1 Kings 21:20 kjv
And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.
1 Kings 21:20 nkjv
So Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, O my enemy?" And he answered, "I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD:
1 Kings 21:20 niv
Ahab said to Elijah, "So you have found me, my enemy!" "I have found you," he answered, "because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD.
1 Kings 21:20 esv
Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, O my enemy?" He answered, "I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the LORD.
1 Kings 21:20 nlt
"So, my enemy, you have found me!" Ahab exclaimed to Elijah. "Yes," Elijah answered, "I have come because you have sold yourself to what is evil in the LORD's sight.
1 Kings 21 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Ki 21:25 | "But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil..." | Echoes and amplifies the "sold oneself" theme |
| 1 Ki 16:30 | "...Ahab the son of Omri did more evil in the sight of the Lord than all who were before him." | Highlights Ahab's extreme wickedness |
| 1 Ki 18:17 | "When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, 'Is it you, you troubler of Israel?'" | Ahab views Elijah as an "enemy" |
| Isa 50:1 | "For your iniquities you have sold yourselves..." | Concept of selling oneself for sin |
| Rom 7:14 | "...I am of the flesh, sold under sin." | Slavery to sin (Paul's struggle) |
| Jn 8:34 | "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin." | Slavery to sin (Jesus' teaching) |
| 2 Pet 2:19 | "...for by what a person is overcome, he is also enslaved." | Enslavement by sin and corruption |
| Num 32:23 | "But if you will not do so... you will be sinning against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out." | Sin's inescapable consequence and exposure |
| Heb 4:13 | "No creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him..." | God sees all actions and motives |
| Psa 139:7-12 | "Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?" | God's omnipresence and knowledge of all |
| Psa 33:13-15 | "The Lord looks down from heaven... He beholds all the children of man." | God's all-seeing eye |
| Ex 20:13 | "You shall not murder." | Direct violation of Ten Commandments |
| Ex 20:15 | "You shall not steal." | Direct violation of Ten Commandments |
| Ex 20:17 | "You shall not covet..." | Root sin of covetousness |
| 1 Ki 22:8 | "But the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, 'There is still one man, Micaiah... I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me...'" | Kings hating true prophets |
| Am 7:12-13 | "O seer, flee away to the land of Judah; there eat bread and prophesy... but never again prophesy at Bethel..." | Amos persecuted for prophetic message |
| Jer 20:8 | "For whenever I speak, I cry out, I proclaim violence and destruction, because the word of the Lord has become for me a reproach and derision..." | Jeremiah's hardship as prophet |
| Mt 14:3-4 | "...Herod had arrested John... because John had been saying to him, 'It is not lawful for you to have her.'" | John the Baptist confronting ruler's sin |
| Gen 6:5 | "The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." | Widespread evil in God's sight (pre-flood) |
| Jgs 2:11 | "...the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals." | Repeated pattern of "doing evil in Lord's sight" |
| 2 Ki 17:17 | "...they sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger." | Kings of Israel committing extensive evil |
| Ez 16:27 | "Behold, therefore, I stretched out my hand against you... because you committed lewdness more than all your abominations." | God's judgment on Judah for her evil |
| 2 Ch 33:6 | "...he did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger." | Manasseh's extreme wickedness |
| Pro 29:2 | "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn." | Outcome of righteous vs. wicked rule |
1 Kings 21 verses
1 Kings 21 20 Meaning
This verse captures the direct, confrontational encounter between King Ahab and the prophet Elijah after Naboth's murder. Ahab's initial question, "Have you found me, O my enemy?" reveals his recognition of Elijah's constant role as God's messenger of rebuke, and his personal animosity towards him for exposing his wickedness. Elijah's reply confirms his divine appointment, stating that he indeed found Ahab, not by chance, but because Ahab had deliberately and utterly surrendered himself to evil actions, particularly by orchestrating the murder of Naboth to seize his vineyard. The phrase "sold yourself" denotes a willful, total commitment to a life of sin, done overtly "in the sight of the Lord," signifying God's awareness and impending judgment.
1 Kings 21 20 Context
1 Kings 21 marks a pivotal moment in the reign of King Ahab, depicting his most heinous crime directly following the previous chapters' conflicts with Elijah and Aramea. The narrative focuses on Ahab's coveting of Naboth's vineyard, which was against Israelite law as ancestral land was inalienable. When Naboth refused to sell, Queen Jezebel, a fervent worshipper of Baal and Sidonian princess, engineered a conspiracy: she arranged for false witnesses to accuse Naboth of blasphemy and treason, leading to his unjust execution. This enabled Ahab to take possession of the vineyard. In this moment of Ahab's perceived victory, Elijah suddenly appears, dispatched by the Lord to confront Ahab over his actions. The confrontation in verse 20 underscores the direct clash between God's divine justice and the ultimate spiritual apostasy and social injustice rampant in the Northern Kingdom under Ahab's rule, culminating in murder and theft. This event exemplifies the ultimate disregard for God's covenant and His laws.
1 Kings 21 20 Word analysis
- Ahab: The notoriously wicked king of Israel, characterized by his devotion to Baal and tolerance of rampant idolatry, largely influenced by his wife Jezebel. He represents the epitome of a ruler defying the Lord's covenant.
- said to Elijah: Establishes the direct confrontation between royal authority and prophetic authority, often adversarial in the Books of Kings.
- "Have you found me, O my enemy?":
- "found me" (הַאִמְצָאתַ֙נִי֙ - ha'imtsatani): This verb implies being caught or discovered, suggesting Ahab knew his actions would incur divine wrath. His question implies an anticipated, yet unwelcome, encounter with God's messenger.
- "O my enemy" (אֹיְבִ֔י - oyvi): From the root אָיַב ('ayav), meaning "to be hostile to, to hate, to act as an enemy." Ahab saw Elijah not just as an adversary, but as a personal foe because Elijah consistently exposed his sin and pronounced divine judgment, standing in direct opposition to Ahab's self-serving reign and idolatrous practices. Ahab hated the truth Elijah represented.
- "I have found you": Elijah's declarative statement, echoing Ahab's words, but now asserting God's omniscient knowledge and unavoidable justice. It’s a divine pronouncement, not a mere personal encounter.
- "because you have sold yourself" (הִתְמַכַּרְתָּ֧ה - hitmakarta):
- From the root מָכַר (makar), "to sell." The intensive Hithpael form used here (literally, "you have caused yourself to be sold") suggests a deliberate, active, and complete surrender or abandonment of oneself to evil. It denotes absolute commitment and full enslavement. This implies not just committing individual sins, but a deeper spiritual condition where one has given over their will and very being to sin, as one would sell property or oneself into bondage.
- "to do evil" (לַעֲשׂ֧וֹת הָרָ֛ע - la'asot hara):
- "to do": Active and intentional, emphasizing Ahab's direct role in carrying out wickedness.
- "evil" (הָרָע - hara): Denotes moral depravity, wickedness, and unrighteousness, encompassing his covetousness, deceit, and complicity in murder. This phrase appears frequently in Deuteronomistic history to describe Israelite kings who did not follow the Lord.
- "in the sight of the Lord" (בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָה - be'einei YHVH): A recurring phrase in Old Testament accounts of kingship. It underscores that all human actions, especially those of rulers, are observed by God, and they are accountable to Him. It implies God's full knowledge of their deeds and His impending judgment, reinforcing divine sovereignty over earthly power.
1 Kings 21 20 Bonus section
The concept of "selling oneself to do evil" foreshadows New Testament themes of being enslaved to sin (Jn 8:34; Rom 6:16-17; Rom 7:14). It points to a spiritual bondage resulting from repeated, willful transgression. Ahab's example demonstrates that a position of power does not exempt one from God's divine scrutiny or judgment; in fact, it often comes with greater accountability (Lk 12:48). The narrative also reinforces the essential role of prophets like Elijah in challenging corrupt authority and upholding God's moral law and covenant, even at great personal risk.
1 Kings 21 20 Commentary
1 Kings 21:20 is a powerful illustration of divine confrontation with deep-seated human wickedness. Ahab's desperate "my enemy?" is not a question but an accusation, revealing the animosity felt by a sinner towards the bearer of truth. This highlights a universal principle: those entrenched in rebellion often perceive God's messengers, or even God Himself, as adversaries because His light exposes their darkness. Elijah's response cuts to the core: "I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil." The vivid imagery of "selling oneself" signifies not merely occasional transgression, but a fundamental, deliberate alignment of one's entire will and being with evil. It suggests a transaction where a soul exchanges its spiritual liberty and alignment with God for the deceptive allure of sin, akin to choosing slavery. This choice, actively pursued "in the sight of the Lord," ensures that divine justice is both necessary and righteous, as God is the ultimate witness to all human actions and motives, holding all, especially those in power, accountable.