was first

divided among the tribes and further subdivided by clans and families, so that every man

in Israel had a plot of ground that he could call his own...�ow, that wasn't true anywhere

else in the ancient �ear East...the kings owned the land and the common people worked the

land...But in Israel, everyone had a piece of land, and the law established very stringent

regulations that were designed to maintain the right to hold that land...This kept property

from being accumulated by the rich and the powerful..�ow, Ahab was aware of this law,

and he knew it was wrong to ask for �aboth's paternal inheritance.”

2. Jamison, “In short, it could not be alienated from the family, and it was on this ground

that �aboth (1Ki 21:3) refused to comply with the king's demand. It was not, therefore, any

rudeness or disrespect that made Ahab heavy and displeased, but his sulky and pettish

demeanor betrays a spirit of selfishness that could not brook to be disappointed of a

favorite object, and that would have pushed him into lawless tyranny had he possessed any

natural force of character.”

3. "For God hath expressly, and for divers weighty reasons, forbidden the alienation of

lands from the tribes and families to which they were allotted, Leviticus 25:15, 25:23,

25:25; �umbers 36:7; Ezekiel 46:18." (Poole)”

4. Coffman, “�aboth was not actuated by any feelings of disloyalty or disrespect for King

Ahab, but from a conscientious regard for Divine law.F3 Lev. 25:23 forbade the selling of

one's inheritance, The land shall not be sold in perpetuity. �o inheritance of the children of

Israel shall move from tribe to tribe. Everyone shall cleave to the inheritance of his fathers

(�um. 36:7ff).

It should be observed that these prohibitions came not from the so-called Priestly Code (P)

nor from some mythical Deuteronomist (D), but from the Books of Moses, being therefore a

part of the Mosaic covenant. "Ahab's proposal to �aboth would have relegated him and his

family to the status of royal dependents"F4 of the godless Ahab. "The property was not

�aboth's to sell; the inheritance was his father's and his son's as well as his, and it was

I�ALIE�ABLE under Israelite law." "The sin of discontent is its own punishment. It

comes not from conditions, but from the mind. Paul was contented in a prison; Ahab was

discontented in a palace. Discontent is heaviness of the heart and rottenness of the bones."

5. Henry, “�ow �aboth foresaw that, if his vineyard were sold to the crown, it would never

return to his heirs, no, not in the jubilee. He would gladly oblige the king, but he must obey

God rather than men, and therefore in this matter desires to be excused. Ahab knew the

law, or should have known it, and therefore did ill to ask that which his subject could not

grant without sin. Some conceive that �aboth looked upon his earthly inheritance as an

earnest of his lot in the heavenly Canaan, and therefore would not part with the former, lest

it should amount to a forfeiture of the latter. He seems to have been a conscientious man,

who would rather hazard the king's displeasure than offend God, and probably was one of

the 7000 that had not bowed the knee to Baal, for which, it may be, Ahab owed him a

grudge.”

4 So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because

�aboth the Jezreelite had said, "I will not give you the

inheritance of my fathers." He lay on his bed sulking

and refused to eat.

1. J. R. McDuff, “What catastrophe has overtaken that regal mourner? - why that settled

gloom on these regal brows?

- Has the hand of death been in the palace halls?

- has one of the princes of the blood royal been borne to the sepulchre of the kings of Israel

– and left the aching void of bereavement in that smitten heart?

- Or, has it been some sudden overwhelming national disaster?

- Have the billows of war swept over his territories?

- is the tramp of Benhadad's conquering armies heard at his gates, threatening to desolate

his valleys, and carry the flower of his subjects captive to Damascus?

�o, no. His family circle is unbroken; and the trophies of recent victory adorn his walls. It

is a far more insignificant cause which has led the weak and unworthy monarch to wrap

himself in that coverlet, and to pout and fret like a petulant child.

This lordly possessor of palaces cannot obtain a little vineyard he has coveted;- and life is,

forsooth, for the moment, embittered to him. Lamentable, but too truthful picture of

human nature! Here is a King;

- a man at the proud pinnacles of human ambition,

- the owner of vast territories,

- the possessor of one of the most princely of demesnes,

- his ivory palace perched on the wooded slopes of Gilboa - looking across the wide fertile

plain of Esdraelon. What Windsor is to Britain, or Versailles to France, so was this Jezreel,

with its noble undulating grounds, to the kingdom of Israel. Even amid the miserable mud-

huts of the modern Zerin, the traveller can picture, from the unchanged features of the site,

what the beauty of that summer park and palace must have been.”

The point is, he had it all, and should have been content, but he coveted what was not his,

and could not rightly be his, and this led him to great depth of sorrow, which shows the

shallowness of the king.

1B. Clarke, “Poor soul! he was lord over ten-twelfths of the land, and became miserable

because he could not get a poor man's vineyard added to all that he possessed! It is a true

saying, "That soul in which God dwells not, has no happiness: and he who has God has a

satisfying portion." Every privation and cross makes an unholy soul unhappy; and

privations and crosses it must ever meet with, therefore:-

"Where'er it goes is hell; itself is hell!"

2. Guzik, “This seemed entirely characteristic of Ahab. He seemed to be a spineless, pouting

man who reacted this way when he met any kind of adversity.” "So the scene is a vivid

picture of peevish Ahab turning his face to the wall and refusing to eat. He was like a

sulking child who could not get his own way." (Dilday)

Fond men, by passions wilfully betrayed,

Adore those idols which their fancy made ;

Purchasing riches with our time and care.

We lose our freedom in a gilded snare ;

In vain our fields and flocks increase our store.

If our abundance makes us wish for more.' — Sir John Denham.

3. Coffman, “What a royal pout was this! Ahab here demonstrated the selfish, peevish, and

cry-baby attitude of this weak and incompetent king. God pity any people whose ruler

behaves like a spoiled brat! Jezebel saw in this situation her opportunity for applying the

principles of government, as she had learned them in Sidon where her father was king. So

she took charge and promptly showed Ahab how the pagans did it.”

4. Henry, “His proud spirit aggravated the indignity �aboth did him in denying him, as a

thing not to be suffered. He cursed the squeamishness of �aboth's conscience, which he

pretended to consult the peace of, and secretly meditated revenge. �or could he bear the

disappointment; it cut him to the heart to be crossed in his desires, and he was perfectly

sick for vexation. �ote, (1.) Discontent is a sin that is its own punishment and makes men

torment themselves; it makes the spirit sad, the body sick, and all the enjoyments sour; it is

the heaviness of the heart and the rottenness of the bones. (2.) It is a sin that is its own

parent. It arises not from the condition, but from the mind. As we find Paul contented in a

prison, so Ahab discontent in a palace. He had all the delights of Canaan, that pleasant

land, at command the wealth of a kingdom, the pleasures of a court, and the honours and

powers of a throne; and yet all this avails him nothing without �aboth's vineyard.

Inordinate desires expose men to continual vexations, and those that are disposed to fret, be

they ever so happy, will always find something or other to fret at.”

5. Alexander Maclaren, “The weak rage and childish sulking of Ahab are very

characteristic of a feeble and selfish nature, accustomed to be humoured and not thwarted.

These fits of temper seem to have been common with him; for he was in one at the end of

the preceding chapter, as he is now. The ‘bed’ on which he flung himself is probably the

couch for reclining on at table, and, if so, the picture of his passion is still more vivid.

Instead of partaking of the meal, he turns his face to the wall, and refuses food. ‘�o meat

will down with him for want of a salad, because wanting �aboth’s vineyard for a garden of

herbs.’ As he lies there, like a spoiled child, all because he could not get his own way, he

may serve for an example of the misery of unbridled selfishness and unregulated desires.

An acre or two of land was a small matter to get into such a state about, and there are few

things that are worth a wise or a strong man’s being so troubled. Hezekiah might ‘turn his

face to the wall’ in the extremity of sickness and earnestness of prayer; but Ahab in doing it

is only a poor, feeble creature who has weakly set his heart on what is not his, and weakly

whimpers because he cannot have it.

To be thus at the mercy of our own ravenous desires, and so utterly miserable when they

are thwarted, is unworthy of manhood, and is sure to bring many a bitter moment; for

there are more disappointments than gratifications in store for such a one. We may learn

from Ahab, too, the certainty that weakness will darken into wickedness. Such a mood as

his always brings some Jezebel or other to suggest evil ways of succeeding. In this wicked

world there are more temptations to sin than helps to virtue, and the weak man will soon

fall into some of the abundant traps laid for him. Unless we have learned to say ‘�o’ with

much emphasis, because we are ‘strong in the Lord,’ we shall fall. ‘This did not I because of

the fear of the Lord.’ To be weak is to be miserable, and any sin may come from it.”

6. H. T. Howat, “The monarch is confounded. It was something new for him to have his will

resisted — except by Jezebel, when she wheedled and defied him alternately, — and so, like

all those who have long been in the habit of having their will obeyed, whether right or

wrong, he did not relish the novelty. If ever there was the picture of a grown man acting as

a spoiled child, we find it here. Ahab cannot have his toy, and so, driving back to Samaria,

he takes to his bed, turns his face to the wall, and punishing himself — surely the very

height of sullen folly — refuses all food. What a magnificent monarch !-and yet we should

be thankful for his worse than womanly weakness ; for had his force of character been

equal to his selfishness, he had been �ero, or Dionysius of Syracuse before their time.

Surely Ahab might have let �aboth alone, when he remembered the extent of his own

possessions. The subject had but one vineyard, the monarch probably had fifty ; but no, the

very fact that he has acquired so much only makes Ahab impatient for more — nay, for

him the gardens of Jezreel have lost all their beauty, because thwarted in obtaining the

neighboring plot. It is the story of * the little ewe lamb'^ over again in another form, and

the voice of another �athan, in tones of thunder, is soon to be heard.

5 His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, "Why are

you so sullen? Why won't you eat?"

1. David Dykes, “Jezebel was a foreigner.She was the daughter of Ethbaal. She married

Ahab in a political alliance and then began to control his life, and then the whole religious

life of the nation of Israel. Baal is the worship of fertility. Jezebel and all of her maidens

practiced all kinds of vulgar acts of worship and the nation of Israel became degraded and

defiled in the eyes of God. If Ahab was the vile toad who squatted on the throne of Israel,

Jezebel was the wicked adder coiled beside the throne.”

Jezebel comes sashaying into the royal bedroom and sees her husband with his back turned

to her, facing the wall, sobbing in disappointment and depression. She says to him like

probably many women have said to many men through the years, “What’s the matter, Big

Boy? What are you so sad about?” Ahab said, “I wanted �aboth’s vineyard and he

wouldn’t give it to me. I told him I would buy him another vineyard a good one and he said

I couldn’t have this vineyard!” Jezebel said, “Aren’t you the king? Can’t you take anything

you want at any time you want? Go just take that vineyard.” “�o, I can’t have it. �aboth

said I couldn’t have it.” Jezebel said, “Get up! Get up! Wash your face! Sit down, eat

supper and start acting like a king and I will get you �aboth’s vineyard.”

2. Jezebel was wicked to the core. She makes the wicked witch of the west look like a beauty

queen in comparison. Everything she did was ugly in the sight of God, and it is incredible

to see how long God put up with her before judgment fell. It is one of the mysteries of life

that God lets terrible people live so long to do their evil deeds. The only logical reason is his

mercy in giving them many chances to repent and become a part of his kingdom rather

than the kingdom of darkness. Eventually they always get their judgment, but it is slow in

coming because of God's patience.

6 He answered her, "Because I said to �aboth the

Jezreelite, 'Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I

will give you another vineyard in its place.' But he

said, 'I will not give you my vineyard.' "

1. He neglected to tell her of the legal reasons he could not have the land. He knew this

might slow her up a bit, and so he kept this fact from her.

7 Jezebel his wife said, "Is this how you act as king

over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I'll get you the

vineyard of �aboth the Jezreelite."

1. This is the point at which a righteous Ahab would say, “Forget it dear. I really don't need

that garden. I have plenty of other options.” He did not stop his wife, even knowing of her

evil scheming mind. My guess is that the not eating thing was his way of getting his wife to

come to his rescue by feeling sorry for him. . He could not break the law of Israel in good

conscience, but he knew his wife had no conscience, and she could get that vineyard for

him, and he cared not by what means she did it. The plan was working perfectly, and he

was happy that he had such a wicked wife to do his dirty work. Whether he planned it or

not, he did not stop what he knew was going to be an unjust wicked act, for there was no

just way to get possession of that vineyard.

2. Jamison, “After upbraiding Ahab for his pusillanimity and bidding him act as a king,

Jezebel tells him to trouble himself no more about such a trifle; she would guarantee the

possession of the vineyard.”

3. Henry, “"Dost thou govern Israel, and shall any subject thou hast deny thee any thing

thou hast a mind to? Art thou a king? It is below thee to buy and pay, much more to beg

and pray; use thy prerogative, and take by force what thou canst not compass by fair

means; instead of resenting the affront thus, revenge it. If thou knowest not how to support

the dignity of a king, let me alone to do it; give me but leave to make use of thy name, and I

will soon give thee the vineyard of !aboth; right or wrong, it shall be thy own shortly, and

cost thee nothing." Unhappy princes those are, and hurried apace towards their ruin, who

have those about them that stir them up to acts of tyranny and teach them how to abuse

their power.”

8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, placed his seal

on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who

lived in �aboth's city with him.

1. Jezebel had no problem using forged letters to achiever her evil scheme. There was no

limit to what she would do to get her own way. God, law, society, right, and fair were just

words, and they were not going to be obstacles in her way. Might was the only right in her

mind, and she was going to have what she wanted regardless of who got hurt or killed. She

was the ultimate in wickedness.

9 In those letters she wrote: "Proclaim a day of fasting

and seat �aboth in a prominent place among the

people.

1. Jamison, “Those obsequious and unprincipled magistrates did according to orders.

Pretending that a heavy guilt lay on one, or some unknown party, who was charged with

blaspheming God and the king and that Ahab was threatening vengeance on the whole city

unless the culprit were discovered and punished, they assembled the people to observe a

solemn fast. Fasts were commanded on extraordinary occasions affecting the public

interests of the state (2Ch 20:3; Ezr 8:21; Joe 1:14; 2:15; Jon 3:5). The wicked authorities

of Jezreel, by proclaiming the fast, wished to give an external appearance of justice to their

proceedings and convey an impression among the people that �aboth's crime amounted to

treason against the king's life. set �aboth on high--During a trial the panel, or accused

person, was placed on a high seat, in the presence of all the court; but as the guilty person

was supposed to be unknown, the setting of �aboth on high among the people must have

been owing to his being among the distinguished men of the place.”

2. Coffman: I want to keep a series of comments by Coffman together, for he is making a

point about Jezebel's knowledge of the law. “The purpose of this was to cast a religious

mantle over the whole diabolical procedure. The evil leaders of Jezreel, following Jezebel's

orders to the letter were pretending that their city was under some great cloud of guilt, due

to some citizen's having committed some capital crime. Their procedure mimicked the

behavior of Joshua following the sin of Achan, in which event, the guilt of the people could

not be lifted until Achan was identified and stoned to death, along with all the members of

his family (Josh. 7).

Set �aboth on high among the people

(1 Kings 21:9 ). This is somewhat misleading, because it sounds as if they were to honor

�aboth, but that is not what was meant. It was a command to bring him before a court, or

general assembly, for a public trial.

Set two men before him, base fellows, and let them bear witness against him

(1 Kings 21:10 ). How remarkable it is that Jezebel here betrayed a rather thorough

knowledge of the Law of Moses, which specifically required that at least two witnesses be

required for the condemnation of anyone accused of crime (�um. 35:30; Deut. 17:6 and

19:15).

Saying, that, Thou didst curse God and the king

(1 Kings 21:10 ). Oh yes, and Jezebel knew exactly what kind of a crime was punishable by

death (See Lev. 24:15).

And take him out, and stone him to death?

(1 Kings 21:10 ). Furthermore Jezebel was thoroughly familiar with the Divinely-prescribed

penalty for such a crime. Furthermore, she knew all about the instructions for such an

execution, how it was to be by stoning and outside the camp or the city (Leviticus 24:14). It

is hundreds of examples just like this (throughout the entire O.T., and which we have cited

in our commentaries) which effectively refute the nonsense advocated by the critical

community regarding a late date for the Pentateuch. Jezebel evidently was familiar with all

five of the Books of Moses in the mid-ninth century before Christ.

We treasure the significant word of Hammond, who wrote, "Even Jezebel bears witness to

the Pentateuch."

Thou didst curse God and the king

(1 Kings 21:10 ). The Hebrew text here has bless God and the king, and Snaith explains why

The word BLESSED was deliberately substituted for CURSED, because Jewish writers

considered it sinful even to write the word CURSE or BLASPHEME; and our English

versions have properly changed the word back again to CURSED.”

3. Maclaren, “She is wicked and strong. �otice how she takes the upper hand at once, in

her abrupt question, not without a spice of scorn; and note how Ahab answers, bemoaning

himself, putting in the forefront his fair proposal, and making �aboth’s refusal ruder than

it really had been, by suppressing its reason. Then out flashes the imperious will of this

masterful princess, who had come from a land where royalty was all-powerful, and who

had no restraints of conscience. She darts a half-contemptuous question at Ahab, to stir

him to action; for nothing moves a weak man so much as the fear of being thought weak.

‘Dost thou govern?’ implies, ‘If thou dost, thou mayest trample on a subject.’ It should

mean, ‘If thou dost, thou must jealously guard the subject’s rights.’ What a proud

consciousness of her power speaks in that ‘I will give thee the vineyard’! It is like Lady

Macbeth’s ‘Give me the dagger!’ �o more is said. She can keep her own counsel, and Ahab

suspects that some violence is to be used, which he had better not know. So, again, his

weakness leads him astray. He does not wish to hear what he is willing should be done, if

only he has not to do it. So feeble men hoodwink conscience by conniving at evils which

they dare not perpetrate, and then enjoying their fruits, and saying, ‘Thou canst not say I

did it.’

Jezebel had Ahab’s signet, the badge of authority, which she probably got from him for her

unspoken purpose. Her letter to the elders of Jezreel speaks out, with cynical disregard of

decency, the whole ugly conspiracy. It is direct, horribly plain, and imperative. There is a

perfect nest of sins hissing and coiled together in it. Hypocrisy calling religion in to attest a

lie, subornation of evidence, contempt for the poor tools who are to perjure themselves,

consciousness that such work will only be done by worthless men, cool lying, ferocity, and

murder,—these are a pretty company to crowd into half a dozen lines. Most detestable of

all is the plain speaking which shows her hardened audacity and conscious defiance of all

right. To name sin by its true name, and then to do it without a quiver, is a depth of evil

reached by few men, and perhaps fewer women.”

10 But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have

them testify that he has cursed both God and the king.

Then take him out and stone him to death."

1. Clarke, “Thou art an atheist and a rebel. Thou hast spoken words injurious to the

perfections and nature of God; and thou hast spoken words against the crown and dignity

of the king. The words literally are, !aboth hath BLESSED God and the king; or, as

Parkhurst contends, "Thou hast blessed the false gods and Molech," And though Jezebel

was herself an abominable idolatress; yet, as the law of Moses still continued in force, she

seems to have been wicked enough to have destroyed �aboth, upon the false accusation of

blessing the heathen Aleim and Molech, which subjected him to death by Deuteronomy

12:6;; 17:2-7. The first meaning appears the most simple.”

2. Gill, “Worthless wretches, that have cast off the yoke of the law, as Belial signifies,

lawless abandoned creatures, that have no conscience of anything; "knights of the post", as

we call them, that will swear anything; these were to be set before �aboth, right against

him to confront him, and accuse him to his face, and charge him with crimes next

mentioned:

saying, thou didst blaspheme God and the king:

and so was guilty of death for the former, if not for both, and of confiscation of estate for

the latter, which was the thing aimed at; and Jezebel was willing to make sure work of it,

and therefore would have him accused of both:

and then carry him out, and stone him, that he die;

immediately, without requiring the witnesses to give proof of their charge, and without

giving �aboth leave to answer for himself.”

3. Henry, “�ever were more wicked orders given by any prince than those which

Jezebel sent to the magistrates of Jezreel, 1 Kings 21:8-10 . She borrows the privy-

seal, but the king shall not know what she will do with it. It is probable this was not

the first time he had lent it to her, but that with it she had signed warrants for the

slaying of the prophets. She makes use of the king's name, knowing the thing would

please him when it was done, yet fearing he might scruple at the manner of doing it;

in short, she commands them, upon their allegiance, to put �aboth to death, without

giving them any reason for so doing. Had she sent witnesses to inform against him,

the judges (who must go secundum allegata et probata--according to allegations and

proofs) might have been imposed upon, and their sentence might have been rather

their unhappiness than their crime; but to oblige them to find the witnesses, sons of

Belial, to suborn them themselves, and then to give judgment upon a testimony

which they knew to be false, was such an impudent defiance to every thing that is

just and sacred as we hope cannot be paralleled in any story. She must have looked

upon the elders of Jezreel as men perfectly lost to every thing that is honest and

honourable when she expected these orders should be obeyed. But she will put them

in a way how to do it, having as much of the serpent's subtlety as she had of his

poison. [1.] It must be done under colour of religion: "Proclaim a fast; signify to

your city that you are apprehensive of some dreadful judgment coming upon you,

which you must endeavour to avert, not only by prayer, but by finding out and by

putting away the accursed thing; pretend to be afraid that there is some great

offender among you undiscovered, for whose sake God is angry with your city;

charge the people, if they know of any such, on that solemn occasion to inform

against him, as they regard the welfare of the city; and at last let �aboth be fastened

upon as the suspected person, probably because he does not join with his neighbours

in their worship. This may serve for a pretence to set him on high among the people,

to call him to the bar. Let proclamation be made that, if any one can inform the

court against the prisoner, and prove him to be the Achan, they shall be heard; and

then let the witnesses appear to give evidence against him." �ote, There is no

wickedness so vile, so horrid, but religion has sometimes been made a cloak and

cover for it. We must not think at all the worse of fasting and praying for their

having been sometimes thus abused, but much the worse of those wicked designs

that have at any time been carried on under the shelter of them.”

11 So the elders and nobles who lived in �aboth's city

did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to

them.

1. Ron Ritchie, “The elders and nobles received the letters and quickly obeyed, which

showed their moral and spiritual corruption in that city and the fear Ahab and Jezebel had

put in their hearts. The fast was proclaimed and the two witnesses (see Deuteronomy 17:6-

7), literally "sons of Belial" or sons of worthlessness, testified that �aboth had cursed God

and King Ahab. The charge: �aboth blasphemed God because he swore a formal oath

before King Ahab and God promising to sell him the land, and then he defaulted on his

promise. This innocent man and his sons (see 2 Kings 9:26) were then taken out to a field

and stoned to death (see Exodus 22:28; Leviticus 24:16), eliminating any legal heirs. Thus

Ahab could take possession of the land based on the legal codes of the ancient �ear East.”

2. Over half of the things that God hates were a part of this evil scheme.

"There are six things which the LORD hates,

Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:

Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,

And hands that shed innocent blood,

A heart that devises wicked plans,

Feet that run rapidly to evil,

A false witness who utters lies,

And one who spreads strife among brothers."

(Proverbs 6:16-19.)

3. Gill, “That Jezebel should contrive so execrable a scheme, and that there should be such

sons of Belial among the common people to swear to such falsehoods, need not seem

strange; but that the elders and nobles of the city, the chief magistrates thereof, should be

so sadly and universally depraved as to execute such a piece of villany, is really surprising.

Idolatry, when it prevails, takes away all sense of humanity and justice:”

12 They proclaimed a fast and seated �aboth in a

prominent place among the people.

1. The fast was designed to make it look like a crisis situation where they had to get to the

bottom of a danger facing the community. We need to focus on the danger of being under

the judgment of God because of some serious sin in our midst. They made sure that �aboth

was conspicuous, for he was the target of suspicion.

13 Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him

and brought charges against �aboth before the people,

saying, "�aboth has cursed both God and the king."

So they took him outside the city and stoned him to

death.

1. Clarke, “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, 2 Kings 9:26 ; Surely I have seen yesterday the blood

of !aboth, A!D THE BLOOD OF HIS SO!S, saith the Lord.”

2. “Alexander Maclaren noted three types of dangerous characters in this chapter: (1)

Ahab who was wicked and weak. (2) Jezebel who was wicked and strong. (3) The Elders of

Jezreel, who were wicked and subservient.”

3. Clearly this was not a trial, but a lynching by a mob of officials who feared to go against

the rough grain of the queen, for they doubtless knew that she was behind the order, and

they knew that defying her would be a signing of their own death warrant. We know they

knew it was her order because in v. 14 they send word to her that the evil deed was

completed. They railroaded �aboth, and quickly got the dastardly deed done lest any

prolonged trial would prove that �aboth was innocent. He had no time to defend himself,

and no time to show that his accusers were common scum who cared nothing about God or

the king. The whole thing was a colossal miscarriage of justice. Ahab and Jezebel did many

evil things, but this was the one that brought down on them the worst judgment of God.

They both were to have dogs licking up their blood, and in Jezebel's case, she was to be

basically consumed by dogs.

4. Henry, “It must be done under colour of justice too, and with the formalities of a legal

process. Had she sent to them to hire some of their banditti, some desperate ruffians, to

assassinate him, to stab him as he went along the streets in the night, the deed would have

been bad enough; but to destroy him by a course of law, to use that power for the

murdering of the innocent which ought to be their protection, was such a violent perversion

of justice and judgment as was truly monstrous, yet such as we are directed not to marvel at,

Ecclesiastes 5:8. The crime they must lay to his charge was blaspheming God and the king--

a complicated blasphemy. Surely she could not think to put a blasphemous sense upon the

answer he had given to Ahab, as if denying him his vineyard were blaspheming the king,

and giving the divine law for the reason were blaspheming God. �o, she pretends not any

ground at all for the charge: though there was no colour of truth in it, the witnesses must

swear it, and �aboth must not be permitted to speak for himself, or cross-examine the

witnesses, but immediately, under pretence of a universal detestation of the crime, they

must carry him out and stone him. His blaspheming God would be the forfeiture of his life,

but not of his estate, and therefore he is also charged with treason, in blaspheming the king,

for which his estate was to be confiscated, that so Ahab might have his vineyard.”

14 Then they sent word to Jezebel: "�aboth has been

stoned and is dead."

1. Pink, “To such lengths are men allowed to go in their wickedness that at times onlookers

are made to wonder if there be such a thing as justice, if after all might be not right. Surely,

if there were a God who loved righteousness and possessed the power to prevent flagrant

unrighteousness, we should not witness such grievous wrongs inflicted upon the innocent,

and such triumphing of the wicked. Ah, that is no new problem, but one which has

recurred again and again in the history of this world, a world which lieth in the Wicked

One. It is one of the mystery elements arising out of the conflict between good and evil. It

supplies one of the severest tests of our faith in God and His government of this earth.”

2. Henry, “�ever were wicked orders more wickedly obeyed than these were by the

magistrates of Jezreel. They did not so much as dispute the command nor make any

objections against it, though so palpably unjust, but punctually observed all the particulars

of it, either because they feared Jezebel's cruelty or because they hated �aboth's piety, or

both: They did as it was written in the letters (1 Kings 21:11,12 ), neither made any difficulty

of it, nor met with any difficulty in it, but cleverly carried on the villany. They stoned

�aboth to death (1 Kings 21:13 ), 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

9:26), I have seen the blood of !aboth and the blood of his sons. Perhaps they were secretly

murdered, that they might not claim their father's estate nor complain of the wrong done

him.

Let us take occasion from this sad story, (1.) To stand amazed at the wickedness of the

wicked, and the power of Satan in the children of disobedience. What a holy indignation

may we be filled with to see wickedness in the place of judgment! Ecclesiastes 3:16. (2.) To

lament the hard case of oppressed innocency, and to mingle our tears with the tears of the

oppressed that have no comforter, while on the side of the oppressors there is power,

Ecclesiastes 4:1. (3.) To commit the keeping of our lives and comforts to God, for innocency

itself will not always be our security. (4.) To rejoice in the belief of a judgment to come, in

which such wrong judgments as these will be called over. �ow we see that there are just

men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked (Ecclesiastes 8:14), but all will

be set to rights in the great day.”

15 As soon as Jezebel heard that �aboth had been

stoned to death, she said to Ahab, "Get up and take

possession of the vineyard of �aboth the Jezreelite

that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but

dead."

1. Here is a happy queen doing what had to be done to cheer up her wimpy husband. She

can't wait to tell him how efficient she has been in getting him the vineyard that he wanted

so badly. It all happened so fast, and she is so proud of herself. Hearing this good news

motivated Ahab to rise an shine. It was a glorious day for both of them. Evil people can be

so happy and proud of themselves when they can wield their power and get their way.

Everything was perfect until Elijah is called in to report the long range consequences of

their actions. People are so stupid when they do not calculate the long range view. They see

only the joyful present of victory by means of evil. They cast out of their minds all godly

perspective, and refuse to count the long range cost of defying the law of God. There is no

other word to describe such long range blindness but stupid. How stupid can you get to do

what gives you momentary pleasure, but leads to perpetual pain? What this means is that

all sin is just stupidity in control. Common sense tells us that it is stupid to choose any

action that costs so much more than its value. This murder was a joyous victory for them,

but it cost them the wrath of God, and that is not a good deal, but one of infinite stupidity.

2. C.S. Lewis writes, “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God,

“Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that

are in Hell, choose it. �o soul that serious and constantly desires joy will ever miss it.

Those who seek find. To those who knock, it is opened.” [Great Divorce, chapter 9].

16 When Ahab heard that �aboth was dead, he got up

and went down to take possession of �aboth's

vineyard.

1. It was clearly his plot to use his wife to get his way, and he asks no questions about how

�aboth died. He just pretends it was a lucky break for him, and he is going to take

advantage of it by going to take possession of his vineyard. He has no concern for anyone

but himself as he gets over his grumpy mood like a crybaby child throwing a fit until they

get their candy.

2. Maclaren, “Her indecent triumph at the success of the plot, and her utter callousness, are

expressed in her words to Ahab, in which the main point is the taking possession of the

vineyard. The death of its owner is told with exultation, as being nothing but the sweeping

aside of an obstacle. Ahab asks no questions as to how this opportune clearing away of

hindrance came about. He knew, no doubt, well enough that there had been foul play; but

that does not matter to him, and such a trifle as murder does not slacken his glad haste to

get his new toy.” “And so the deed is done: �aboth safe stoned out of the way; and Ahab

goes down to take possession! The lesson of that is, my friend,—Weak dallying with

forbidden desires is sure to end in wicked clutching at them. Young men, take care! You

stand upon the beetling edge of a great precipice, when you look over, from your fancied

security, at a wrong thing; and to strain too far, and to look too fixedly, leads to a perilous

danger of toppling over and being lost! If you know that a thing cannot be won without

transgression, do not tamper with hankerings for it. Keep away from the edge, and ‘ shut

your eyes from beholding vanity.’”

17 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the

Tishbite:

1. An unknown author has a wonderful message for all of us. “The events of which we have

just read take place some 5 to 6 years after the events on Mount Horeb. In that interim,

Elijah has not been heard from nor seen in the life and affairs of Israel. Perhaps his time

was spent training the prophet Elisha to take his place. Perhaps it was time wherein God

allowed the prophet to rest his spirit, his mind and his body. Whatever the reason, it seems

that there is a 5 or 6 year span in Elijah's life when he is on the shelf and is not being used

by the Lord, at least in a public way.

God's Grace In The Situation - Perhaps Elijah thought that he had served the Lord for the

last time. Perhaps he thought that his last days on the earth would be spent preparing

Elisha for the tasks that lay ahead in his ministry. Perhaps he thought that he would be

remembered as Elijah the has been. But, the Word of God did come to the man of God

again! God still had a plan for this man's life and He intended to use him again for His

glory. Elijah experienced the grace of God in being taken off the shelf and placed back on

the front line for the glory of God.

Be faithful to Him even when you are in one of the dry times of life. There will come a day

when the Master will pass by the shelf He has you sitting on and He will take you down and

put you back in the fight for the glory of the Lord. God hasn't forgotten about you! I would

imagine that Jonah thought he had preached his last message as he lay in that whale's belly.

He was wrong! Peter thought he was washed up as a disciple when he denied Jesus at that

Roman fire. He was Wrong! John mark thought that he would never be trusted by the

Apostles after he abandoned Paul and Barnabas on the mission field. He was Wrong! David

probably thought that he would never shout and sing again after what he did with

Bathsheba. He was Wrong! And, friend, if you think you are washed u p this morning

because of some sin or circumstance in your life, you are wrong too! We serve the "God of

the Second Chance!" Your answer is the same as Elijah's: confess your sins, humble

yourself before the Lord, learn the lessons He is trying to teach you and wait for Him to call

you back into effective service for His glory!”

18 "Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in

Samaria. He is now in �aboth's vineyard, where he

has gone to take possession of it.

1. Pink, “A living, righteous and sin-hating God had observed the wickedness to which

Ahab had been a willing party, and determined to pass sentence upon him, employing none

other than the stern Tishbite as His mouthpiece. In connection with matters of less

moment, junior prophets had been sent to the king a short time before (20:13, 22, 28), but

on this occasion none less than the father of the prophets was deemed a suitable agent It

called for a man of great courage and undaunted spirit to con front the king, charging him

with his horrid crime and denouncing sentence of death upon him in God’s name. Who so

well qualified as Elijah for this formidable and perilous undertaking? Herein we may

perceive how the Lord reserves the hardest tasks for the most experienced and mature of

His servants. Peculiar qualifications are required for special and important missions, and

for the development of those qualifications, a rigid apprenticeship has to be served. Alas,

that these principles are so little recognized by the churches today.”

2. We see God again practicing poetic justice. He waits until Ahab gets to his murder

purchased vineyard to send Elijah to let him know what the real cost is to be for this evil

purchase. He will pay for his clever injustice with his life, and he gets this bad news just as

he is enjoying the fruits of his wickedness. It kind of spoils the whole victory to be told that

what cost you nothing is really going to cost you everything. You never get a good bargain

when you get what you want by defying the law of God.

19 Say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Have you

not murdered a man and seized his property?' Then

say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: In the place

where dogs licked up �aboth's blood, dogs will lick up

your blood-yes, yours!' "

1. Clarke, “It is in vain to look for a literal fulfillment of this prediction. Thus it would have

been fulfilled, but the humiliation of Ahab induced the merciful God to say, I will not bring

the evil in his days, but in the days of his son, 1 Kings 21:29 . �ow dogs did lick the blood of

Ahab; but it was at the pool of Samaria, where his chariot and his armour were washed,

after he had received his death wound at Ramoth-gilead; but some think this was the place

where �aboth was stoned: see 1 Kings 22:38 . And how literally the prediction concerning

his son was fulfilled, see 2 Kings 9:25 , where we find that the body of Jehoram his son, just

then slain by an arrow that had passed through his heart, was thrown into the portion of the

field of !aboth the Jezreelite; and there, doubtless, the dogs licked his blood, if they did not

even devour his body.”

2. Pink, “With no smooth and soothing message was the prophet now sent forth. It was

enough to terrify himself: what then must it have meant to the guilty Ahab! It proceeded

from Him who is King of kings and Lord of lords, the supreme and righteous Governor of

the universe, whose omniscient eye is witness to all events and whose omnipotent arm shall

arrest and punish all evil doers. It was the word of Him who declares, "Can any hide

himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and

earth?" (Jer. 23:24). For "His eyes are upon the ways of man, and He seeth all his goings.

There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide them

selves" (Job 34:21, 22). It was a word of denunciation, bringing to light the hidden things of

darkness. It was a word of accusation, boldly charging Ahab with his crimes. It was a word

of condemnation, making known the awful doom which should surely overtake the one who

had blatantly trampled upon the Divine Law.”

3. Guzik, “In the place where dogs licked the blood of �aboth, dogs shall lick your blood,

even yours: This was a strong and startling prophecy. It was not fulfilled, because Ahab

died in Samaria and the dogs licked his blood there (1 Kings 22:38), instead of in Jezreel

where �aboth was murdered. This unfulfilled prophecy has needlessly troubled some.

Various explanations have been made, including the ideas that Elijah meant a general area

and not a specific place, or that there were pools or streams that carried the blood from

Ahab's chariot to the waters of Jezreel, or that this was fulfilled in the blood that ran in the

veins of Ahab's son Joram (2 Kings 9:25). A far better explanation is found in the fact that

because of Ahab's sorrow and repentance at the end of the chapter, God relented from this

judgment and instead brought it upon Ahab's son (in 2 Kings 9:24-26) as the Lord said He

would in 1 Kings 21:29.”

4. Gill, “Killed in order to possess, and now taken possession upon the murder; some

versions, as the Vulgate Latin and Arabic, read without an interrogation, "thou hast killed

and hath taken possession", so Joseph Kimchi and Ben Melech; charging him with the

murder of �aboth, and the unjust possession of his vineyard; the murder is ascribed to

him, because his covetousness was the cause of it; and it was done by the contrivance of his

wife; and it is highly probable Ahab knew more of it, and connived at it, and consented to

it, than what is recorded, and however, by taking possession upon it, he abetted the fact:”

5. Coffman, “How ridiculous is the comment of critics that, These words were not exactly

fulfilled in history. While true enough that the fulfillment of this dreadful prophecy varied

in some degree from what is said here, the variation was due to the repentance of Ahab

which fully justified the slight changes (Jeremiah 18:7-10), because all of God's promises of

judgment and punishment upon either nations or individuals are contingent, always, upon

whether or not there is a significant change in the life of the condemned.

In Ahab's case, that change occurred. But even so, the fulfillment of these dreadful

judgments against Ahab were so remarkably and circumstantially fulfilled that the witness

of God's eternal power and Godhead is evident in every one of them!

God promised to remove Ahab? He did so. Some of the penalties God would defer from

Ahab to his son, because of his repentance (1 Kings 21:29 ). This occurred. Jezebel would be

eaten of dogs at the rampart of Jezreel. Did that happen? Yes. Ahab's household would

become like that of Jeroboam or Baasha, i.e., his dynasty would terminate. Did that occur?

Certainly. The dogs would lick Ahab's blood in the place where they licked the blood of

�aboth. The dogs licked the blood of Ahab at the pool in Samaria where the harlots bathed,

instead of doing so in the vineyard that belonged to �aboth at Jezreel (only seven miles

away), but both were in one place (the kingdom of Samaria). Furthermore, Joram who

carried the blood of Ahab was the last of Ahab's house, and he was thrown by Jehu upon

the very plot of ground where the dogs licked �aboth's blood (at Jezreel) (2 Kings 9:26 ). In

all the Bible there's hardly a more convincing group of prophecies and their marvelous

fulfillment than we have here.”

20 Ahab said to Elijah, "So you have found me, my

enemy!" "I have found you," he answered, "because

you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the

LORD .

1. “When these two men meet, the first to speak is Ahab. He sees Elijah approaching and

calls him his enemy. It had been a long time since these two had seen each other, and there

was no love lost between them. But, while Ahab looked at Elijah as his enemy, Elijah was,

in fact, the best friend Ahab had! How so? Because Elijah tried his best to teach Ahab the

proper way to live his life. He tried repeatedly to point him in the right direction. If Ahab

wanted to find his real enemy he needed to look no farther than the woman he called his

wife. She was the source of his trouble, not Elijah! The Word of God tells us that much of

what Ahab did was because he listened to his wife, v. 25. She was a vile and wicked woman!

Elijah's response to Ahab is to confront his sin head on. The man of God pulls no punches,

but he lets Ahab know that his sins have been exposed! This reminds me of the time �athan

came into King David and said, "Thou are the man!" I am sure that Ahab had already

rationalized the events with �aboth away by saying, "Well, I didn't have anything to do

with it. I was in the palace minding my business when Jezebel came and told me that

�aboth was dead. If she had a hand it, well that's just too bad, but it isn't my fault!"

However, Elijah's statement exposes the fact that Ahab is at the center of the blame for all

that has taken place! �aboth is dead because Ahab was covetous. �aboth is dead because

Ahab had no control over his wife. �aboth is dead because Ahab turned a blind eye to that

which was right. �aboth is dead because Ahab had no regard for the clear Word of God.

�aboth is dead because Ahab is sold under sin! When Elijah uses the word "sold", it is an

interesting play on words. This is a word that means "a habitual lifestyle given over to

something." It can also mean "to marry." �ot only has Ahab manifested wickedness in his

life day by day, but he had also married wickedness when he took Jezebel to be his wife.”

author unknown

2. Clarke, “See a similar form of speech, Romans 7:14. Thou hast totally abandoned thyself

to the service of sin. Satan is become thy absolute master, and thou his undivided slave.”

3. Pink, “With what consternation must the king have beheld him! The prophet would be

the last man he wished or expected to see, believing that Jezebel’s threat had frightened

him away so that he would be troubled by him no more. Perhaps Ahab thought that he had

fled to some distant country or was in his grave by this time: but here he stood before him.

The king was evidently startled and dismayed by the sight of Elijah. His conscience would

smite him for his base wickedness, and the very place of their present meeting would add to

his discomfort. He therefore could not look on the Tishbite without terror and fearful

foreboding that some dire threat of vengeance was at hand from Jehovah. In his fright and

annoyance he cried, "Hast thou found me?" Am I now tracked down? A guilty heart can

never be at peace. Had he not been conscious of how ill he deserved at the hands of God, he

would not have greeted His servant as "O mine enemy." It was because his heart

condemned him as an enemy of God that he was so disconcerted at being confronted by His

ambassador.”

4. Gill, “because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord;

had given up himself wholly to his lusts, was abandoned to them, and as much under the

power of them as a man is that has sold himself to another to be his slave; and which he

served openly, publicly in the sight of the omniscient God, and in defiance of him.

Abarbinel gives another sense of the word we render "sold thyself", that he "made himself

strange", as if he was ignorant, and did not know what Jezebel had done; whereas he knew

fully the whole truth of the matter, and that �aboth was killed through her contrivance,

and by her management purposely; and so he did evil in the sight of that God that knows

all things, pretending he was ignorant when he was not, and this Elijah found out by divine

revelation; so the word is used in (Genesis 42:6) (2 Kings 12:5,7 ) , but the former sense is

best, as appears from (1 Kings 21:25 ).”

5. Maclaren, “The king gets the crime done, shuffles it off himself on to the shoulders of his

ready tools in the little village, goes down to get his toy, and gets it—but he gets Elijah

along with it, which was more than he reckoned on. When, all full of impatience and hot

haste to solace himself with his new possession, he rushes down to seize the vineyard, he

finds there, standing at the gate, waiting for him—black-browed, motionless, grim, an

incarnate conscience—the prophet whom he had not seen for years, the prophet that he

had last seen on Carmel, bearding alone the servants of Baal, and executing on them the

solemn judgment of death; and there leaps at once to his lip, ‘Hast thou found me, O mine

enemy?’

‘Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? ’ Elijah was the best friend that Ahab had in his

kingdom. And that Jezebel there, the wife of his bosom, whom he loved and thanked for

this new toy, she was the worst foe that hell could have sent him. Ay, and so it is always. The

faithful rebuker, the merciful inflicter of pain, is the truest friend of the wrongdoer. The

worst enemy of the sinful heart is the voice that either tempts it into sin, or lulls it into self-

complacency. And this is one of the most certain workings of evil desires in our spirits, that

they pervert for us all the relations of things, that they make us blind to all the moral truths

of God’s universe. Sin is blind as to itself, blind as to its own consequences, blind as to who

are its friends and who are its foes, blind as to earth, blind as to another world, blind as to

God. The man who walks in the ‘vain show’ of transgression, whose heart is set upon evil,

—he fancies that ashes are bread, and stones gold (as in the old fairy story); and, on the

other hand, he thinks that the true sweet is the bitter, and turns away from God’s angels

and God’s prophets, with, ‘Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?’ That is the reason, my

friend, of not a little of the infidelity that haunts this world—that sin, perverted and

blinded, stumbles about in its darkness, and mistakes the face of the friend for the face of

the foe. God sends you in mercy a conscience to prick and sting you that you may be kept

right; and you think that it is your enemy. God sends in His mercy the discipline of life,

pains and sorrows, to draw us away from the wrong, to make us believe that the right in

this world and the next is life, and that holiness is happiness for evermore. And then, when,

having done wrong, God’s merciful messenger of a sharp sorrow finds us out, we say, ‘Hast

thou found me, O mine enemy?’ and begin to wonder about the mysteries of Providence,

and how it comes that there is evil in the creation of a good God. Why, physical evil is the

best friend of the man that is subject to moral evil. Sorrow is the truest blessing to a sinner.

The best thing that can befall any of us is that God shall not let us alone in any wrong

course, without making us feel His rod, without hedging up our way with thorns, and

sending us by His grace into a better one. There is no mystery in sorrow. There is a mystery

in sin; but sorrow following on the back of sin is the true friend, and not the enemy, of the

wrong-doing spirit.”

21 'I am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume

your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last

male in Israel-slave or free.

1. Pink, “It is the business of God’s servant not only to paint in its true colors the course

which the sinner has chosen to follow, but to make known the inevitable consequence of

such a course. First and negatively, they who have sold themselves to work evil in the sight

of the Lord "have sold themselves for nought" (Isa. 52:3). Satan has assured them that by

engaging in his service they shall be greatly the gainers, that by giving free rein to their

lusts they shall be merry and enjoy life. But he is a liar, as Eve discovered at the beginning.

Of those who sell themselves to work evil it may be inquired, "Wherefore do ye spend

money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not?" (Isa.

55:2). There is no contentment of mind, no peace of conscience, no real joy of heart to be

obtained by indulging the flesh, but rather the wrecking of health and the storing up of

misery. Oh, what a wretched bargain is this: to sell ourselves "for nought"! To squander

our substance in riotous living and then come to woeful want. To render full obedience to

the dictates of sin and receive only kicks and cuffs in return. What madness to serve such a

master!”

2. Henry, “Those that give up themselves to sin will certainly be found out, sooner or later,

to their unspeakable horror and amazement. Ahab is now set to the bar, as �aboth was,

and trembles more than he did. [1.] Elijah finds the indictment against him, and convicts

him upon the notorious evidence of the fact (1 Kings 21:19 ): Hast thou killed, and also taken

possession? He was thus charged with the murder of �aboth, and it would not serve him to

say the law killed him (perverted justice is the highest injustice), nor that, if he was unjustly

prosecuted, it was not his doing--he knew nothing of it; for it was to please him that it was

done, and he had shown himself pleased with it, and so had made himself guilty of all that

was done in the unjust prosecution of �aboth. He killed, for he took possession. If he takes

the garden, he takes the guilt with it. Terra transit cum onere--The land with the

incumbrance. [2.] He passes judgment upon him. He told him from God that his family

should be ruined and rooted out (1 Kings 21:21 ) and all his posterity cut off,--that his house

should be made like the houses of his wicked predecessors, Jeroboam and Baasha (1 Kings

21:22), particularly that those who died in the city should be meat for dogs and those who

died in the field meat for birds (1 Kings 21:24 ), which had been foretold of Jeroboam's

house (1 Kings 14:11 ), and of Baasha's (1 Kings 16:4 ),-- that Jezebel, particularly, should

be devoured by dogs (1 Kings 21:23 ), which was fulfilled (2 Kings 9:36 ),-- and, as for Ahab

himself, that the dogs should lick his blood in the very same place where they licked

�aboth's (1 Kings 21:19 -- "Thy blood, even thine, though it be royal blood, though it swell

thy veins with pride and boil in thy heart with anger, shall ere long be an entertainment for

the dogs"), which was fulfilled, 1 Kings 22:38 . This intimates that he should die a violent

death, should come to his grave with blood, and that disgrace should attend him, the

foresight of which must needs be a great mortification to such a proud man. Punishments

after death are here most insisted on, which, though such as affected the body only, were

perhaps designed as figures of the soul's misery after death.”

3. Someone quoted this text, unfortunately in all capitals, but still of value. "A�D THEY

COVET FIELDS, A�D TAKE THEM BY VIOLE�CE; A�D HOUSES, A�D TAKE

THEM AWAY: SO THEY OPPRESS A MA� A�D HIS HOUSE, EVE� A MA� A�D HIS

HERITAGE. THEREFORE THUS SAITH THE LORD, BEHOLD, AGAI�ST THIS

FAMILY DO I DEVISE A� EVIL, FROM WHICH YE SHALL �OT REMOVE YOUR

�ECKS; �EITHER SHALL YE GO HAUGHTILY: FOR THIS TIME IS EVIL." (Micah

1:2, 3)

22 I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of

�ebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you

have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to

sin.'

1. Pink, “Divine judgment would fall not only upon the apostate king and his vile consort

but upon their family as well; so that his evil house should be utterly exterminated. Is it not

written, "the name of the wicked shall rot" (Prov. 10:7)? We are here supplied with an awe-

inspiring illustration of that solemn principle in the governmental dealings of God:

"visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children" (Ex. 20:5). Behold here the justice of

God in making Ahab reap as he had sown: not only had he consented unto the death of

�aboth (21:8), but the sons of �aboth also had been slain (2 Kings 9:26), hence Divine

retribution was visited not only upon Ahab and Jezebel but on their children too.

"And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of �ebat, and like the house

of Baasha the son of Ahijah." In declaring that He would make the house of Ahab like unto

that of two other wicked kings who preceded him, God announced the total destruction of

his descendants, and that by a violent end. For the house of Jeroboam— whose dynasty

lasted barely twenty-four years—we read, "He smote all the house of Jeroboam: he left not

to Jeroboam any that breathed, until He had destroyed him (1 Kings 15:29); while of

Baasha—whose dynasty lasted only just over a quarter of a century—we are told, "He left

him not one male, neither of his kinsfolks, nor of his friends" (1 Kings 16:11). Probably one

reason why the fearful doom which overtook the families of his predecessors as here

specifically mentioned, was to emphasize still further the enormity of Ahab’s conduct—that

he had failed to take to heart those recent judgments of God.”

23 "And also concerning Jezebel the LORD says:

'Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of [a] Jezreel.'

1. Clarke, “This was most literally fulfilled; see 2 Kings 9:36 .”

2. Pink, “�o vain threats were those which the prophet uttered, but announcements of

Divine judgment which were fulfilled not long after. Jezebel outlived her husband for some

years but her end was just as Elijah had foretold. True to her depraved character we find

that on the very day of her death "she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out

at a window" to attract attention (2 Kings 9:30). It is solemn to observe that God takes note

of such things, not with approbation but abhorrence; and it is equally solemn to learn from

this passage that those women who paint their faces and go to so much trouble in

artificially dressing their hair and seeking to make themselves conspicuous, belong to the

same class as this evil queen or "cursed" creature (v. 34). She was thrown out of the

window by some of her own attendants, her blood sprinkling the wall, and her corpse being

ruthlessly trampled under foot. A short time after, when orders were given for her burial,

so thoroughly had the dogs done their work that naught remained but "the skull and the

feet and the palms of her hands" (2 Kings 9:35). God is as faithful and true in making good

His threatenings as He is in fulfilling His promises.”

3. We see above that Pink left off describing the Bible and Jezebel to take a shot at the

women of his day, and especially those who used makeup and other beauty products. Pink

obviously did not like pink on the faces of the women of his day. We see here the danger of

using strong personal feelings about something, and making a judgment that is very severe.

Pink has offended just about 98 percent of Christian women by calling them equally evil on

the level of Jezebel. He took a cultural thing and made it equal to one of the ten

commandments, and classified all who violated his legalistic view as cursed along with the

wicked queen Jezebel. I love Pink, and will never cease to quote him, but I like to use the

blunders of great men as illustrations of how foolish they can be in making their personal

preferences and convictions the law for all God's people for all time. Check your Bible and

you will see that God is not opposed to women using beauty products. Esther saved the

whole Jewish nation by spending hours dolling herself up before she faced the king.

4. “Just a word of application here: There will come a time when God says, "That's

enough!" He mat allow man to wander in sin for a season, but the day will come when the

hammer of God's judgment will fall, and when it does, His judgment will be swift, sure and

harsh! Do not think that you can play around on God and get by. There is always a price to

pay for sins committed and left unconfessed - Gal. 6:9; �um. 32:23. The wheels of God's

judgment may grind slow, but they grind exceedingly fine! The day will come when God

will look at your life an say "That's enough!" What will it cost you in that day? Don't be a

fool!” author unknown

5. This diabolical duo descended deep into the depths of depravity in defying all divine

declarations of decency, and desecrating all devotion to deity by their devilish

determination to defame a decent man. Deity designed that their destiny would doubly

descend to the depths of being devoured by dogs.

Jezebel was a Jezebel

Raised up from the pit of hell.

All she did or said was rude.

Her final end was just dog food.

�o baby girl will wear that name,

She ruined it for all time.

Her actions bordered on insane,

As she plotted brutal crime.

She cared not for God nor man.

She only wanted her way.

She totally forgot the ultimate plan

Where God has the final say. Glenn Pease

24 "Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in

the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who

die in the country."

1. This is about as bad as it can get when no member of your family is safe from being eaten

by wild life either in the city or in the country. When your choice is between being eater by

dogs or being eaten by birds there is not a lot of compelling evidence to support one over

the other. It is a sad judgment any way you look at it. It is bad news for everyone connected

to this family of the king. Better off are the lowly peasants struggling for survival than the

children of the king, for they have no destiny but the wrath of God. It is a family doomed

because of evil behavior that is intolerable to a righteous God.

25 (There was never a man like Ahab, who sold

himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD , urged on

by Jezebel his wife.

1. Ron Ritchie, “God announced five prophecies against the king and queen of Israel: (1) "I

will bring evil upon you, and will utterly sweep you away." (2) "I will cut off from Ahab

every male, both bond and free in Israel." (3) "I will make your house like the house of

Jeroboam...and like the house of Baasha... [these two houses in the northern tribes of Israel

were cut off because of their gross idolatry] because of the provocation with which you

have provoked Me to anger, and because you have made Israel sin." (4) "And of

Jezebel...The dogs shall eat Jezebel in the district of Jezreel." (5) "The one belonging to

Ahab, who dies in the city, the dogs shall eat, and the one who dies in the field the birds of

heaven shall eat."

2. Gill, “�ot of any of his predecessors, even those whose families had been destroyed, as

his would be, (1 Kings 21:21 ) . (See Gill on 21:20). whom Jezebel his wife stirred up;

to idolatry, revenge, and murder, and to whose will he was a slave, and is one instance of his

being a captive to sin, and giving up himself to the power of it.”

26 He behaved in the vilest manner by going after

idols, like the Amorites the LORD drove out before

Israel.)

1. Coffman, “The Amorites here are used as a synecdoche for all of the seven nations of the Canaanites

whom God drove out of Canaan before Israel. The threat implied by this mention of the horrible wickedness

of the Amorites is that Israel also must be cast out of Canaan for the same reason, their idolatry. The eternal

justice and impartiality of God made such a casting out of Israel mandatory.”

2. Gill, “And he did very abominably in following idols…

Which were abominable to the Lord; "dunghill gods", as the Tigurine version:

according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast out

before the children of Israel;

meaning the seven nations that formerly inhabited Canaan, but were driven out for their

sins, to make way for the children of Israel, of which the Amorites were one, and here put

for all the rest.”

27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes,

put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and

went around meekly.

1. He was facing a lot of bad news about his future, and it got to him. He realized that he

had gone too far in his wickedness, and it was about to catch up with him. He pushed God

to his limits by his rebellion against all that was good. He knew that Elijah's words were

always trustworthy, for he spoke for God, and so he knew his future was a nightmare of

judgment.

2. Clarke, “Walked barefooted; so the Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic. The Vulgate has demisso

capite, "with his head hanging down." Houbigant translates went groaning. Jarchi says that

the word at, used here, signifies to be unshod. This is its most likely sense. All these things

prove that Ahab's repentance was genuine; and God's approbation of it puts it out of

doubt.”

3. Coffman, “This may well be translated, `He went about depressed.' However, Josephus'

stated that it means, He went barefoot. The passage in Jer. 18:7-10 is pertinent to this

change in the life of Ahab; and it explains some changes in the plans for the punishment of

Ahab; but the punishment was not removed, it was merely delayed. In this connection

Canon Cook pointed out that, "The repentance of the �inevites put off the destruction of

�ineveh for about a century."

One might have expected that Ahab's repentance was permanent; but the following chapter

records the death of this wicked king and also reveals that Ahab simply did not believe the

word of Jehovah as conveyed to him by the mouth of the prophet Micaiah. Alas, that is the

failure of whole generations of the children of Adam. �othing, in all the Bible, is any more

important than a little line in Our Savior's great prayer. "I pray ... for them ... that believe

on me through their word." (John 17:20). Their word here is a reference to the word of the

apostles.

In the very nature of God's dealings with mankind, he does not speak to men directly and

individually, but through the word of the holy prophets and apostles of the O.T. and the

�.T. Just as some today will not believe God's words though the apostles, Ahab of old

would not believe God's word through the prophet. The result of that unbelief will be

dramatically unfolded in the next chapter.”

4. Gill, “And it came to pass when Ahab heard these words…Delivered in (1 Kings 21:21-24 ) ,

that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon, his flesh,tore off his clothes, and stripped

himself of all, even of his very shirt, and put sackcloth on his bare flesh, a coarse cloth

made of hair, and such as sacks are made with: and fasted,how long it is not said: and lay in

sackcloth;in the night on his bed, would have no linen on him day nor night: and went

softly:step by step, as persons mourning, grieving, and pensive, do; the Targum renders it

"barefoot", and so Jarchi.”

28 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the

Tishbite:

1. God is keeping his eye on everything that is going on, and when he sees a radical change

in the behavior of Ahab, he lets his prophet know of his change in mind about how he is

going to judge him. God keeps Elijah informed on things that he could not know apart

from the omniscience of God.

29 "Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself

before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not

bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his

house in the days of his son."

1. Here we see the amazing grace of God in the Old Testament. This man is among the

worst sinners ever, and yet because he humbled himself before God, there was room in the

heart of God for mercy. The judgment he rightly deserved did not fall on him, but was

postponed to a later time. Judgment still came, for justice demanded it, but it skipped the

man who most deserved it. God is a softy in the face of humility. When a man will bow

before God and admit his folly, God's heart of mercy overwhelms his spirit of justice, and

he backs off of his anger. His heart is melted by humility even in the worst of sinners. This

text give hope for every wicked man, for few can ever be as wicked as Ahab, and he was

spared by humbling himself before God. We notice that Jezebel is conspicuous by her

absence in this scene of humbling. In her pride she would never bow to Jehovah, and the

result is, we read of no mercy being expressed concerning her judgment. It happened just

as Elijah said it was to happen, and she died a horrible death and was eaten by dogs.

1B. Clarke, “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. He that mourns shall be comforted; thus hath God spoken,

and though repentance for our past sins can purchase no favour, yet without it God will not

grant us his salvation.”

2. Ron Ritchie, “Finally King Ahab came to his spiritual senses and realized that he had

been confronted with the one and only living God, who was not only a God of justice but a

God of compassion and mercy. In spite of Jezebel and her Baals, he fell before the living

God of Israel in sackcloth and ashes, fasted in humility, and went about despondently,

literally "in a soft [meek] spirit" (slowly, like one in deep trouble before God). Then God

saw the heart of Ahab, and I can just imagine how excited God was. "Elijah!" he said.

"Look what has happened! Ahab has humbled himself before me! �ow I am going to

withhold the evil I have prophesied for Ahab until the days of his sons [who worshiped the

Baals]." Amazingly, Ahab asked God to forgive him---and God did. Based on this passage I

believe we will see Ahab in heaven. And if we should ask him how in the world he got there,

he will tell us, "The same way you did, by the mercy of God!"

3. Pink, “The most hardened sinners are capable of reforming for a season: (Mark 6:20;

John 5:35). How many wicked persons have, in times of danger and desperate illness,

abased themselves before God, but returned to their evil ways as soon as restored to health.

Ahab’s humiliation was but superficial and transient, being occasioned by fear of judgment

and not a heart hatred of his sins. �othing is said of his restoring the vineyard to �aboth’s

heirs or next of kin, and where righting of wrongs is absent we must always seriously

suspect the repentance. Later we find him saying of a servant of God, "I hate him" (22:8),

which is clear proof that he had undergone no change of heart.

Instructive also is the case of Ahab, for it throws light on God’s governmental dealings with

individuals in this life. Though the king’s repentance was but superficial, yet inasmuch as it

was a public or visible humbling of himself before God, He was so far owned and honored,

and an abatement of His sentence was obtained: "Because he humbleth himself before Me,

I will not bring the evil in his days, but in his son’s days" (v. 29)—he was spared the

anguish of witnessing the slaughter of his children and the complete extermination of his

house. But there was no repeal of the Divine sentence upon himself. �or was the king able

to avoid God’s stroke, though he made attempt to do so (22:30). The Lord had said "in the

place where dogs licked the blood of �aboth shall dogs lick thy blood" (21: 19), and we are

told "so the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.

And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and

they washed his armor, according unto the word of the Lord" (vv. 37, 38). He who sells

himself to sin must receive the wages of sin. For the doom which overtook Ahab’s family

(see 2 Kings 9:25; 10:6, 7, 13, 14, 17).”

4. Three years later, Ahab was dead under God's judgment. "I will recompense his

temporary repentance with a temporary deliverance." (Trapp)

5. Jamison, “He was not obdurate, like Jezebel. This terrible announcement made a deep

impression on the king's heart, and led, for a while, to sincere repentance. 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.”

6. Gill, “Some Jewish writers think his repentance was true and perfect, and his

conversion thorough and real: they tell us, that he was in fasting and prayer morning and

evening before the Lord, and was studying in the law all his days, and returned not to his

evil works any more, and his repentance was accepted: but the contrary appears manifest;

we never read that he reproved Jezebel for the murder of �aboth, nor restored the

vineyard to his family, which he would have done had he been a true penitent; nor did he

leave his idols; we quickly hear of his consulting with the four hundred prophets of the

groves, and expressing his hatred of a true prophet of the Lord, (1 Kings 22:6,8 ) , his

humiliation arose from dread of punishment, and not from the true fear of God; however, it

was such as was never seen in any of his wicked predecessors, and is taken notice of by the

Lord. Luther from these words concluded, and was persuaded, that he was saved:

because he humbled 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; this was not a pardon, only a reprieve; the sentence

pronounced on him and his family was not taken off, nor countermanded, only the

execution of it prolonged; it is promised that the destruction of his family should not be in

his lifetime, but after his death, in his son's days, otherwise he himself died a violent death,

and the dogs licked his blood, as were foretold; however, this may be an encouragement to

those who are truly humbled for their sins, and really repent of them, that they shall

receive forgiveness at the hand of God, since he showed so much regard to an outward

humiliation and repentance.”

7. Henry, “Seest thou (says God to Elijah) how Ahab humbles himself; it was external only,

the garments rent, but not the heart. A hypocrite may go very far in the outward

performance of holy duties and yet come short. 2. He obtained hereby a reprieve, which I

may call a kind of pardon. Though it was but an outside repentance (lamenting the

judgment only, and not the sin), though he did not leave his idols, nor restore the vineyard

to �aboth's heirs, yet, because he did hereby give some glory to God, God took notice of it,

and bade Elijah take notice of it: Seest thou how Ahab humbles himself? 1 Kings 21:29 . In

consideration of this the threatened ruin of his house, which had not been fixed to any time,

should be adjourned to his son's days. The sentence should not be revoked, but the execution

suspended. �ow, (1.) This discovers the great goodness of God, and his readiness to show

mercy, which here rejoices against judgment. Favour was shown to this wicked man that

God might magnify his goodness (says bishop Sanderson) even to the hazard of his other

divine perfections; as if (says he) God would be thought unholy, or untrue, or unjust

(though he be none of these), or any thing, rather than unmerciful. (2.) This teaches us to

take notice of that which is good even in those who are not so good as they should be: let it

be commended as far as it goes. (3.) This gives a reason why wicked people sometimes

prosper long; 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.”

Footnotes:

1. 1 Kings 21:23 Most Hebrew manuscripts; a few Hebrew manuscripts, Vulgate and

Syriac (see also 2 Kings 9:26) the plot of ground at