1 Kings 21:29 kjv
Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.
1 Kings 21:29 nkjv
"See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days. In the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house."
1 Kings 21:29 niv
"Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son."
1 Kings 21:29 esv
"Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son's days I will bring the disaster upon his house."
1 Kings 21:29 nlt
"Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has done this, I will not do what I promised during his lifetime. It will happen to his sons; I will destroy his dynasty."
1 Kings 21 29 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Ki 14:10 | "therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male..." | God's pronouncements of judgment on wicked royal houses. |
| 1 Ki 22:38 | "And the dogs licked up his blood; and the harlots washed themselves in it; according unto the word of the Lord." | Fulfillment of part of the prophecy against Ahab himself (though not in his days in full). |
| 2 Ki 9:8 | "For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, both bond and free in Israel." | Fulfillment of the judgment on Ahab's house as promised. |
| 2 Chr 7:14 | "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face...I will forgive their sin." | Principle: God's response to humility and repentance. |
| Ps 34:18 | "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." | God's compassion towards the humble or contrite. |
| Ps 51:17 | "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." | God values genuine inner humility. |
| Prov 15:33 | "The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor." | Wisdom often involves recognizing one's limitations and humbling oneself. |
| Prov 28:13 | "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy." | While Ahab did not fully forsake, his act elicited mercy. |
| Joel 2:12-14 | "Yet even now, declares the Lord, return to me with all your heart...Who knows whether he will not turn...?" | God's invitation to repentance and potential deferment of judgment. |
| Jon 3:5-10 | "The people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast...When God saw what they did...he relented..." | A more complete national repentance leading to judgment being withheld. |
| Isa 3:10-11 | "Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them...Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him..." | The principle of divine justice: consequences for good and evil deeds. |
| Jer 32:18 | "who show steadfast love to thousands, but repay the iniquity of fathers into the lap of their children..." | Corporate and generational consequences of sin. |
| Lam 5:7 | "Our fathers sinned, and are no more; and we bear their iniquities." | The people experiencing consequences for ancestral sin. |
| Rom 2:4 | "Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?" | God's patience offers an opportunity for repentance. |
| Rom 11:22 | "Note then the kindness and the severity of God: to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness..." | God's character balancing mercy and justice. |
| Ja 4:10 | "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." | The principle of humbling oneself before God bringing positive outcomes. |
| 1 Pet 5:6 | "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you." | Encouragement to humble oneself before God. |
| Exod 34:6-7 | "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger...but who will by no means clear the guilty..." | God's balance of mercy, patience, and justice. |
| Nah 1:3 | "The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty..." | God's patience is not an absence of justice. |
| Dan 4:27 | "Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you; break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy..." | Repentance involving action can avert or defer judgment. |
1 Kings 21 verses
1 Kings 21 29 Meaning
God, observing King Ahab's outward display of humility and distress in response to Elijah's pronouncement of judgment, declares a deferment of the immediate severe consequence promised upon Ahab's household. While the full scope of the predicted disaster on his dynasty would still come, it would not happen during Ahab's lifetime but rather during the reign of his son. This verse reveals God's responsiveness even to a limited act of self-abasement, alongside His unyielding commitment to justice for sin.
1 Kings 21 29 Context
Verse 1 Kings 21:29 concludes a significant narrative arc involving King Ahab and Naboth. Earlier, Ahab coveted Naboth's vineyard. Through Jezebel's machinations, Naboth was falsely accused and executed, allowing Ahab to seize the land. In response, God sent Elijah the prophet to pronounce a severe judgment: Ahab's male descendants would be cut off, his dynasty destroyed, and dogs would lick his blood in the same place as Naboth's, while Jezebel would be devoured by dogs. This dire prophecy shook Ahab. Upon hearing Elijah's words, Ahab tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, fasted, and lay in sackcloth. God then observes this act of public humiliation (1 Ki 21:27) and pronounces the deferment of the immediate calamity in 1 Kings 21:29. The subsequent chapters describe Ahab's death in battle (1 Ki 22) and the later gruesome fulfillment of the dynastic judgment upon his sons (2 Ki 9). The entire episode serves as a powerful testament to Yahweh's justice, His active involvement in Israel's affairs, and His response to humility, however superficial, highlighting a polemic against Baalism's impotence in moral governance.
1 Kings 21 29 Word analysis
- Seest thou / Have you seen: (Hebrew: הֲרָאִיתָ / ha-ra'ita, from ראה ra'ah - to see, perceive, understand). This is a rhetorical question from God to Elijah. It calls for attention to Ahab's behavior, highlighting that God observes and acknowledges human actions, even those of the most wicked. It emphasizes divine omnipresence and perfect perception.
- how Ahab: Refers to the infamous King Ahab, known for his wickedness, idolatry, and passive complicity in injustices, particularly in this chapter concerning Naboth. His name, עַבְלִילָה (`Ahav), has become synonymous with evil in Israelite history.
- humbleth himself / has humbled himself: (Hebrew: כְּהִכָּנְעוֹ / kəhikkana‘o, from the root כנע kana’ - to be low, to be subdued, to be humbled, to yield). This describes Ahab's immediate reaction to Elijah's prophecy. While the Hebrew word suggests genuine humbling, the text does not necessarily indicate a profound, lasting change of heart or full repentance as seen in Nineveh (Jon 3:10). It signifies an outward act of penitence—tearing clothes, sackcloth, fasting (1 Ki 21:27). God responds to this demonstrable (even if temporary or fear-driven) act of submission to His word, revealing His merciful disposition to defer judgment when there's an acknowledgment of guilt, even partial.
- before Me: Emphasizes that Ahab's action was directly observed by God Himself, not just witnessed by humans. This signifies God's direct involvement and authority over even the mightiest kings.
- I will not bring the evil / disaster: (Hebrew: הָרָעָה / hara'ah - the evil, calamity, disaster). This refers to the specific severe judgments Elijah pronounced (destruction of Ahab's male line, his blood licked by dogs, Jezebel's death). God's decision is a direct, deliberate act of clemency.
- in his days: Refers to the lifetime or reign of King Ahab. God grants him a reprieve, meaning the immediate, dire fulfillment of the prophecy on his dynasty will not happen during his active rule. This speaks to God's patience and forbearance.
- but in his son's days: Specifies when the deferred judgment will occur. This is a crucial point, as the judgment is postponed, not revoked. It introduces the concept of corporate responsibility or generational consequences within a royal dynasty, a common theme in Old Testament narratives regarding covenant judgment.
- will I bring the evil / disaster upon his house: (Hebrew: אֶת־הָרָעָה אֶל־בֵּיתוֹ / et-ha-ra'ah el-beto - the evil upon his house). "His house" refers to Ahab's entire dynastic line, his male heirs, and possibly his immediate family. The full weight of the divine curse would eventually descend, confirming God's unwavering commitment to justice even after a show of clemency.
1 Kings 21 29 Bonus section
The contrast between Ahab's immediate response (tearing clothes, sackcloth, fasting) and true, complete repentance is vital. While God responded to Ahab's action of humbling himself, this was distinct from a radical turning away from sin and wholehearted devotion to Yahweh that characterized deeper repentance (e.g., King David in Ps 51 or the people of Nineveh in Jon 3). God’s acknowledgment of Ahab’s outward humility doesn't absolve the profound spiritual apostasy or negate the fundamental justice that His character demands. It showcases the divine attribute of patience (מַק אֲרוּךְ אַפַּיִם, erek appayim, "slow to anger"), where God postpones judgment, giving space, perhaps for a more complete change that Ahab did not ultimately embrace fully. The story then vividly fulfills the deferred judgment later in Ahab's sons' days, solidifying the message that God’s word stands firm, whether in judgment or mercy, and that divine judgment, though sometimes patient, is inevitable where sin persists.
1 Kings 21 29 Commentary
1 Kings 21:29 is a profound display of God's nuanced character, balancing His absolute justice with profound mercy and patience. Ahab, a figure epitomizing spiritual and moral depravity, faces God's unyielding judgment for his rampant idolatry, persecution of prophets, and complicity in Naboth's murder. However, upon Ahab's superficial (or at least incomplete) act of humbling himself, God demonstrates immediate responsiveness. This reprieve reveals that God takes notice of any acknowledgment of His word and power, even from the unrighteous. His willingness to defer judgment, even to a king so thoroughly corrupt, underscores that His mercy can intercept even His just anger, offering a temporal delay of punishment. Yet, this delay is not a cancellation; the evil destined for Ahab's house remains fixed, emphasizing that God's justice is ultimately unavoidable and generations may bear the consequences of unrepented sin, particularly within royal lines accountable to God's covenant. This partial deferral served as a testimony to God's fairness and long-suffering.