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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 21:17-29

In these verses we may observe, I. The very bad character that is given of Ahab (1 Kgs. 21:25, 26), which comes in here to justify God in the heavy sentence passed upon him, and to show that though it was passed upon occasion of his sin in the matter of Naboth (which David's sin in the matter of Uriah did too much resemble), yet God would not have punished him so severely if he had not been guilty of many other sins, especially idolatry; whereas David, except in that one matter, did that which... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 21:17

And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the prophet ,.... Where he now was, when this word came to him, is not certain; nor what he had been employed in for some time past, since we hear nothing of him since the unction of Elisha, other prophets of lesser note being employed in messages to Ahab from time to time; perhaps Elijah, while Ahab was engaged in war with the king of Syria, spent his time in founding or reviving the schools of the prophets, and instructing and training up those that... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 21:18

Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria ,.... Whose seat was there, his palace where he dwelt; and Benjamin of Tudela says F7 Itinerar. p. 38. , that in his time might be discerned in Samaria the palace of Ahab king of Israel, that is, some traces of it; some connect the last clause with Israel, as if the sense was, that Ahab was king over those tribes of Israel, of which Samaria was the head: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth : or "will be" by the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 21:19

And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, thus saith the Lord, hast thou killed, and also taken possession ?.... Killed in order to possess, and now taken possession upon the murder; some versions, as the Vulgate Latin and Arabic, read without an interrogation, "thou hast killed and hath taken possession", so Joseph Kimchi and Ben Melech; charging him with the murder of Naboth, and the unjust possession of his vineyard; the murder is ascribed to him, because his covetousness was the cause of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 21:20

And Ahab said to Elijah, hast thou found me, O mine enemy ?.... So he reckoned him, because he dealt faithfully with him, and reproved him for his sins, and denounced the judgments of God upon him for them: and he answered, I have found thee ; as a thief, a robber and plunderer, in another's vineyard; he had found out his sin in murdering Naboth, and unjustly possessing his vineyard, which was revealed to him by the Lord; and now was come as his enemy, as he called him, as being against... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 21:21

Behold, I will bring evil upon thee ,.... Upon his own person, by cutting him off with a violent death, though his family was so numerous, having no less than seventy sons: and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left Israel ; See Gill on 1 Kings 14:10 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 21:22

And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah ,.... Two of his predecessors, whose families were utterly destroyed, 1 Kings 15:29 , for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin : not only by his worship of the calves, but of the idols of the Zidonians, particularly Baal, and also of the Amorites, 1 Kings 21:26 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 21:23

And of Jezebel also spake the Lord ,.... To Elijah, and by him: saying, the dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel or in the inheritance or portion of Jezreel, as the Targum; Jarchi interprets it, the valley of Jezreel; the fulfilment of this see in 2 Kings 9:30 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 21:24

Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat, and him that dieth in the field the fowls of the air shall eat. That is, they shall have no burial, see 1 Kings 14:11 hitherto are the words of the Lord by Elijah; next follow the remarks of the historian. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 21:25

But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord ,.... Not of any of his predecessors, even those whose families had been destroyed, as his would be, 1 Kings 21:21 . See Gill on 1 Kings 21:20 . whom Jezebel his wife stirred up ; to idolatry, revenge, and murder, and to whose will he was a slave, and is one instance of his being a captive to sin, and giving up himself to the power of it. read more

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