1 Kings 21 18

1 Kings 21:18 kjv

Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.

1 Kings 21:18 nkjv

"Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who lives in Samaria. There he is, in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it.

1 Kings 21:18 niv

"Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it.

1 Kings 21:18 esv

"Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession.

1 Kings 21:18 nlt

"Go down to meet King Ahab of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He will be at Naboth's vineyard in Jezreel, claiming it for himself.

1 Kings 21 verses

1 Kings 21 18 Meaning

This verse conveys God's divine command to the prophet Elijah to confront King Ahab immediately. The location for this confrontation is specifically highlighted as the very vineyard of Naboth, which Ahab had just illegally and unjustly seized following Naboth's judicial murder. The command emphasizes God's immediate knowledge of and direct response to the grave injustice perpetrated by the king, signaling imminent divine judgment for Ahab's covetousness, theft, and role in Naboth's death.

1 Kings 21 18 Context

This verse marks a pivotal moment immediately following the unjust seizure of Naboth's vineyard and his subsequent execution, orchestrated by Queen Jezebel with King Ahab's passive compliance. Naboth had legally refused to sell his ancestral land to Ahab (1 Ki. 21:1-4), upholding Israelite covenant law that prohibited permanent sale of inherited land. Jezebel, observing Ahab's sulking over the refusal, used her power and manipulation, exploiting the legal system by commissioning false witnesses to condemn Naboth for blasphemy, resulting in his stoning (1 Ki. 21:5-14). As soon as Naboth was dead, Jezebel informed Ahab, urging him to take possession of the vineyard (1 Ki. 21:15-16). This verse describes God's instantaneous, direct intervention. Having witnessed the king's greed and the grave injustice, the Lord commissions Elijah to confront Ahab precisely where the sin culminated: in the newly acquired, blood-tainted vineyard, where Ahab was now "to possess it." The narrative exposes the moral depravity of the monarchy and reasserts God's active involvement in maintaining justice in His covenant land.

1 Kings 21 18 Word analysis

• Arise (ק֥וּם Qûm): A commanding imperative, often signifying a divine call to immediate action, alertness, or readiness. Here, it denotes urgency and the divine impulse for Elijah to move quickly and decisively to fulfill God's direct command.
• go down (רֵ֤ד Rēḏ from yarad): Signifies a physical descent. Elijah was likely in a mountainous region; Samaria was in a lower valley. This also carries a spiritual connotation of moving from the Lord's immediate presence to confront a king deeply entrenched in the corruption of the lowland kingdom.
• to meet Ahab (לִקְרַ֖את אַחְאָב Liqrāṯ Aḥʼāḇ): Denotes a direct, face-to-face encounter, emphasizing confrontation. The command specifies the king himself, leaving no doubt about the target of God's wrath and Elijah's mission.
• king of Israel (מֶֽלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל Meleḵ Yiśrāʾēl): Ahab's full title is stated, ironically highlighting his earthly authority juxtaposed against his violation of divine law and the ultimate sovereignty of the King of kings. It underscores that even the highest earthly power is accountable to God.
• who is in Samaria (אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּשֹׁמְרֽוֹן ʾĂšer Bəšōmrôn): Samaria was the capital city, notorious for idolatry and the residence of the corrupt monarchy. Pinpointing his location shows God's omniscience and targeted judgment against the hub of Northern Kingdom's apostasy.
• behold (הִנֵּ֛ה Hinnêh): An interjection signaling immediacy, emphasis, and a direct disclosure from God, drawing Elijah’s attention to Ahab’s exact activity at that moment. It builds dramatic tension.
• he is in the vineyard of Naboth (בְּכֶ֥רֶם נָב֖וֹת Bəḵerem Nāḇôṯ): This specific detail is crucial. The location ties the confrontation directly to the crime committed. A "vineyard" (כֶּרֶם kerem) in Israel symbolized ancestral heritage (naḥalah), sustained labor, and was intimately tied to the covenant and promise of the land. Taking it illegally was a severe transgression.
• where he has gone down (אֲשֶׁר־יָ֥רַד שָׁ֖ם ʾĂšer Yāraḏ Šām): The repetition of "gone down" (yarad) reinforces the deliberate action taken by Ahab to physically descend and take possession of what was not his, underscoring his conscious intent and full culpability in the injustice.
• to possess it (לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ Lərištāh from yāraš): To take possession of, inherit, occupy. Ahab's purpose in going to the vineyard was not merely to inspect but to legally claim and appropriate what he coveted. This term makes explicit the sinful culmination of his desire into wrongful acquisition and direct violation of the Lord's land law.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "Arise, go down to meet Ahab": This opening phrase is a powerful divine command demonstrating the urgency and directness of God's intervention. "Arise" signifies a spiritual readiness to act on God's behalf, while "go down" is both a physical movement from Elijah's presumed dwelling (perhaps high country or the Jordan Valley) to the corrupt valley where Samaria lies and a symbolic descent from divine presence to confront human depravity. The instruction to "meet Ahab" mandates a direct, personal, and undeniable confrontation, leaving no room for misunderstanding or avoidance of God's message.
• "king of Israel, who is in Samaria": This combination highlights the source of the injustice and its systemic nature. Ahab, as "king of Israel," wielded the highest human authority, yet he profoundly abused it for personal gain, revealing the profound spiritual decay not just in himself but throughout the Northern Kingdom. "Samaria" represents the idolatrous capital, a stronghold of wickedness and symbol of a kingdom deeply deviating from God's covenant, making it the perfect stage for divine judgment.
• "behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth": The emphatic "behold" serves to draw Elijah's immediate attention to the precise locus of Ahab's sin and upcoming judgment. That Ahab is "in the vineyard of Naboth" signifies the consummation of his covetous desire into a tangible, criminal act. The "vineyard" itself, as an ancestral inheritance (naḥalah), represents the sanctity of property rights under Israelite law and God's covenantal care for the people's legacy. Ahab's arrogant presence there, despite its acquisition through murder, highlights the depth of his transgression against God's order.
• "where he has gone down to possess it": This phrase elaborates on Ahab's intention and actions. The repeated verb "go down" (from earlier in the verse) stresses the deliberate and calculated act of Ahab asserting his illegitimate claim. "To possess it" fully reveals Ahab's illicit goal: not simply observation, but full appropriation, acquisition, and ownership of the property obtained through a heinous act of murder and perversion of justice. This exposes the king's brazen self-indulgence and utter disregard for divine law and the lives of his subjects, setting the immediate stage for direct divine reckoning.

1 Kings 21 18 Bonus section

The rapid sequence of events in chapter 21 – Naboth's refusal, Jezebel's plot, Naboth's murder, and God's immediate command to Elijah – highlights the speed of divine retribution and God's active, attentive oversight of earthly affairs. This is not a God who is distant or unaware of injustice. The confrontation in the vineyard directly counterpoints the claims of Baal worship, which often centered on land fertility and property claims; here, Yahweh demonstrates His true authority over the land and its covenant principles. The entire episode serves as a powerful reminder of the Old Testament's emphasis on social justice and the rights of the poor and vulnerable, indicating that even political leaders are subject to the Lord's moral law. The "vineyard" symbolizes not merely a plot of land but the ancient family heritage (Hebrew naḥalah), intrinsically tied to Israel's identity and covenant with God. To seize it through injustice was an attack on the very foundations of Israelite society established by Yahweh.

1 Kings 21 18 Commentary

1 Kings 21:18 reveals the instantaneity of God's response to grievous sin, particularly that committed by those in power who exploit the vulnerable and desecrate divine law. It demonstrates that Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel, actively oversees justice and holds kings accountable, even against powerful empires or corrupt regimes. The command to Elijah to meet Ahab "in the vineyard of Naboth" underscores God's poetic justice: the very scene of Ahab's crime becomes the scene of his condemnation. Ahab's desire to "possess" the vineyard, fueled by covetousness and consummated through murder, epitomizes a fundamental breach of the Decalogue (Ex. 20:13, 17) and an assault on the sacred nature of land inheritance in Israel (Lev. 25). This encounter reinforces the prophet's crucial role as God's messenger, unswervingly confronting sin without fear, even when facing a powerful king. It asserts divine sovereignty over human depravity and promises certain divine reckoning, reminding believers that justice, though sometimes delayed from human perspective, is always certain from a righteous God.