Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
1 Kings 21:19
“ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says YHWH, Have you killed and also taken possession?' And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says YHWH. In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth will dogs lick your blood, even yours.' ”
Elijah was to declare to Ahab that because he had killed the owner of the land and had himself taken possession of it, the dogs would lick his blood in the very place where they had licked Naboth's blood. For the scavenger dogs to lick a man's blood was seen as the man having come to disgrace. They had done it to Naboth because Naboth had supposedly died as a blasphemer, outside the city where the scavenger dogs would be waiting. Well, the same thing would happen to Ahab. He would end up disgraced in the same way because by his actions he had blasphemed against YHWH. (It should be noted that in 1 Kings 21:29 this sentence is partly rescinded. Thus although in the end the dogs did lick his blood as a kind of poetic justice, it would be in a lesser way (1 Kings 22:38). But see also 2 Kings 9:25 where it happens in full to his son, just as Elijah had said).
‘ And Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” And he answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of YHWH.” '
When Elijah arrived Ahab was both put out and abusive. He knew why Elijah had come and at this stage saw Elijah, and all YHWH's true prophets as his enemies (compare 1 Kings 22:8). He was thus abusively saying, ‘So you have caught me. And what do you want now?' But in his heart he knew perfectly well what Elijah wanted. He was fully aware of what had been done in his name, and that Elijah was here to rebuke him for breaking the covenant and God's Law. He may even have seen Elijah as there because he was standing in as YHWH's representative as the avenger of blood on behalf of a family which had been rendered helpless, who had now found the culprit. No wonder he saw him as an enemy.
Elijah's reply was to the point, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of YHWH.” He was immediately facing Ahab up with YHWH and His Law, and indicating that he was a law breaker. He and his wife had coveted, lied, borne false witness, stolen and murdered. They had broken half the commandments. (They had also bowed down to graven images, and put other gods before YHWH, but not in this particular incident).
‘ Behold, I will bring evil on you, and will utterly sweep you away and will cut off from Ahab every man-child, and him who is shut up and him who is left at large in Israel, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah for the provocation with which you have provoked me to anger, and have made Israel to sin.”
Elijah then applied to Ahab the words which had been applied by Ahijah the prophet to Jeroboam in 1 Kings 14:10 (see notes on those verses), and by Jehu the prophet to Baasha in 1 Kings 16:3. These prophecies would have been recorded in prophetic circles and would have been known to Elijah by heart. They were repeated so as to indicate that Ahab was to be seen as more guilty than both of them put together, something which guaranteed the extinction of his house, because he had provoked YHWH with his sins more than both of them, and had made Israel sin more than any of the others. Thus all that had been prophesied as coming on them would come on him, and more.
‘ And of Jezebel also spoke YHWH, saying, “The dogs will eat Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel.” '
But the worst fate was to be reserved for Jezebel. She would be eaten by the scavenger dogs by the rampart of Jezreel. See for the literal and gruesome fulfilment of this 2 Kings 9:35. Once the dogs had finished with her only her skull, feet and the palms of her hands would be left