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The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

1 Kings 21:3

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1 Kings 21:3 the inheritance of my fathers. The land of Israel did not belong to the families who technically “owned” it. Instead it belonged to God. He had brought the Israelites into the land in fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise and had, through Joshua, divided it among the tribes as their inheritance (e.g., Genesis 17:8; Leviticus 25:23; Joshua 13:1). A complex set of laws kept land in the family. This prevented it from being owned by only the rich (e.g., Deuteronomy 25:5). Ahab’s offer shows his disregard for Israelite law.

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See also 1 Kings 21:3 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    THE LORD FORBID IT ME - Or, “Yahweh forbid it me.” Naboth, as a worshipper of Yahweh, not of Baal, considers it would be wrong for him to comply with the king’s request, as contrary to the Law (margin...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 21NABOTH'S VINEYARD _ 1. Naboth's refusal (1 Kings 21:1)_ 2. Jezebel's wicked deed (1 Kings 21:5) 3. Elijah pronounces divine judgment (1 Kings 21:17) 4. Ahab's wickedness and confessi

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    THE STORY OF NABOTH. This is evidently not a part of the Elijah story of 1 Kings 17-19. There are certain differences of style; _e.g._ Ahab is described as king of Samaria (1); and Elijah does not, as...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    THE INHERITANCE OF MY FATHERS. Naboth respected the Law of God (Leviticus 25:23.Numbers 36:7; Numbers 36:8)....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _The Lord forbid it me_ This verse is very interesting, because (1) it makes clear that Naboth was a worshipper of Jehovah and, in spite of the persecution of the prophets, did not shrink from making...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    THE LORD FORBID IT ME, &C.— Ahab's request was inconsistent with the law, Leviticus 25:28 and therefore shewed an unbounded avarice, if not impiety in the king; for as, by means of the incorporation o...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    III. THE GREAT SOCIAL CRISIS 21:1-16 The third crisis[476] discussed in Chapter s 19-21 is of a different nature than those previously treated. Here the threat is not of external military domination,...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND NABOTH SAID TO AHAB, THE LORD FORBID IT ME, THAT I SHOULD GIVE THE INHERITANCE OF MY FATHERS UNTO THEE._ No JFB commentary on this verse....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    NABOTH'S VINEYARD 1. After these things] The LXX places this chapter after 1 Kings 19, and so prevents the separation of 1 Kings 20:22, which are closely connected. JEZREEL] in the plain of Esdraelo...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE INHERITANCE OF MY FATHERS] cp. Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7; Numbers 36:8....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    GOD’S LESSONS FROM HISTORY 1 KINGS _PHILIP SMITH_ CHAPTER 21 QUEEN JEZEBEL STEALS NABOTH’S FIELD V1 King Ahab of Samaria had a palace in Jezreel. Near the palace, there was a field. Naboth who l...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יֹּ֥אמֶר נָבֹ֖ות אֶל ־אַחְאָ֑ב חָלִ֤ילָה ל

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    NABOTH'S VINEYARD 1 Kings 21:1 "The triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless is but for a moment." - Job 20:5 "If weakness may excuse, What murderer, what traitor, parricide,...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    BREAKING THREE COMMANDMENTS 1 Kings 21:1; 1 Kings 1:1; 1 Kings 2:1; 1 Kings 3:1;...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    This is a story in the private life of Ahab. Next to his own broad and rich possessions was a vineyard, the inheritance of a man who by comparison with Ahab was poor. Naboth, loyal to the law of God,...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Fathers. He would have deemed it a mark of disrespect and a crime, as he was not in a state of indigence; which alone could authorize him to sell his property, and then only till the year of jubilee;...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (1) В¶ 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. (2) And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    The days were very dark in Israel. Not only rebellion. And rebellion, always serious, was peculiarly so in Israel, for there it was insubordination in a direct manner against not only God's providence...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    At Jezebel's instigation, Ahab adds sin to sin, and a piece of flagrant injustice fills up the apostasy of the king of Israel. He enjoys the fruit of a crime which he had not courage to commit himself...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND NABOTH SAID TO AHAB, THE LORD FORBID IT ME THAT I SHOULD GIVE THE INHERITANCE OF MY FATHERS UNTO THEE. The inheritances of families were not to be alienated to another family, or tribe, nor even t...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    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...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Which was in Jezreel_ Where one of Ahab's palaces was, as the other was in Samaria. _That I may have it for a garden of herbs_ For a flower-garden, as some understand it. Ahab made a fair proposal fo...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Ahab being denied Naboths vineyard, is grieued. 5 Iezebel writing letters against Naboth, he is condemned of blasphemie. 15 Ahab taketh possession of the vineyard. 17 Eliiah denounceth iudgements...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. The Lord had plainly commanded that the children of Israel were not to dispose of the propert...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE MURDER OF NABOTH...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    THE COLD-BLOODED MURDER OF NABOTH (vs.1-16) When one adopts a sullen, sulking character, it is likely to develop more seriously. Ahab illustrated this in his dealings with Naboth the Jezreelite. He c...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-4 Naboth, perhaps, had been pleased that he had a vineyard situated so near the palace, but the situation proved fatal to him; many a man's possessions have been his snare, and his neighbourhood to...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    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 25:15,23,25 NUM 36:7 EZEKIEL 46:18. And al...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    1 Kings 21:3 Naboth H5022 said H559 (H8799) Ahab H256 LORD H3068 forbid H2486 give H5414 (H8800) inheritance...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    JEZEBEL ARRANGES NABOTH'S DEATH IN ORDER TO OBTAIN HIS VINEYARD FOR AHAB WHO IS THEN SEVERELY REBUKED BY ELIJAH (1 KINGS 21:1). The story of Naboth's Vineyard is introduced here in order to illustrate...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    AHAB IS CONDEMNED BY ELIJAH FOR BOTH HIS PAST BEHAVIOUR AND FOR WHAT JEZEBEL HAS DONE AND REPENTS BEFORE YHWH (1 KINGS 21:1). We now come to what the account has been building up to, the condemnation...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    AHAB CRAVES NABOTH'S VINEYARD AND IS PROMISED IT BY JEZEBEL (1 KINGS 21:1). The first step in the downward spiral is that of Ahab coveting Naboth's vineyard. This was in direct disobedience to the cov...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    1 Kings 21:2 From this story we learn: (1) what a sacred thing property is; that a man's possessions (if they be justly come by) belong to him, in the sight of God as well as in the sight of man, and...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Ahab covets Naboth's vineyard. Elijah announces Ahab's doom. CHARACTERS: God, Elijah, Ahab, Naboth, Jezebel. CONCLUSIONS: One may covet and get what it is not God's will for them to have,...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    1 Kings 21:3. _The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers._ Moses forbids the sale of an inheritance. Leviticus 25:23. Naboth had sons, it is presumed, and the sale would...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _The Lord forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee._ THE REPLY OF NABOTH, AND ITS LESSONS I. The reply of Naboth. 1. It first assures us that he is a conscientious man, and...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs._ AHAB’S GARDEN OF HERBS Walking in the garden, what do we see? 1. Covetousness. God’s brand is upon covetousness. Contentment is a Ch...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    AHAB AND THE VINEYARD OF NABOTH CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.— 1 Kings 21:1. NABOTH THE JEZREELITE—_Naboth’_ נָבוֹת, _fruits_, according to Gesenius; but _pre-eminence_, according to Fürst. He was...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION THE STORY OF NABOTH. THE DOOM OF AHAB'S HOUSE. HIS PENITENCE.— 1 KINGS 21:1 AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THESE THINGS [These words are omitted in th

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now it came to pass after these things, that there was a fellow by the name of Naboth who had a vineyard, down in the area of mount Gilboa (1 Kings 21:1). And it was an excellent vineyard and it was...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Chronicles 11:19; 1 Corinthians 6:15; 1 Samuel 12:23; 1 Samuel 24:6;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    The Lord forbid — For God had expressly, and for divers weighty reasons forbidden the alienation of lands from the tribes and families to which they were allotted. And although these might have been a...

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