1 Kings 21:21 kjv
Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,
1 Kings 21:21 nkjv
'Behold, I will bring calamity on you. I will take away your posterity, and will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both bond and free.
1 Kings 21:21 niv
He says, 'I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel?slave or free.
1 Kings 21:21 esv
Behold, I will bring disaster upon you. I will utterly burn you up, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel.
1 Kings 21:21 nlt
So now the LORD says, 'I will bring disaster on you and consume you. I will destroy every one of your male descendants, slave and free alike, anywhere in Israel!
1 Kings 21 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Kgs 14:10 | "therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam every male, bond or free, in Israel..." | Prophecy against Jeroboam's house using similar language. |
| 1 Kgs 15:29 | "As soon as he was king, he struck down all the house of Jeroboam...until he had destroyed it, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite," | Fulfillment of judgment against Jeroboam. |
| 1 Kgs 16:11 | "And as soon as he began to reign, he struck down all the house of Baasha; he did not leave him a single male of his kindred..." | Judgment against Baasha's house. |
| 1 Sam 25:22 | "God do so to the enemies of David and more also, if by morning I leave so much as one male of all who belong to him." | Idiom for total male destruction (Nabal's house). |
| 1 Sam 25:34 | "as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has restrained me from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely there would not have been left to Nabal by morning so much as one male." | Idiom for total male destruction. |
| 2 Kgs 9:7-8 | "‘You shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, so that I may avenge on Jezebel the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of the LORD...For the whole house of Ahab shall perish...I will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel.'" | Direct fulfillment and repetition of this very prophecy. |
| 2 Kgs 10:30 | "The LORD said to Jehu, 'Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in my eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab all that was in my heart...'" | Jehu's actions in fulfilling God's judgment. |
| Exod 20:5 | "...visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation..." | God's justice extended to descendants due to severe sin. |
| Deut 28:15 | "But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God...all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you." | Covenant curses for disobedience, foreshadowing national and dynastic judgment. |
| Josh 23:15 | "But just as all the good things that the LORD your God promised you have come true, so comes to pass that the LORD will bring upon you all the evil things..." | God's faithfulness in bringing both blessing and judgment. |
| Isa 45:7 | "I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things." | God's sovereignty over good and evil (calamity). |
| Amos 3:6 | "Does disaster come to a city unless the LORD has done it?" | God's ultimate sovereignty over disaster/judgment. |
| Jer 1:16 | "And I will declare my judgments against them, for all their evil in forsaking me..." | God's judgment declared against sin. |
| Ezek 25:17 | "I will execute great vengeance on them with furious rebukes. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I lay my vengeance upon them." | God's determined judgment for defiance. |
| Ps 7:11 | "God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day." | God's character as a righteous judge. |
| Ps 9:12 | "For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted." | God remembering injustice (Naboth). |
| Ps 37:35-36 | "I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a flourishing native tree. But he passed away, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found." | Transient nature of wicked dynasties. |
| Prov 28:16 | "A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor, but he who hates dishonest gain will lengthen his days." | The consequence of wicked leadership. |
| Rom 6:23 | "For the wages of sin is death..." | Spiritual principle behind the judgment on sin. |
| Heb 10:30 | "For we know him who said, 'Vengeance is mine; I will repay.'" | God's right to execute vengeance and judgment. |
1 Kings 21 verses
1 Kings 21 21 Meaning
1 Kings 21:21 is a stark pronouncement of divine judgment by God, delivered through the prophet Elijah, against King Ahab. It declares that God Himself will bring disaster and calamity upon Ahab and his royal household due to their heinous sins, particularly the murder of Naboth and the seizure of his vineyard. The verse specifically decrees the complete annihilation of Ahab's male lineage, from every person, signifying total and irreversible destruction of his dynasty.
1 Kings 21 21 Context
This verse immediately follows God's condemnation of Ahab for his role in Naboth's murder and the usurpation of his vineyard, orchestrated by Jezebel (1 Kgs 21:1-19). Elijah confronts Ahab directly after he takes possession of the vineyard, delivering a devastating prophecy from the LORD. This divine decree against Ahab and his house stands as a severe consequence for their flagrant violation of covenant law, marked by covetousness, injustice, and bloodshed, committed against a backdrop of rampant idolatry and disregard for the Mosaic law in Israel under the Omride dynasty. The specific nature of the judgment—the extermination of every male—is a common biblical pattern for completely eradicating a wicked dynasty, ensuring that no future claimant to the throne from that line remains.
1 Kings 21 21 Word analysis
- Behold (הִנְנִי - hinnēnî): A strong interjection that serves to draw immediate and serious attention to the declaration that follows. It signals a divine and solemn pronouncement, often used when God is about to reveal a significant act or judgment.
- I will bring evil (מֵבִיא רָעָה - mēḇi’ ra‘ah): The Hebrew word ra‘ah (רָעָה) here signifies disaster, calamity, affliction, or trouble, rather than moral evil. It denotes active judgment and misfortune divinely appointed. This emphasizes God's direct agency in executing punishment.
- upon you (עֵלֶיךָ - ‘āleikā): Specifically directed at Ahab. The judgment is personal and dynastic, starting with the king.
- I will utterly sweep you away (וְנָקַמְתִּי אַחֲרֶיךָ - wənaqaməttî ’aḥăreḵā): The verb naqam can mean "take vengeance," "avenge," or "exact punishment." Combined with ’aḥăreḵā ("after you" or "your posterity"), it conveys a thorough sweeping away, eradicating what comes behind him, meaning his future generations and all his dependents. It suggests divine retribution.
- and will cut off (וְהִכְרַתִּי - wəhik̄əratּî): From the root karath (כָּרַת), meaning to "cut," "cut off," or "destroy." It implies termination, often used in a legal or covenantal context for extermination. Here, it indicates a complete and decisive termination of the male line.
- from Ahab (מֵאַחְאָב - mē’aḥ’āb): Confirms the specific target of the judgment: the Omride dynasty founded by Ahab, focusing the severe punishment directly on the perpetrator of the injustices.
- every male (כָּל־מַשְׁתִּין בְּקִיר - kol mashtīn bəqîr): A vivid, somewhat crude but common Hebrew idiom. Literally, "everyone who urinates against a wall." This expression unequivocally means every single male, regardless of age or status, from infancy to old age, thereby ensuring the total extinction of the male lineage and preventing any successor from Ahab's bloodline. This idiom is a hallmark of such extinction prophecies in the historical books.
- bond or free (עָצוּר וְעָזוּב - ‘āṣûr wə‘āzûḇ): This is another idiomatic expression meaning "the restrained and the abandoned," or "shut up and left." It signifies all individuals without exception. ‘āṣûr (restrained/shut up) can refer to those in power, confined to the palace or prison, or simply anyone "held back." ‘āzûḇ (abandoned/left) can refer to those outside or left to wander freely. Together, they represent comprehensive inclusion, ensuring absolutely no one in the household of Ahab escapes this judgment.
1 Kings 21 21 Bonus section
The severity of the language ("every male, bond or free") signifies the most extreme form of judgment and cleansing within ancient Israelite understanding of dynastic punishment. It emphasizes God's total intolerance for systemic unrighteousness and apostasy from those in leadership positions, particularly after repeated warnings through prophets. The judgment here is tied directly to the Abrahamic covenant principle of the land and God's justice in upholding His moral law within that land. The "cursing the seed" or "cutting off the name" (lineage) was a common way God dealt with particularly egregious and unrepentant covenant-breaking by rulers in Israel's history. This verse stands in stark contrast to the pagan deities often worshipped by Ahab and Jezebel, who were generally not seen as having moral demands for kings, or enacting such systemic moral judgments. Thus, it functions as an implicit polemic against those pagan systems, affirming Yahweh's unique role as the righteous judge over kings and nations.
1 Kings 21 21 Commentary
1 Kings 21:21 marks a pivotal moment of divine confrontation and pronouncement of judgment in Israelite history. This verse underscores several key theological truths. Firstly, it highlights God's absolute sovereignty over human affairs, including the rise and fall of dynasties. Ahab's power and injustice are powerless before Yahweh's decree. Secondly, it emphasizes God's unwavering justice. Despite the king's elevated status and the brazenness of his crimes, God acts as the ultimate arbiter of righteousness, ensuring that profound injustice and idolatry do not go unpunished. The specific language of utter annihilation, repeated across different dynasties in the historical books, reveals God's determination to purge evil and uphold His covenant with Israel. The severe judgment reflects not merely punishment for Naboth's murder but for the broader apostasy and wickedness cultivated under Ahab's reign, particularly his promotion of Baal worship and the severe persecution of God's prophets. The complete destruction of the male line signified the end of the dynasty's name and future, a direct consequence of a leadership that systematically broke covenant with God and oppressed His people.