New Living Translation
1 Kings 21:27
27But when Ahab heard this message, he tore his clothing, dressed in burlap, and fasted. He even slept in burlap and went about in deep mourning.
1 Kings 21:27 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So it was, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about mourning.
Context of 1 Kings 21:27
25(No one else so completely sold himself to what was evil in the Lord’s sight as Ahab did under the influence of his wife Jezebel. 26His worst outrage was worshiping idols just as the Amorites had done—the people whom the Lord had driven out from the land ahead of the Israelites.) But when Ahab heard this message, he tore his clothing, dressed in burlap, and fasted. He even slept in burlap and went about in deep mourning. 28Then another message from the Lord came to Elijah: 29“Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has done this, I will not do what I promised during his lifetime. It will happen to his sons; I will destroy his dynasty.”
Read all of 1 Kings 211 Kings 21:27 word by word
וַיְהִי֩ כִשְׁמֹ֨עַ אַחְאָ֜ב אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֤ים הָאֵ֙לֶּה֙ וַיִּקְרַ֣ע בְּגָדָ֔יו וַיָּֽשֶׂם־שַׂ֥ק עַל־בְּשָׂר֖וֹ וַיָּצ֑וֹם וַיִּשְׁכַּ֣ב בַּשָּׂ֔ק וַיְהַלֵּ֖ךְ אַֽט׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And it came to pass, when Ahabאַחְאָב'ach'âb 'echâb · AhabH256
- heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- those wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- that he rentקָרַעqâra‛ · to tearH7167
- his clothesבֶּ֫גֶדbeged · garmentH899
- and putשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
- sackclothשַׂקώaq · sackclothH8242
- upon his fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
- and fastedצוּםtsûm · to fastH6684
- and layשָׁכַבshâkab · to lie down: lay downH7901
- and wentהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
- softlyאַט'aţ · softlyH328
Cross-references for 1 Kings 21:27
- Genesis 37:34Then Jacob tore his clothes and dressed himself in burlap. He mourned deeply for his son for a long time.
- 2 Kings 6:30When the king heard this, he tore his clothes in despair. And as the king walked along the wall, the people could see that he was wearing burlap under his robe next to his skin.
- 2 Kings 18:37Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian, went back to Hezekiah. They tore their clothes in despair, and they went in to see the king and told him what the Assyrian chief of staff had said.
- Jonah 3:6When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes.
- 2 Samuel 12:17The elders of his household pleaded with him to get up and eat with them, but he refused.
- Job 16:15I wear burlap to show my grief. My pride lies in the dust.
- Isaiah 22:12At that time the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, called you to weep and mourn. He told you to shave your heads in sorrow for your sins and to wear clothes of burlap to show your remorse.
- Isaiah 58:5You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the Lord?
- Joel 1:13Dress yourselves in burlap and weep, you priests! Wail, you who serve before the altar! Come, spend the night in burlap, you ministers of my God. For there is no grain or wine to offer at the Temple of your God.
- Isaiah 38:15But what could I say? For he himself sent this sickness. Now I will walk humbly throughout my years because of this anguish I have felt.
Commentaries on 1 Kings 21:27
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 27He rent his clothes - He was penetrated with sorrow, and that evidently unfeigned. Put sackcloth upon his flesh - He humbled himself before God and man. And fasted - He afflicted his body for his soul's benefit. Lay in sackcloth - Gave the fullest proof that his repentance was real. And went softly - Walked barefooted; so the Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic. The Vulgate has demisso capite, "with his head hanging down." Houbigant translates went groaning…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 27The repentance of Ahab resembles that of the Ninevites Jonah 3:5. It has the same outward signs - fasting and sackcloth - and it has much the same inward character. It springs, not from love, nor from hatred of sin, but from fear of the consequences of sin. It is thus, although sincere and real while it lasts, shallow and exceedingly short-lived. God, however, to mark His readiness to receive the sinner who turns to Him, accepted the imperfect offering…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. 27-29Ahab was a complicated person. He was rightly criticized for his evil actions, but he did repent when a prophet delivered a message of rebuke (1 Kings 21:27). Because Ahab repented, the Lord sent Elijah to delay the terrible punishment meant for Ahab and instead place it on his equally wicked sons (2 Kings 1:17; 9:24–26; 10:1–11).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 27-2927-29. Ahab ... rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly--He was not obdurate, like Jezebel. This terrible announcement made a deep impression on the king's heart, and led, for a while, to sincere repentance. Going softly, that is, barefoot, and with a pensive manner, within doors. He manifested all the external signs, conventional and natural, of the deepest sorrow. He was wretched, and so…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Kings 21:27
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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