1 Kings 21 19

1 Kings 21:19 kjv

And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.

1 Kings 21:19 nkjv

You shall speak to him, saying, 'Thus says the LORD: "Have you murdered and also taken possession?" ' And you shall speak to him, saying, 'Thus says the LORD: "In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your blood, even yours." ' "

1 Kings 21:19 niv

Say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?' Then say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your blood?yes, yours!'?"

1 Kings 21:19 esv

And you shall say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, "Have you killed and also taken possession?"' And you shall say to him, 'Thus says the LORD: "In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood."'"

1 Kings 21:19 nlt

Give him this message: 'This is what the LORD says: Wasn't it enough that you killed Naboth? Must you rob him, too? Because you have done this, dogs will lick your blood at the very place where they licked the blood of Naboth!'"

1 Kings 21 verses

1 Kings 21 19 Meaning

This verse conveys a stern prophetic word from the Lord, delivered by Elijah to King Ahab. It declares a direct divine judgment upon Ahab for his dual transgression: the premeditated murder of Naboth and the subsequent unlawful seizure of Naboth’s vineyard. The Lord, through Elijah, pronounces a highly specific and humiliating form of retribution, stating that just as dogs licked the innocent blood of Naboth in his vineyard, so too will dogs lick Ahab’s own blood, signaling an ignominious end and a reversal of his royal dignity.

1 Kings 21 19 Context

This verse marks the climax of the narrative in 1 Kings Chapter 21, following a deeply disturbing sequence of events. King Ahab, coveting the ancestral vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel, offers to buy or trade for it. Naboth, adhering strictly to Mosaic Law which prohibited the sale of inherited tribal land (Lev 25:23, Num 36:7), refuses. Ahab responds with childish pouting. His Phoenician queen, Jezebel, mocks his weakness and cunningly devises a scheme: she orchestrates the false accusation of Naboth by "scoundrels" and engineers his stoning to death on charges of blasphemy against God and the king. Immediately after Naboth's murder, Jezebel informs Ahab that the vineyard is now his to "possess." It is at this moment, as Ahab goes to claim his ill-gotten gain, that the prophet Elijah, directly commissioned by God, confronts the king with the divine pronouncement found in 1 Kings 21:19. The chapter concludes with Ahab's humbling himself and God delaying the full extent of the calamity, although the judgment would still fall upon his lineage. This entire episode showcases the pervasive sinfulness of Ahab's reign, the brutal nature of Jezebel, and God's unwavering commitment to justice, even against powerful monarchs.

1 Kings 21 19 Word analysis

• And you shall speak to him: This is a direct divine imperative given to Elijah. It underscores the prophet's role as a mouthpiece for God, delivering an unadulterated message, regardless of the recipient's status or power. It implies immediate, confrontational delivery.
• saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: This is the standard prophetic formula, asserting the divine authority behind the message. It is not Elijah's words or opinion but a direct oracle from YHWH (יהוה, Yahweh), the covenant God of Israel. It emphasizes that no earthly king stands above God's law.
• “Have you murdered (רָצַח - ratsach) and also taken possession?”’:
  • murdered (ratsach): This Hebrew term specifically refers to the premeditated, malicious taking of a human life, a capital crime that violates the sixth commandment (Exod 20:13). It implies a grave, covenantal breach, distinct from accidental killing. It highlights the injustice and depravity of Ahab's actions, achieved through Jezebel's proxy.
  • taken possession (יָרַשׁ - yarash): This word signifies "to inherit," "to possess," or "to take by force/dispossess." Here, it signifies the illegal acquisition of property obtained through illicit means, specifically murder. The question highlights the dual and intertwined nature of Ahab's transgression: bloodshed for gain, an abhorrent act under Mosaic Law, especially since land inheritance was sacred and God-given.
  • “Have you murdered and also taken possession?”: This is a rhetorical question, designed not to elicit an answer but to highlight the self-evident and heinous nature of Ahab's actions, and God's full knowledge of them. It expresses God's moral outrage at the profound injustice and perversion of justice committed by the king.
• And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: The repetition emphasizes the certainty, gravity, and divine origin of the impending judgment. It shows a two-part message: accusation followed by the specific sentence.
• “In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth,
  • In the place (מָקוֹם - maqom): This signifies geographic specificity, making the judgment concrete and particularly humiliating. It links the location of the crime directly to the location of the punishment, embodying a form of poetic justice.
  • dogs (כְּלָבִים - kelavim): In ancient Israel, dogs were often wild, unclean scavengers, not domesticated pets. For a human body, especially that of a king, to be devoured or licked by dogs implied a curse, a disgraceful death, and the absence of a proper burial—a profound humiliation and an abject end (cf. Psa 22:16, 20). It was a sign of total disgrace and divine rejection.
  • licked the blood: This grotesque image conveys the ultimate desecration and degradation. It underscores the barbarity and public nature of Naboth's execution.
  • Naboth: The specific naming of the victim underscores his innocence and God's recognition of the individual's suffering, emphasizing that justice is personal and specific.
• dogs shall lick your blood, even yours.”’:
  • dogs shall lick your blood: This pronouncement reveals a direct lex talionis (law of retaliation/eye for an eye) principle in operation, not necessarily in equal measure of injury, but in a horrific mirroring of the method of death and indignity. The very agents (dogs) and substance (blood) associated with Naboth's defilement are decreed for Ahab's downfall.
  • even yours: The addition of "even yours" (כָּלֶךְ - kolleka, "all of you," or "yours") emphasizes the personal and undeniable nature of the judgment against Ahab. It is his blood, his demise, his humiliation. It is a precise and inevitable sentence pronounced against the very one who initiated the injustice.

1 Kings 21 19 Bonus section

The immediate and explicit judgment pronounced upon Ahab in this verse demonstrates the severity with which God views actions that violate basic human rights and divine law, especially when perpetrated by those in authority. The "blood for blood" motif echoes ancient covenant curses and the universal understanding of retributive justice (Gen 9:5-6). The role of the prophet Elijah here highlights the crucial function of prophecy in Israel: to call even kings to account for their faithfulness to the Mosaic covenant. Ahab's temporary humbling in 1 Kings 21:27-29, which leads to a delay in the judgment for him, demonstrates God's mercy and responsiveness to repentance, yet the divine decree regarding the ultimate fate of Ahab's house (including his infamous wife Jezebel, 2 Kgs 9:30-37) remains in force, underscoring the principle of corporate responsibility for sin within a dynasty. This specific fulfillment emphasizes the power of the prophetic word to come to pass, often in highly literal and dramatic ways, validating the prophet's divine commission and God's sovereign control over historical events.

1 Kings 21 19 Commentary

1 Kings 21:19 is a potent declaration of divine judgment, vividly illustrating God's uncompromising commitment to justice. Elijah's prophetic confrontation of Ahab directly challenges royal tyranny and power abuse. God's question, "Have you murdered and also taken possession?", is a rhetorical accusation highlighting Ahab's dual crime of murder and illegal land seizure, revealing God's absolute knowledge and condemnation. The pronounced judgment is strikingly specific and retributive: the very act and location of Naboth's defilement—his blood licked by scavenger dogs in his vineyard—will be mirrored in Ahab's own death. This ignominious fate, for a king, signified ultimate disgrace, the absence of proper burial, and divine rejection. It underscored that no earthly monarch is above God's moral law. This prophecy, while seemingly delayed for Ahab due to his temporary repentance (1 Kgs 21:29), ultimately finds its chilling fulfillment for him in 1 Kings 22:38 and precisely for his son, Joram, at the very same plot of land, reinforcing God's unwavering faithfulness to His word (2 Kgs 9:25-26). It serves as a profound testament to the truth that injustice will not go unpunished by the righteous Judge of all the earth.