New International Version
1 Kings 21:2
2Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.”
1 Kings 21:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And after this Ahab said to Naboth, "Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house, and I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money."
- New King James Version (NKJV)So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near, next to my house; and for it I will give you a vineyard better than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)One day Ahab said to Naboth, “Since your vineyard is so convenient to my palace, I would like to buy it to use as a vegetable garden. I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or if you prefer, I will pay you for it.”
Context of 1 Kings 21:2
1Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.” 3But Naboth replied, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” 4So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.
Read all of 1 Kings 211 Kings 21:2 word by word
וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אַחְאָ֣ב אֶל־נָב֣וֹת׀ לֵאמֹר֩׀ תְּנָה־לִּ֨י אֶֽת־כַּרְמְךָ֜ וִֽיהִי־לִ֣י לְגַן־יָרָ֗ק כִּ֣י ה֤וּא קָרוֹב֙ אֵ֣צֶל בֵּיתִ֔י וְאֶתְּנָ֤ה לְךָ֙ תַּחְתָּ֔יו כֶּ֖רֶם ט֣וֹב מִמֶּ֑נּוּ אִ֚ם ט֣וֹב בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ אֶתְּנָה־לְךָ֥ כֶ֖סֶף מְחִ֥יר זֶֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Ahabאַחְאָב'ach'âb 'echâb · AhabH256
- spakeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- unto Nabothנָבוֹתnâbôth · NabothH5022
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- me thy vineyardכֶּרֶםkerem · vineyardH3754
- that I may have it for a gardenגַּןgan · gardenH1588
- of herbsיָרָקyârâq · herbH3419
- nearקָרֹבqârôb qârôb · nearH7138
- untoאֵ֫צֶל'êtsel · besideH681
- my houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: palaceH1004
- thee for it a betterטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- to theeעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: appearanceH5869
- thee the worthמְחִירmechîyr · priceH4242
- of it in moneyכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
Cross-references for 1 Kings 21:2
- Leviticus 25:14“ ‘If you sell land to any of your own people or buy land from them, do not take advantage of each other.
- Genesis 3:6When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
- Exodus 20:17“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
- Deuteronomy 5:21“You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
- 1 Samuel 8:14He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants.
- Jeremiah 22:17“But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion.”
- Habakkuk 2:9“Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, setting his nest on high to escape the clutches of ruin!
- Luke 12:15Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
- 1 Timothy 6:9Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
- James 1:14but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.
- 2 Kings 9:27When Ahaziah king of Judah saw what had happened, he fled up the road to Beth Haggan. Jehu chased him, shouting, “Kill him too!” They wounded him in his chariot on the way up to Gur near Ibleam, but he escaped to Megiddo and died there.
- Deuteronomy 11:10The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden.
- Ecclesiastes 2:5I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.
- Genesis 16:6“Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.
- 1 Samuel 8:6But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord.
- 1 Samuel 29:6So Achish called David and said to him, “As surely as the Lord lives, you have been reliable, and I would be pleased to have you serve with me in the army. From the day you came to me until today, I have found no fault in you, but the rulers don’t approve of you.
Commentaries on 1 Kings 21:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Give me thy vineyard - The request of Ahab seems at first view fair and honorable. Naboth's vineyard was nigh to the palace of Ahab, and he wished to add it to his own for a kitchen garden, or perhaps a grass-plat, ירק גן gan yarak ; and he offers to give him either a better vineyard for it, or to give him its worth in money. Naboth rejects the proposal with horror: The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to thee. No man…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2I will give thee the worth of it in money - literally, “I will give thee silver, the worth of it.” Money, in our sense of the word, that is to say, coins of definite values, did not yet exist. The first coin known to the Jews was the Persian daric, with which they became acquainted during the captivity. (1 Chronicles 29:7 note).Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-3Naboth turned down Ahab's generous offer to buy or trade land for his vineyard. Naboth wanted to sell, but the law required inherited property to remain with the original family or tribe (Leviticus 25:23–28; Numbers 36:7–9). Unlike kings of nearby nations who could take any property they wanted (1 Samuel 8:11–17), Ahab had to follow Israel's law.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-41Ki 21:1-4. Naboth Refuses Ahab His Vineyard. 1-3. Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel--Ahab was desirous, from its contiguity to the palace, to possess it for a vegetable garden. He proposed to Naboth to give him a better in exchange, or to obtain it by purchase; but the owner declined to part with it. In persisting in his refusal, Naboth was not actuated by any feelings of disloyalty or disrespect to the king, but solely from a…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Kings 21:2
In the dictionaries
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
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