1 Kings 21:3

1 Kings 21:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But Naboth said to Ahab, "The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers."
• New King James Version (NKJV)But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!”
• New Living Translation (NLT)But Naboth replied, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance that was passed down by my ancestors.”

Context of 1 Kings 21:3

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. 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.” But 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. 5His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so sullen? Why won’t you eat?”

1 Kings 21:3 word by word

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר נָב֖וֹת אֶל־אַחְאָ֑ב חָלִ֤ילָה לִּי֙ מֵֽיהוָ֔ה מִתִּתִּ֛י אֶת־נַחֲלַ֥ת אֲבֹתַ֖י לָֽךְ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Nabothנָבוֹתnâbôth · NabothH5022
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• to Ahabאַחְאָב'ach'âb 'echâb · AhabH256
• The Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• forbidחָלִ֫ילָהchâlîylâh châlilâh · forbidH2486
• it me, that I should giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• the inheritanceנַחֲלָהnachălâh · inheritanceH5159
• of my fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1

Cross-references for 1 Kings 21:3

• Genesis 44:7But they said to him, “Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that!
• Joshua 22:29“Far be it from us to rebel against the Lord and turn away from him today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings and sacrifices, other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle.”
• Joshua 24:16Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods!
• 1 Samuel 12:23As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.
• 1 Samuel 24:6He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.”
• 1 Samuel 26:9But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless?
• 1 Chronicles 11:19“God forbid that I should do this!” he said. “Should I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives?” Because they risked their lives to bring it back, David would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty warriors.
• Job 27:5I will never admit you are in the right; till I die, I will not deny my integrity.
• Romans 3:4Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.”
• Romans 6:2By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
• Romans 7:7What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
• 1 Corinthians 6:15Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!
• Galatians 6:14May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
• Leviticus 25:23“ ‘The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers.
• Numbers 36:7No inheritance in Israel is to pass from one tribe to another, for every Israelite shall keep the tribal inheritance of their ancestors.
• Ezekiel 46:18The prince must not take any of the inheritance of the people, driving them off their property. He is to give his sons their inheritance out of his own property, so that not one of my people will be separated from their property.’ ”

Commentaries on 1 Kings 21:3

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3The 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). His was not a mere refusal arising out of a spirit of sturdy independence, or one based upon the sentiment which attaches men to ancestral estates.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 21:3

• Covetousness
• Dishonesty
• Indictments
• Inheritance
• King
• Naboth
• Women

In the dictionaries

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

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