Matthew Poole and continuators on 1 Kings 21

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.

Where one of Ahab's Palaces was, as the other was in Samaria.

3 And Naboth said to Ahab, the LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee .

For God hath expresly, and for divers weighty reasons forbidden the alienation of Lands from the Tribes and Families to which they were allotted, Levit. 25. 15, 23, 25. Numb. 36. 7. Ezek. 46. 18. And although these might have been alienated till the Jubilee, yet he durst not [illegible: 1+ letters]ell it to the King for that time; because he supposed, that if once it came into the Kings hand, especially to be made a Garden of Pleasure, and affixed to his Palace, neither he, nor his Posterity could ever recover it again; and so he should both offend God, and wrong his Posterity; which, being as it seems, a Pious Man, he durst not do.

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 .

From the Light, and Company which either then were with him, or might come to him, to the Wall, as Hezekiah did under a like Dejection of Spirit, Isa. 38. 2.

Refused to eat meat in his usual time.

7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Doest 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.

Art thou fit to be King, that canst put up such Affronts from thy Subjects, and hast not the Courage to use thy Absolute Power to dispose of them, and theirs, as seemeth good unto thee?

8 So she wrote letters in Ahabs 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.

Whom she very well knew to be fit for her purpose.

i. e. In Iezreel. So she seeks to destroy him with a pretence of Justice, and with as little reflection upon Ahab, as might be.

9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast , and set Naboth on high among the people.

To remove all suspition of hatred, or evil design in Ahab, and to beget a good opinion of him amongst his people, as if his afflictions had done him good, and as if he were grown zealous for Gods Honour, and careful of his Peoples welfare, and therefore desirous to prevent the further displeasure of God against his City and Kingdom, and in order thereunto to enquire into all those sins which provoked God against them, and effectually to purge them out.

In a scaffold, or some other high-place, where Malefactors were usually and fitly placed, that they might be seen, and their Defence heard by all the People.

Marginal references: Heb. in the top of the people.

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 .

Heb. Bless. Blessing is put for cursing and blaspheming, as Iob 1. 5. and 2. 9. so also here, as is apparent, because his blessing God and the king had been no Crime. It is a Figure called Euphemismus. God would have Blasphemy so much abhorred, that it should not easily and unnecessarily be named by its proper name▪ Compare Psal. 16. 4.

To the place where Malefactors were punished, which was out of the City, Lev. 24. 23. Ios. 7. 24. Mar. 15. 20. Heb. 13. 12. partly, to shew that they were unworthy of all humane society, and abhorred by all the people: and partly, because the place where they were killed, was thereby ceremonially polluted.

The proper punishment of Blasphemers, Lev. 24. 15, 16.

As one that Cursed his God, and his Political Father, his King. See Exod. 21. 17. and 22. 28.

Marginal references: Heb. bless. So Gr. Job 2. 5, 9.; Act. 6. 11.; [illegible: 1+ letters]ev. 24. 14.

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.

Which is not at all strange in them who had for a long time cast off the fear and sense of God, and prostituted their Consciences and Religion to please their King, and sold themselves▪ to all manner of wickedness, and could not now make a safe▪ and honourable retreat, and durst not disobey Iezabel's command, by whom they knew the King was wholly governed, and who could easily have taken away their Lives in the same manner, if they had refused to kill Naboth.

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.

And his Sons with him, a[illegible: 1+ letters] it may be thought from 2 King. 9. 26. that so the King might have an undisturbed possession; for which they might pretend those examples, Numb. 16. 32. Ios. 7. 24. But these were examples of extraordinary vengeance, and by special warrant from God, and the Law of God was positively contrary to it, Deut. 24. 16.

Marginal references: Heb. bless. So Gr.; 2 Kin. 9. 26.

14 Then they sent to Jezebel , saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.

By whom they knew the Affairs of the Kingdom were managed, and this Design contrived.

15 ¶ And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naborth 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.

Either, First, By right of confiscation, to repair the injury which he did to the King by blaspheming him. Or, Secondly, By tyrannical Usurpation. Or, Thirdly, By right of Inhesitanee: for some say that Ahab was his next Kinsman, his Sons being Dead; which they judge more likely, because his Land was next to the Kings.

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.

Either, who now is there, and about to depart thence to Iezreel: or, who commonly dwells there.

Or rather, he will be; by that time that thou comest thither, thou shalt find him there.

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, [illegible: 1+ letters]n the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine .

Thou hast murde[illegible: 1+ letters]ed an Innocent and Righteous man; and instead of repenting for it, thou hast added another piece of injustice and violence to it, and art going confidently and chearfully to reap the Fruit of thy wickedness. He ascribes Iezabel's Fact to Ahab, because Iezabel did it by his Connivence, and Consent, and Authority, and for the satisfaction of his inordinate Appetite.

Quest. How was this fulfilled, when Ahab's blood was not licked in Iezreel, which was in the Tribe of Issachar, but in the Pool of Samaria, chap. 22. 38. which was in the Tribe of Ephraim? Ans. First, This was done, though not in the same individual place, yet in the same general place, i. e. in the Territory of Samaria, within which Iezreel was; and in a place of the same nature, a publick and common place; for such was both the place of Naboth's Execution, and the Pool of Samaria. Secondly, This was particularly accomplished in his Son Ioram, as is affirmed, 2 King. 9. 25, 26. whose blood is not improperly called Ahab's blood, because Children are said to be born of their Parents blood. See Ioh. 1. 13. Act. 17. 26. Obj. These words, thy blood, even thine, shew that it is meant of Ahab's Person. Ans. True, the threatning was so directed and designed at first; but afterwards, upon his humiliation, the punishment was transferred from him to his Son, as is expressed, ver. 29. Obj. This is said to be fulfilled in Ahab's Person, chap. 22. 38. Ans. Either that may be referred to some other Prediction or Commination not elsewhere mentioned: or rather, it intimates, that it was in part, and in some sort fulfilled in him, though not so severely and opprobriously, nor with such Characters of the Curse as it was in his Son; whence he there mentions onely the thing, without any regard unto the place here designed. But it may further be observed, That although upon Ahab's humiliation the Curse here threatned might seem to be wholly translated from his Person to his Posterity; yet upon Ahab's return to sin, in the next Chapter, he brings back the Curse upon himself, and so it is no wonder if it be in some sort fulfilled in him also. Thirdly, The Hebrew word, rendred in the place where, may be, and is by some learned men otherwise rendred, either thus, Instead of this that; that being frequently said to be done in anothers place, which was onely done in his stead: or, like as: or, because that. So it doth not design the place, but the cause and reason of this Judgment. And in this sense the same word is used, Zech. 2. 10.

20 And Ahab said to Elijah , Hast thou found me , O mine enemy ? And he answered, I have found thee : because thou hast sold thy self to work evil in the sight of the LORD .

Upon, and after his delivery of the message last mentioned, which it was needless to repeat.

Dost thou pursue me from place to place? Wiltst thou never let me rest? Art thou come after me hither with thy unwelcome messages?

That art always disturbing, threatning, and opposing me, and expressing not so much Gods mind, as thy own hatred and enmity against me. Comp. ch. 22. 8.

The hand of God hath found and overtaken thee in the very act of thy sin.

Thou hast wilfully and wholly resigned up thy self to be the bondslave of the Devil, or Baal, and of wicked Iezabel, to do whatsoever they persuade thee to do; as a man that sells himself to another is totally in his Masters Power, and must employ all his time and strength for his service. Compare 2 King. 17. 17. See on Rom. 7. 14.

i. e. Impudently and contemptuously. Withal he minds him, that although his sin was in a great measure hid from the eyes of men by Iezabel's cunning contrivance, yet it was evident and known to God who, would require it at his hands.

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,

e Of which see on chap. 14. 10.

Marginal references: Chap. 14. 10. [illegible: 1+ letters] King. 9. 8.; Sam. 25. 22.; Chap. 14. 10.

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

Or, by the ditch, or fort: or, in the portion, as it is explained 2 King. 9. 36. the Hebrew chel, here, being put for chelek, used there by an Apocope of the last Hebrew Letter, which is not unusual in the Hebrew Tongue.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1+ letters] Kin. 9. 36. [illegible: 1 word] ▪ ditch.

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 .

None among all the Kings of Israel which had been before him.

This is added to shew, that temptations to sin are no excuse to the sinner.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] ▪ [illegible: 1 word].

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.

i. e. The seven Nations of Canaan, all called by this name, as Gen. 15. 16. and 48. 22. Amos 2. 9, 10.

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 .

i. e. Slowly and silently, after the manner of mourners, or those who are under a great consternation, and in deep consideration.

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 sons days will I bring the evil upon his house.

i. e. In my presence, and upon my threatning. But this humiliation or repentance of Ahab's was onely external and superficial, arising from the terror of Gods Judgments; and not sincere and serious, proceeding from the Love of God, or a true sense of his sin, or a solemn purpose of amendment of his Life, as appears, because all the particulars of his repentance here, ver. 27. are external and ritual onely; nor is there the least intimation of any one sign or fruit of his true repentance, as that he restored Naboth's Land, or reproved his infamous Wife; but in the very next Chapter you find him returning to his former Vomit, hating and threatning the Lods Prophets, &c.

i. e. The Judgment threatned, both that ver. 19. which was not inflicted upon Ahab with so much ignominy, and with that particular signature of Gods vengeance, that it was to be done in the same place, as it was upon his Son Ioram; and especially that, ver. 21, 22▪ which was wholly suspended until his Sons days.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1+ letters] ▪ Kin. 9. 25.