1 Kings 21:14 kjv
Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.
1 Kings 21:14 nkjv
Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, "Naboth has been stoned and is dead."
1 Kings 21:14 niv
Then they sent word to Jezebel: "Naboth has been stoned to death."
1 Kings 21:14 esv
Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, "Naboth has been stoned; he is dead."
1 Kings 21:14 nlt
The town leaders then sent word to Jezebel, "Naboth has been stoned to death."
1 Kings 21 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:1 | “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked person to be a malicious witness." | Warning against false witness and complicity. |
| Deut 19:18-19 | "if the witness is a false witness… then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother." | Punishment for false witness. |
| Prov 17:15 | He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord. | Condemnation of perverted justice. |
| Isa 5:7 | "For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel… he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!" | God seeks justice, finds oppression. |
| Jer 22:17 | "But your eyes and heart are set only on dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood..." | Critique of corrupt leaders, shedding blood. |
| Ezek 22:6 | "Behold, the princes of Israel, everyone according to his power, have been in you for shedding blood." | Leaders abusing power to shed blood. |
| Mic 3:9-10 | "Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob... who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity." | Leaders corrupting justice for gain. |
| Psa 27:12 | "for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence." | Prayer against false accusation. |
| Prov 6:16-19 | Lists seven things the Lord hates, including "a lying tongue," "false witness who breathes out lies." | God hates false witness. |
| Mt 26:59-60 | "Now the chief priests and the whole Council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, but they found none." | Jesus' unjust trial, false testimony sought. |
| Acts 8:32 | "Like a sheep led to the slaughter or a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth." | Echoes of an innocent man silenced. |
| Lev 25:23 | "The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with me." | God's ownership of land, inheritance rights. |
| Num 36:7 | "So no inheritance of the people of Israel shall be transferred from one tribe to another." | Inalienability of ancestral land. |
| 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." | Commandment against covetousness. |
| Rom 7:7 | "For I would not have known what covetousness was if the law had not said, 'You shall not covet.'" | Law reveals covetousness as sin. |
| Col 3:5 | "Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." | Covetousness identified as idolatry. |
| Psa 9:12 | "For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted." | God avenges innocent blood. |
| Psa 10:14-15 | "But you, O God, do see, for you note mischief and vexation, that you may recompense it with your hand..." | God observes injustice and acts. |
| 1 Ki 22:34-38 | Description of Ahab's death in battle, fulfilling prophecy. | Judgment on Ahab for his sins, including Naboth. |
| 2 Ki 9:30-37 | Description of Jezebel's death, eaten by dogs. | Fulfillment of prophecy regarding Jezebel. |
| Rev 6:9-10 | "I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne... 'How long, O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, will you refrain from judging and avenging our blood...'" | Cry of martyred innocents for justice. |
1 Kings 21 verses
1 Kings 21 14 Meaning
This verse communicates the successful execution of Jezebel's plot against Naboth. The message conveyed to Jezebel confirms that Naboth has been falsely accused, condemned, and put to death by stoning, a method used for capital offenses in Israel. This pivotal message signals the completion of the evil scheme, clearing the way for Ahab to seize Naboth's ancestral vineyard.
1 Kings 21 14 Context
This verse serves as the dark climax of the Naboth vineyard narrative. Ahab, the king of Israel, coveted Naboth's vineyard but Naboth refused to sell it, citing his adherence to God's law regarding ancestral land. This refusal made Ahab despondent, prompting his idolatrous wife, Jezebel, to intervene. Jezebel, notorious for her tyrannical rule and disregard for Israelite law, devised a wicked scheme. She wrote letters in Ahab's name to the elders and nobles of Jezreel, commanding them to proclaim a fast, seat Naboth prominently, and then procure two "worthless men" to falsely accuse him of blaspheming God and the king. The elders, either through fear or complicity, executed Jezebel's command. Following the false trial, Naboth was led outside the city and stoned to death. Verse 14 is the report confirming the success of this judicial murder, directly clearing the path for Ahab to seize the vineyard, an act that would immediately incur the severe prophetic judgment of Elijah.
1 Kings 21 14 Word analysis
- Then: A temporal connector, indicating immediate sequence following the execution of Jezebel's command and Naboth's stoning. It marks the shift to the reporting of the accomplished deed.
- they sent (וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ, vayyishl'khu): Plural verb, referring to the "men of his city, the elders and the nobles" (1 Ki 21:11) who carried out Jezebel's order. This highlights their direct involvement and complicity in the judicial murder. Their prompt communication indicates loyalty to Jezebel and completion of the wicked act.
- to Jezebel (אֶל-אִיזֶבֶל, el-'Iyzével): Indicates the recipient of the report, emphasizing her role as the orchestrator and ultimate authority behind the plot. She awaited this confirmation.
- saying (לֵאמֹר, lēʾmōr): A common Hebrew participle introducing direct speech or a summary of a message. It frames the content of the report.
- Naboth (נָבוֹת, Nāvōt): The name of the victim, identifying him as the object of the plot and confirming his identity to Jezebel. His name becomes a symbol of the innocent suffering injustice.
- has been stoned (סֻקַּל, suqqal): Passive voice, from the Hebrew root "saqal" (to stone). This explicitly states the method of execution, which was prescribed by Israelite law for capital crimes like blasphemy (Lev 24:16) or idolatry (Deut 13:10). Its use here highlights the perversion of the legal system to commit murder under the guise of piety. The past tense confirms the completed action.
- and is dead (וַיָּמֹת, vayyāmot): Simple, declarative confirmation of the finality of the act. The death is not merely a consequence but the very outcome Jezebel desired to achieve her goal.
- "Then they sent to Jezebel": This phrase group highlights the chain of command and immediate, almost efficient, communication of the success of the conspiracy. It shows the speed with which injustice could be perpetrated under a corrupt system.
- "Naboth has been stoned and is dead": This declaration serves as the complete report. It concisely confirms both the manner of execution and the outcome, leaving no doubt about the fulfillment of Jezebel's murderous design. The explicit mention of stoning implies a seemingly legitimate legal process was followed, which cloaked the injustice.
1 Kings 21 14 Bonus section
The immediate and terse nature of the report in 1 Kings 21:14 emphasizes the chilling efficiency with which Jezebel's plan was executed. It implies that there was no delay, no hesitation, and no challenge from those commanded to carry out the evil deed. This efficiency underscores the deep moral decay and corruption of the governing and religious authorities in Jezreel under Ahab and Jezebel’s rule. The fact that the leaders readily obeyed Jezebel’s order, even when it involved condemning an innocent man through false witness and perverting justice, highlights the fear and widespread apostasy gripping the nation. Their quick communication to Jezebel further cements their complicity and eagerness to please their tyrannical queen.
1 Kings 21 14 Commentary
1 Kings 21:14 delivers the terse, chilling confirmation of a successful judicial murder orchestrated by Jezebel. This brief report is pivotal, marking the culmination of extreme injustice driven by covetousness and abuse of power. The elders and nobles of Jezreel, despite being upholders of Mosaic Law, bowed to the king's corrupt influence via Jezebel, executing an innocent man under false pretense. The specificity of "stoned" reveals a deliberate perversion of sacred law to accomplish a wicked agenda, twisting divine justice for selfish gain. This act immediately leads to Ahab's acquisition of the vineyard, which in turn provokes divine retribution as prophesied by Elijah, demonstrating that God sees and will judge those who commit such atrocities against the innocent.