1 Kings 21:10 kjv
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.
1 Kings 21:10 nkjv
and seat two men, scoundrels, before him to bear witness against him, saying, "You have blasphemed God and the king." Then take him out, and stone him, that he may die.
1 Kings 21:10 niv
But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them bring charges that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death."
1 Kings 21:10 esv
And set two worthless men opposite him, and let them bring a charge against him, saying, 'You have cursed God and the king.' Then take him out and stone him to death."
1 Kings 21:10 nlt
And then seat two scoundrels across from him who will accuse him of cursing God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death."
1 Kings 21 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 19:15 | "One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity... on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed." | Requirement for multiple witnesses in capital cases. |
| Exod 20:16 | "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." | Commandment against false testimony. |
| Deut 19:16-19 | "If a malicious witness rises up to accuse a person of wrongdoing... then you shall do to him as he had plotted to do to his brother." | Punishment for false witness. |
| Prov 19:5 | "A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape." | Divine justice against perjurers. |
| Mt 26:59-60 | "Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus... but they found none." | False witnesses used against Jesus. |
| Acts 6:13 | "And they set up false witnesses who said, 'This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law.'" | False witnesses used against Stephen. |
| Lev 24:16 | "Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death... all the congregation shall stone him." | Stoning as the punishment for blasphemy. |
| Job 1:11, 2:9 | "But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face!" / "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!" | Euphemistic use of "curse" or "bless" for blasphemy. |
| Num 15:30 | "But the person who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native or a sojourner, reviles the Lord, and that person shall be cut off." | Intentional high-handed sin against God. |
| Deut 13:13 | "Certain worthless fellows (sons of Belial) have gone out among you and have enticed the inhabitants of their city, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods.'" | "Sons of Belial" inciting idolatry. |
| Judg 19:22 | "As they were enjoying themselves, behold, the men of the city, worthless fellows (sons of Belial), surrounded the house, beating on the door." | "Sons of Belial" depicted as exceedingly wicked and depraved. |
| 1 Sam 2:12 | "Now the sons of Eli were worthless men (sons of Belial). They did not know the Lord." | Eli's corrupt sons, characterized as "sons of Belial." |
| 2 Cor 6:15 | "What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?" | Belial used as an embodiment of wickedness opposing Christ. |
| Exod 20:17 | "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife... or anything that is your neighbor's." | The Tenth Commandment, broken by Jezebel's plot. |
| Isa 5:8 | "Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no more room." | Prophetic woe against unjust acquisition of land. |
| Mic 2:2 | "They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them away." | Prophetic condemnation of covetousness and unjust land acquisition. |
| Ps 82:2 | "How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked?" | Rebuke for corrupt judgment. |
| Prov 17:15 | "He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord." | Condemnation of perverting justice. |
| Acts 7:58-59 | "Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him... And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.'" | Example of stoning under false accusation, echoing Naboth's fate. |
1 Kings 21 verses
1 Kings 21 10 Meaning
1 Kings 21:10 describes Jezebel's sinister plot to condemn Naboth. She orchestrated a public accusation against him using false witnesses, who were instructed to falsely testify that Naboth had cursed or reviled God and the king. This fabricated charge of blasphemy and treason was a capital offense under Israelite law, ensuring Naboth’s death by stoning and allowing King Ahab to unlawfully seize his ancestral vineyard. The verse reveals the depths of Jezebel's manipulative and godless nature, as she perverts justice and mocks divine law for personal gain.
1 Kings 21 10 Context
1 Kings chapter 21 opens with Ahab desiring Naboth's vineyard. Naboth refuses to sell because it is his ancestral inheritance, protected by Israelite law. Ahab's resulting sullenness leads Jezebel to devise a scheme. She takes charge, mocking Ahab's lack of resolve and asserting her control. Her plan involves writing letters in Ahab's name, forging his seal, and sending them to the elders and nobles of Naboth's city. These letters instruct them to proclaim a fast (suggesting a public calamity or sin in the community requiring atonement), seat Naboth in a prominent place, and then execute this very instruction to find two "sons of Belial" to accuse him falsely. Verse 10 specifies the charge: blasphemy against God and the king, a capital offense, leading directly to Naboth's public execution by stoning. This event highlights the depths of corruption and the perversion of justice under Ahab and Jezebel's ungodly reign, demonstrating their utter contempt for Yahweh's law and the rights of His people.
1 Kings 21 10 Word analysis
- And set two men: The Mosaic Law required two or three witnesses for a capital offense (Deut 19:15), a safeguard against false accusations. Jezebel shrewdly adhered to the form of the law while utterly violating its spirit by employing perjurers.
- sons of Belial: (Hebrew: b'nei B'liya'al - בְּנֵי בְלִיַּעַל). This phrase literally means "sons of worthlessness," signifying wicked, perverse, or utterly evil men. It describes individuals who are rebellious against God, morally corrupt, and dangerous. Their designation immediately indicates the fraudulent and malicious nature of the impending trial. This term is used frequently in the Old Testament to denote the most debauched and wicked characters (e.g., Judg 19:22; 1 Sam 2:12).
- before him: Indicating that the accusations would be made publicly, seemingly according to proper judicial procedure, lending a facade of legality to the murderous scheme.
- to bear witness against him: This fulfilled the technical requirement for witnesses but was fundamentally corrupted by their being false accusers. It was a grave offense to bear false witness (Exod 20:16), punishable by suffering the very fate one sought for another (Deut 19:16-19).
- saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king: (Hebrew: berachta Elohim vamellek - בֵּרַכְתָּ אֱלֹהִים וָמֶלֶךְ). The Hebrew verb בָּרַךְ (barakh) normally means "to bless." However, in certain contexts, particularly when God's name is involved in conjunction with a capital offense, it served as a euphemism for "to curse" or "to revile" (e.g., Job 1:5, 1:11, 2:5, 2:9). This careful linguistic choice might reflect a deep-seated reverence for God's name, even among the wicked who sought to misuse it. The charge combined two severe offenses: blasphemy against God (punishable by death, Lev 24:16) and treason against the king (also a capital offense), thus ensuring Naboth's condemnation and the subsequent confiscation of his property to the crown.
- And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die: (Hebrew: ragum oto v'yamot - רָגוּם אֹתוֹ וְיָמֹת). Stoning was the prescribed method of execution for blasphemy and other capital offenses under Mosaic Law (Lev 24:16; Deut 17:5). It was a public and often gruesome act, designed to remove evil from the community and serve as a deterrent. The immediacy ("then") and finality ("that he may die") highlight the swift, merciless nature of Jezebel's decree.
Words-group analysis
- "And set two men, sons of Belial, before him": This phrase meticulously details Jezebel's calculated manipulation of the justice system. The choice of "sons of Belial" (worthless, wicked men) indicates a deliberate selection of individuals perfectly suited for deceit and malicious intent, confirming the premeditated and utterly evil nature of the plot. It mocks the solemnity of legal proceedings, transforming them into a stage for murder.
- "to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king": This specifies the nature of the false charge. Blasphemy against God was the ultimate religious offense in Israel, signifying direct contempt for Yahweh's sovereignty and His name. Adding the charge against "the king" magnified the crime, labeling it as both religious impiety and political treason, leaving no room for leniency and guaranteeing Naboth's execution under the very law Jezebel simultaneously abused. This fabrication revealed Jezebel’s contempt not only for human life but for divine and human authority.
1 Kings 21 10 Bonus section
The tragic events of 1 Kings 21 underscore the severe consequences of covetousness, even when clothed in a veneer of legality. Jezebel's method highlights a deep societal sickness where the highest authority can become the greatest oppressor. This account stands as a stark warning against abusing power, perverting justice, and engaging in malicious deception. Naboth, though innocent, became a martyr for holding fast to his inherited land and the law of God. His unjust death cried out for divine intervention, as seen in the subsequent prophetic judgment delivered by Elijah.
1 Kings 21 10 Commentary
1 Kings 21:10 is a pivotal verse, encapsulating the profound perversion of justice and moral decay rampant under Ahab and Jezebel's rule. Jezebel's scheme ingeniously twisted legitimate legal procedures—the requirement for multiple witnesses and the prescribed punishment for blasphemy—to achieve her malevolent aim of seizing Naboth's land. By accusing Naboth of blasphemy against both God and the king, she ensured the gravest penalty, death by stoning, which also conveniently allowed the confiscation of his land. This act was not merely murder; it was a deliberate desecration of divine law and a chilling display of royal tyranny, revealing Jezebel’s utter disregard for justice, human life, and God Himself. The use of "sons of Belial" as witnesses perfectly illustrates the complete moral inversion orchestrated by a godless monarchy. This egregious act directly precipitates God's judgment against Ahab and Jezebel, setting the stage for their prophetic demise.