1 Kings 21:20

1 Kings 21:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy!” “I have found you,” he answered, “because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, O my enemy?" He answered, "I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So 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 evil in the sight of the Lord:

Context of 1 Kings 21:20

18“Get up, go down and meet King Ahab of Israel who lives in Samaria. He is at the vineyard of Naboth; he has gone down there to take possession of it. 19Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Haven’t you committed murder and taken possession of the property of the deceased?”’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “In the spot where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood they will also lick up your blood – yes, yours!”’” When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So, you have found me, my enemy!” Elijah replied, “I have found you, because you are committed to doing evil in the sight of the Lord. 21The Lord says, ‘Look, I am ready to bring disaster on you. I will destroy you and cut off every last male belonging to Ahab in Israel, including even the weak and incapacitated. 22I will make your dynasty like those of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah because you angered me and made Israel sin.’

1 Kings 21:20 word by word

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אַחְאָב֙ אֶל־אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ הַֽמְצָאתַ֖נִי אֹיְבִ֑י וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מָצָ֔אתִי יַ֚עַן הִתְמַכֶּרְךָ֔ לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Ahabאַחְאָב'ach'âb 'echâb · AhabH256
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• to Elijahאֵלִיָּה'êlîyâh 'êlîyâhû · ElijahH452
• Hast thou foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• me, O mine enemyאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341
• because thou hast soldמָכַרmâkar · to sellH4376
• thyself to workעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
• in the sightעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: seeingH5869
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068

Cross-references for 1 Kings 21:20

• 1 Kings 18:17When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is it really you, the one who brings disaster on Israel?”
• 1 Kings 22:8The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can seek the Lord’s will. But I despise him because he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah. Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not say such things.”
• 2 Chronicles 18:7The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can seek the Lord’s will. But I despise him because he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but always disaster. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah. Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not say such things!”
• Amos 5:10The Israelites hate anyone who arbitrates at the city gate; they despise anyone who speaks honestly.
• Mark 12:12Now they wanted to arrest him (but they feared the crowd), because they realized that he told this parable against them. So they left him and went away.
• Galatians 4:16So then, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?
• Revelation 11:10And those who live on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate, even sending gifts to each other, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.
• 1 Kings 21:25(There had never been anyone like Ahab, who was firmly committed to doing evil in the sight of the Lord, urged on by his wife Jezebel.
• 2 Kings 17:17They passed their sons and daughters through the fire, and practiced divination and omen reading. They committed themselves to doing evil in the sight of the Lord and made him angry.
• Isaiah 50:1This is what the Lord says: “Where is your mother’s divorce certificate by which I divorced her? Or to which of my creditors did I sell you? Look, you were sold because of your sins; because of your rebellious acts I divorced your mother.
• Isaiah 52:3For this is what the Lord says: “You were sold for nothing, and you will not be redeemed for money.”
• Romans 7:14For we know that the law is spiritual – but I am unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin.
• 1 Kings 16:30Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the sight of the Lord than all who were before him.
• 2 Kings 21:2He did evil in the sight of the Lord and committed the same horrible sins practiced by the nations whom the Lord drove out from before the Israelites.
• 2 Chronicles 33:6He passed his sons through the fire in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom and practiced divination, omen reading, and sorcery. He set up a ritual pit to conjure up underworld spirits and appointed magicians to supervise it. He did a great amount of evil in the sight of the Lord and angered him.
• Ephesians 4:19Because they are callous, they have given themselves over to indecency for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 21:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Thou hast sold thyself to work evil - See a similar form of speech, Romans 7:14; (note). Thou hast totally abandoned thyself to the service of sin. Satan is become thy absolute master, and thou his undivided slave.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20The words “O mine enemy,” may refer partly to the old antagonism (marginal reference; 1 Kings 17:1; 1 Kings 19:2-3); but the feeling which it expresses is rather that of present oppositions - the opposition between good and evil, light and darkness John 3:20. Thou hast sold thyself to work evil - Compare the marginal references. The metaphor is taken from the practice of men‘s selling themselves into slavery, and so giving themselves wholly up to work the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-29Verses 17-29 Blessed Paul complains that he was sold under sin, Ro 7:14, as a poor captive against his will; but Ahab was willing, he sold himself to sin; of choice, and as his own act and deed, he loved the dominion of sin. Jezebel his wife stirred him up to do wickedly. Ahab is reproved, and his sin set before his eyes, by Elijah. That man's condition is very miserable, who has made the word of God his enemy; and very desperate, who reckons the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-22Elijah announced God's judgment on Ahab as he was about to take over the vineyard. Since Ahab caused Naboth's death and took his field, Ahab and his family would be destroyed. The prophecy about Ahab's children would come true when Jehu removed Baal worshipers from Israel (2 Kings 9:30–37; 10:1–11).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. thou hast sold thyself to work evil--that is, allowed sin to acquire the unchecked and habitual mastery over thee (2Ki 17:17; Ro 7:11).Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 21:20

• Ahab
• Character
• Elijah
• Homicide
• Judgments
• Prophecy
• Repentance
• Reproof
• Wicked (People)
• Women

In the dictionaries

• Ahab
• Elijah
• Abominably
• Blaspheme
• Lay
• Lick
• Naboth
• Provocation
• Stoning
• Witness

Commentaries on 1 Kings 21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings