20140603 Tuesday, June 3 2014
1 Kings 21: Naboth's Vineyard

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"When Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money"

Two of The Ten Commandments (see Exodus 20: The Ten Commandments; also Deuteronomy 5: The Ten Commandments - Forty Years Later) directly relate to private property rights.

"20:15 Thou shalt not steal." (Exodus 20:15 KJV)

"20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's." (Exodus 20:17 KJV)

Other Commandments also deal with private property rights. The Fourth Commandment is actually in two parts - to rest on the Sabbath Day after working on the first six days of the week to personally earn what one owns (see The Christian Work Days, The Christian Sabbath; also Why Observe The True Sabbath?).

"20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." (Exodus 20:8-11 KJV)

The Commandment against murder deals with protecting the ultimate property right - one's life. All too often, coveting, murder and theft are committed together for the purpose of a single crime - as happened with the incident of Jezebel and Naboth's vineyard.

Naboth was the owner of a small family-heritage vineyard in Jezreel. It was apparently the only property that he owned, unlike King Ahab who was very wealthy and had much property. Nevertheless, Ahab coveted Naboth's land; he wanted to remove Naboth's vineyard and plant a vegetable garden.

"21:1 And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 21:2 And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.

21:3 And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee." (1 Kings 21:1-3 KJV)

Weak and corrupt King Ahab at least respected the righteous principle of private property rights and accepted Naboth's refusal to sell. Unfortunately for Naboth, Ahab's wife Jezebel was a despicable and lawless witch who had no respect for anything except her Satanic religion (see 1 Kings 18: Elijah's Defeat Of The Prophets Of Baal) - which had no prohibition against coveting, theft and murder. Jezebel arranged for completely-innocent Naboth to be falsely accused and executed. Although Jezebel is infamous for the incident, she was hardly alone in the atrocity: "even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them."

"21:4 And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.

21:5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?

21:6 And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.

21:7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

21:8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth. 21:9 And she wrote in the letters, saying,

Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: 21:10 And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.

21:11 And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them. 21:12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. 21:13 And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died. 21:14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.

21:15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead. 21:16 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it." (1 Kings 21:4-16 KJV)

The murder of Naboth brought about a death sentence for Ahab and Jezebel - in due time. The judgment of the LORD (Who was and is Jesus Christ - see Genesis 1: In The Beginning Was The Word and The Kingdom Of The LORD God) was delivered by the prophet Elijah.

"21:17 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 21:18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. 21:19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.

21:20 And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?

And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD. 21:21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, 21:22 And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.

21:23 And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.

21:24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.

21:25 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. 21:26 And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

21:27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

21:28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 21:29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house." (1 Kings 21:17-29 KJV)

Fact Finder: Why did the LORD create boundaries?
See The Boundary Law