Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Kings · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI.
Verſ. 3. THe Lord forbid it me, that I ſhould give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.] Thus he rejected Ahabs motion with deteſtation; to wit, becauſe the Lord had forbidden in his law the perpetuall ſale of any mans inheritance, Levit. 25.23. The land ſhall not be ſold for ever: and though therefore ſuch a motion made by a prince in another kingdome could not have been rejected by any ſubject, without groſſe diſregard of that Majeſtie which God hath put upon princes; yet Naboth was bound in conſcience to do it, and no doubt (though it be not here expreſſed) as he refuſed to ſatisfie the deſire of his Soveraigne herein, ſo alſo he humbly preſented him with the reaſons why he durſt not do it; and made it appear, that it was not ſo much the parting with his vineyard, as his ſinning againſt God in parting with it, that he ſtumbled at; whereby it appears alſo, that this Naboth was a pious man, and zealous of obſerving Gods law, even in theſe idolatrous times, which made his bloud cry the louder for vengeance againſt Ahab and Jezebel.
Verſ. 4. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face. &c:] As one that was diſcontented, and therefore would have no body to ſpeak to him, that cared not to ſee any body, nor to have any body ſee him.
Verſ. 7. I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.] This is ſpoken in a vaunting way; and it may have reference either to Naboths refuſing to give Ahab his vineyard; as if ſhe had ſaid, Though he will not give thee his vineyard, I will; thou ſhalt not need to purchaſe it, nor to ſtand to his curteſie, whether he will yield it up to thee or no, I will give it thee; or elſe; to thoſe foregoing words of Jezebel, Doest thou now govern the kingdome of Iſrael; as if ſhe had ſaid, One would think a king ſhould not whine for a ſubjects deniall of ſuch a thing, having ſo much power to ſatisfie himſelf; but ſince thou knoweſt not how to improve thy power, I that am but a woman will do it for thee, I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
Verſ. 8. So ſhe wrote letters in Ahab's name, &c.] To wit, Ahab not knowing, nor caring to know, what courſe ſhe took for the accompliſhing of that promiſe ſhe had made of getting Naboths vineyard for him.
Verſ. 9. Proclaim a faſt, and ſet Naboth on high among the people.] Some underſtand this thus, that Naboth ſhould be ſet, as in regard of his dignity he uſed to be, in ſome eminent place amongſt the chief men of the city, as if there had been no evil at all plotted againſt him; and then on a ſudden the witneſſes ſhould out, and accuſe him of blaſpheming God and the king. But I rather think, that malefactours when they came to be tried before the Magiſtrate were uſually ſet upon ſome ſcaffold where they might be in the ſight of the people, and thence it was that Jezebel wrote in her letters, And ſet Naboth on high amongst the people. As for the faſt to be proclaimed, that was enjoyned to make a ſhew, as if indeed ſuch a horrible wickedneſſe had been committed by Naboth, as might bring Gods wrath upon all the nation, and for the diverting whereof, therefore it was fit the people ſhould in a ſolemn manner humble themſelves, and cry unto God for mercy.
Verſ. 10. And then carry him out, and ſtone him, that he may die.] For ſo the Law of God had appointed him to be puniſhed that ſhould blaſpheme the name of the Lord, Levit. 24.15, 16. Whoſoever curſeth his God ſhall bear his ſinne, and he that blaſphemeth the name of the Lord, he ſhall ſurely be put to death: and him alſo that ſhould curſe his father, Exod. 21.17. And he that curſeth his father or his mother ſhall ſurely be put to death: the Prince therefore being the father of the people (pater patriae) it ſeems the curſing of him (which is alſo a ſinne forbidden by the Law, Exod. 22.28, Thou ſhalt not revile the gods, nor curſe the ruler of thy people) was uſually likewiſe puniſhed after the ſame manner.
Verſ. 11. The Elders, and the Nobles, who were the inhabitants in his citie. did as Jezebel had ſent unto them, &c.] It may well ſeem ſtrange that the letters of Ahab, enjoyning ſuch a groſſe and horrible act of injuſtice, ſhould without any ſcruple be ſo readily obeyed by the Elders and Nobles of Jezreel: but for this we muſt conſider, Firſt, that Iſrael was now become idolatrous, and in all other reſpects exceedingly corrupt; & it is no wonder that a people that have changed their Religion at the will of a ſupreme Magiſtrate, ſhould do any thing elſe that he will command them: Secondly, that the imperious ſeveritie and crueltie of Jezebel had doubtleſſe brought this people into a miſerable bondage and thraldome: Thirdly, that Naboth being a man ſtrictly conſcionable, amongſt a lawleſſe degenerate people, it is likely they were glad of an opportunitie to wreak their teen upon him: Fourthly, that Jezebel might inform them that Naboth had done this, ſhe charged him with ſome private diſcourſe betwixt the king and him, onelyonly the king had no witneſſes of his peremptory and blaſphemous ſpeeches, and ſo that ſhe deſired was onelyonly this, that ſome witneſſes might be found, that (upon the credit of the kings word) would charge him with this, which could not otherwiſe be legally proved, and that thereupon he might be condemned for blaſphemy, and put to death.
Verſ. 13. Then they carried him forth out of the citie, and ſtoned him with ſtones, that he dyed.] And with him his ſonnes were alſo put to death, (as it ſeems, 2. Kings 9.26. Surely I have ſeen yeſterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his ſonnes, ſaid the Lord, and I will requite thee, &c.) which was directly againſt the law of God, Deut. 24.16. The fathers ſhall not be put to death for the children, nor the children for the fathers: their aim herein was doubtleſſe, that Ahab might without oppoſition enjoy Naboths vineyard: But with what pretence of juſtice they did it, it is uncertain; perhaps as ſome think they might alledge, that in puniſhing ſo execrable a wickedneſſe, Gods ſeverity againſt Achan was a preſident fit to be followed, whoſe ſonnes and daughters were ſtoned together with him, Joſh. 7.24.
Verſ. 14. Then they ſent to Jezebel, &c.] To ſhew how ready they had been to do what ſhe had enjoyned; for though the letters they had received were written to them in the kings name, yet they knew well enough, that the affairs of the kingdome were chiefly ſwayed by her, and that ſhe did all, and carried all in a manner as ſhe pleaſed, and therefore their care was chiefly to ingratiate themſelves with her.
Verſ. 15. Jezebel ſaid to Ahab, Ariſe, take poſſeſſion of the vineyard of Naboth, &c.] Some conceive that Naboth was of the bloud royall, and that Ahab was now the next heir; which they judge the more probable, becauſe Naboths vineyard lay ſo cloſe upon Ahabs pallace; others, that it was a cuſtome or ſtatute at this time amongſt the Iſraelites, that the goods and lands of them that were put to death for any capitall offence againſt the king, were eſcheated to the crown; or at leaſt, that in this particular the judges had ſo determined: and indeed, why might they not in this diſregard the direction of Gods law, as well as in putting his ſonnes to death? however, if they would enter upon the vineyard, who durſt now oppoſe it? which might be the onelyonly ground why with ſuch confidence ſhe appoints her husband to go and take poſſeſſion of Naboths vineyard.
Verſ. 18. Ariſe, go down to meet Ahab king of Iſrael, which is in Samaria, &c.] That is, who reignes in Samaria (for in the next words it is ſaid, that he was now in Naboths vineyard, which was in Jezreel, verſ. 1.) or ſecondly, though indeed he was at preſent in Naboths vineyard, when God ſpake to Elijah, yet he might be appointed to meet him in Samaria, becauſe he was preſently to return thither; or rather thirdly, this clauſe which is in Samaria, hath reference to the word, Iſrael; becauſe the ſubjects of the kings of Judah were alſo Iſraelites; therefore by way of diſtinction, Ahab is called king of Iſrael which is in Samaria, that is, in the kingdome of Samaria.
Veaſ. 19. Thus ſaith the Lord, Haſt thou killed, and alſo taken poſſeſſion?] Much evil is charged upon Ahab in theſe few words, namely; Firſt, his unjuſt ſeiſing upon the goods of his ſubjects: Secondly, his deſperate accompliſhing his deſires herein, by the bloudſhed and murther of the owner: And thirdly, that after he had taken away his life, he was ſo farre from relenting for what he had done, that as rejoycing in the ſucceſſe of his project, he had gone and taken poſſeſſion of the vineyard of Naboth: nor need it ſeem ſtrange, that what was plotted and acted by Jezebel, ſhould be laid to Ahabs charge: Firſt, becauſe the originall of all was from his coveting of the vineyard: And ſecondly, becauſe where the wife doth any evil with the allowance or connivance of her husband, the husband is there guilty as well as the wife.
In the place where dogs licked the bloud of Naboth, ſhall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.] This was partly accompliſhed, in that as in the high way, in Jezreel, where Naboth was ſtoned, the dogs licked Naboths bloud: ſo alſo the dogs licked Ahabs bloud in the poole of Samaria, Chap. 22.38. And one waſhed his chariot in the poole of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his bloud, &c.] And indeed the words ſeem principally to intend, the licking of Ahabs bloud in particular, thine even thine: But ſecondly, it was partly alſo accompliſhed in the dogs licking of the bloud of Joram, Ahabs ſonne; whoſe dead body was caſt out in that very plat of ground where Naboth was ſtoned, and that to fulfill this propheſie, 2. Kings 9.25, 26. Then ſaid Jehu to Bidkar his captain, Take up, and caſt him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite: for remember, how that when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the Lord laid this burden upon him. Surely I have ſeen the bloud of Naboth, and the bloud of his ſonnes, ſaid the Lord, and I will requite thee in this pla…: where alſo we may ſee that Elijah did openly deliver this meſſage to Ahab, which now God gave him in charge, his ſervants and courtiers being about him.
Verſ. 20. And Ahab ſaid to Elijah, Haſt thou found me, O mine enemie?] The laſt time Elijah had been with Ahab, he ranne before Ahabs chariot, and all ſeemed then to be peace betwixt them; but now hearing Elijah threaten him ſo, he brake out, Haſt thou found me, O mine enemy? that is, can I never be quiet for thee, but thou muſt audaciouſly hunt me out? It was a wonder that I have been ſo long ridde of thy threatnings; but thy hatred of me will not ſuffer thee to let me be in peace long; for now again thou art come, after the old manner, denouncing judgements againſt me.
Thou haſt ſold thy ſelf to work evil in the ſight of the Lord.] That is, thou haſt wholly yielded up thy ſelf to the devil, to do onelyonly that which is evil in his ſight, notwithſtanding thou canſt not but know that all thou doeſt is done in the ſight of the Lord: for as bondſlaves that ſell themſelves, do voluntarily give up themſelves to be wholly in the power of their maſters that buy them, ſo thoſe that yield themſelves to be ſlaves to ſinne, and under the bondage of the devil, all their counſel, words, and endeavours, are voluntarily ſtill for ſinne, neither can they ridde themſelves of this ſlavery, though ſometimes they feel the inconvenience of it; and indeed herein lies the chief difference between the bondage of the righteous under ſinne, and the bondage of the wicked: the righteous are ſold under ſinne, as Paul ſaith of them, Rom. 7.14. I am ſold under ſinne, they are tyrannically overruled. by ſinne, though they ſtrive againſt it: but now wicked men do ſell themſelves to do evil; and this doubtleſſe is the principall thing for which Ahab is here ſaid to be ſold to work evil, as the like phraſe is in the ſame ſence uſed, concerning the Iſraelites, 2. kings 17.17. to wit, that they ſold themſelves to work evil in the ſight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger: but yet withall it may be meant of the ſlavery he was kept in by his wife Jezebel, that to injoy her love and favour, and to keep her in peace with him, he had given up himſelf as a ſervant to be at her command, not daring to refuſe the doing of any evil, which ſhe would have done; and therefore theſe two are joyned together, verſ. 25. Ahab did ſell himſelf to work wickedneſſe, whom Jezebel his wife ſtirred up.
Verſ. 21. And will cut off from Ahab him that piſſeth against the wall, &c.] See chap. 14.10.
Verſ. 27. He rent his clothes, and put ſackcloth upon his fleſh, and faſted, and lay in ſackcloth, and went foftly.] That is, ſlowly, and heavily, as ſorrowfull men and mourners uſe to do; & thus wicked Ahab humbled himſelf, but it was merely for fear of the vengeance threatned, not becauſe he truely repented of the ſinnes he had committed; whence it was alſo that this humiliation of his was not available for the pardon of his ſinne; but onelyonly procured a proroging of the chief evils threatned to the dayes of his ſonne Joram, verſ. 29. a temporary reward of a temporary penitence; and that chiefly, to let us ſee how aſſuredly true penitents may expect much more from God, ſince the ſlaviſh humiliation of Ahab was thus farre regarded.