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. Ver. 1. _And it came to pass after these things._] After the two victories over the Syrians; not before, as Josephus will have it. _ Naboth the J... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 2. _That I may have it for a... [ Continue Reading ]
And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. Ver. 3. _The Lord forbid it me._] The Lord had indeed forbidden it him. Lev 25:23 _Numbers 36:7_ Eze 46:18 And hence his loathness; for he feared God in that corrupt time, and this made him a... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 4. _And Ahab came into... [ Continue Reading ]
But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread? Ver. 5. _But Jezebel his wife came to him._] This was well enough. Woman was first given to man for a comforter; but if sometimes for a counsellor, yet not at all for a controller, as this wick... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 6. _And he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 7. _Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel?_] _q.d., _ What a king of clouts art thou! It is not for... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 8. So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal.] She was king, and he queen, as was afore noted; sh... [ Continue Reading ]
And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: Ver. 9. _Proclaim a fast._] On fast days they were wont to execute heinous offenders, and thereby to get reconciliation with God. Num 25:7-8 Psa 106:30 But what damnable dissimulation was it in this devi... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 10. _And set two men, sons of Belial._] Two such as she pointed out, and well knew to be for her purpose: knights o... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 11. _Did as Jezebel had sent unto them._] So wretched were those times, that whatsoever plea... [ Continue Reading ]
They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. Ver. 12. _They proclaimed a fast._] See on 1 Kings 21:9 .... [ Continue Reading ]
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.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead. Ver. 14. _Then they sent to Jezebel._] She is certified of by all these servile souls, whose lavishness was wrought upon by her imperiousness. It is likely that the news was no less welcome to her, than was the news of the bishops bu... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 15. _For Naboth is not alive, but dead._] He and... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 16. _Ahab rose up to go down_] But better sit still than rise and fall. Josephus saith that he leaped for joy of the good news, and forthw... [ Continue Reading ]
And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Ver. 17. _And the word of the Lord came to Elijah._] The day after Naboth's death came Elijah to Ahab with this sad message, as Tostatus noteth from 2 Kings 9:26. "The triumphing of the wicked is short.... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 18. _Which is in Samaria._] There was Ahab when the message was given in charge to Elias; but in the vineyard at Jezreel when Elias met him.... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 19. _Hast thou killed, and also taken p... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ Ver. 20. _Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?_] And why an enemy, but because he told him the truth? See Micah 2:7. _See Trapp in "_... [ Continue Reading ]
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, Ver. 21. _Behold, I will bring evil._] Here the prophet resumeth and prosecuteth his interrupted speech to Ahab, telling h... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 22. _Like the house of Jeroboam, and of Baasha._] By whose utter ruin thou wouldst not... [ Continue Reading ]
And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. Ver. 23. _The dogs shall eat Jezebel._] So the Donatists that threw the sacramental bread to dogs were themselves afterwards devoured of dogs.... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 24. _Him that dieth._] See 1 Kings 14:11 .... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 25. _But there was none like unto Ahab._] A very non-such, as is before noted, _bipedum nequissimus, non scelestus sed ipsum scelus._ Which did sell himself... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 26. _And he did very abominably._] All idolatries are abominable, 1Pe 4:3 both pagan and papagan.... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 27. _When Ahab heard these words,_] viz., Concerning the utter excision of his wife and posterity, _a_ this troubled him more than th... [ Continue Reading ]
And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Ver. 28. _And the word of the Lord._] Who had soon seen this - though but feigned and forced - humiliation, and sent words of comfort. _O felix poenitentia, quae ad se Dei traxit oculos,_ saith Jerome. Surely if the leaves of repentance... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 29. _I will not bring the evil._] I will recompense his temporary repentance with a temporary deliverance.... [ Continue Reading ]