Naboth
“Fruits or prominences”
Summary
Naboth was a landowner of Jezreel whose refusal to sell his ancestral vineyard to King Ahab led to his judicial murder through the scheming of Queen Jezebel, bringing divine judgment upon the royal house.
☩The Vineyard Dispute
Naboth owned a vineyard in Jezreel that was adjacent to the royal palace of King Ahab. The king desired to acquire the vineyard to expand his grounds, offering either to purchase it or exchange it for another vineyard. Naboth refused in the spirit of an independent Jewish landholder, saying, 'The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.' This refusal was grounded in the Israelite law that protected family inheritances, but it left Ahab sullen and displeased.
☩Jezebel's Plot
When Jezebel saw her husband's dejection, she took matters into her own hands. She wrote letters in Ahab's name, sealed with his seal, to the elders and nobles of Jezreel, instructing them to proclaim a fast and set Naboth in a prominent place. She arranged for two worthless men to accuse him falsely of cursing God and the king—a capital offense. The elders carried out her instructions, and Naboth was taken outside the city and stoned to death. His sons were also killed, ensuring there would be no heirs to reclaim the property.
☩Prophetic Judgment
As Ahab went to take possession of Naboth's vineyard, he was met by Elijah the prophet, who pronounced devastating judgment upon him. The prophet declared that in the place where dogs licked Naboth's blood, dogs would lick Ahab's blood, and that disaster would come upon his entire house. Elijah also prophesied that dogs would eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. Ahab's temporary repentance delayed the full execution of judgment to his son's days.
☩Fulfillment
The prophecy was fulfilled in stages. Ahab died in battle against Syria, and when his chariot was washed at the pool of Samaria, dogs licked his blood. Later, when Jehu executed judgment on Ahab's house, he killed Jehoram (Ahab's son) and ordered his body cast into the very plot of ground that had belonged to Naboth. Jezebel was thrown from a window and her body was eaten by dogs, fulfilling Elijah's word precisely.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Naboth," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. VI (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Naboth," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).