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17 The Lord’s message came to Elijah the Tishbite: 18 “Get up, go down and meet King Ahab of Israel who lives in Samaria. He is at the vineyard of Naboth; he has gone down there to take possession of it. 19 Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord has said: “Haven’t you committed murder and taken possession of the property of the deceased?”’[a] Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord has said: “In the spot where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood they will also lick up your blood—yes, yours!”’”

20 When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him,[b] “So, you have found me, my enemy!” Elijah[c] replied, “I have found you, because you are committed[d] to doing evil in the sight of[e] the Lord. 21 The Lord says,[f] ‘Look, I am ready to bring disaster[g] on you. I will destroy you[h] and cut off every last male belonging to Ahab in Israel, including even the weak and incapacitated.[i] 22 I will make your dynasty[j] like those of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah because you angered me and made Israel sin.’[k] 23 The Lord says this about Jezebel, ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the outer wall[l] of Jezreel.’ 24 As for Ahab’s family, dogs will eat the ones[m] who die in the city, and the birds of the sky will eat the ones who die in the country.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 21:19 tn The words “of the property of the deceased” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  2. 1 Kings 21:20 tn Heb “and Ahab said to Elijah.” The narrative is elliptical and streamlined. The words “when Elijah arrived” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  3. 1 Kings 21:20 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elijah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  4. 1 Kings 21:20 tn Heb “you have sold yourself.”
  5. 1 Kings 21:20 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
  6. 1 Kings 21:21 tn The introductory formula “the Lord says” is omitted in the Hebrew text, but supplied in the translation for clarification.
  7. 1 Kings 21:21 sn Disaster. There is a wordplay in the Hebrew text. The word translated “disaster” (רָעָה, raʿah) is similar to the word translated “evil” (v. 20, הָרַע, haraʿ). Ahab’s sins would receive an appropriate punishment.
  8. 1 Kings 21:21 tn Heb “I will burn after you.” Some take the verb בָּעַר (baʿar) to mean here “sweep away.” See the discussion of this verb in the notes at 14:10 and 16:3.
  9. 1 Kings 21:21 tn Heb “and I will cut off from Ahab those who urinate against a wall, [including both those who are] restrained and let free [or “abandoned”] in Israel.” The precise meaning of the idiomatic phrase עָצוּר וְעָזוּב (ʿatsur veʿazuv, translated here “weak and incapacitated”) is uncertain. For various options see HALOT 871 s.v. עצר and M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 107. The two terms are usually taken as polar opposites (“slaves and freemen” or “minors and adults”), but Cogan and Tadmor, on the basis of contextual considerations (note the usage with אֶפֶס (ʾefes), “nothing but”) in Deut 32:36 and 2 Kgs 14:26, argue convincingly that the terms are synonyms, meaning “restrained and abandoned,” and refer to incapable or incapacitated individuals.
  10. 1 Kings 21:22 tn Heb “house.”
  11. 1 Kings 21:22 tn Heb “because of the provocation by which you angered [me], and you caused Israel to sin.”
  12. 1 Kings 21:23 tc A few Hebrew mss and some ancient versions agree with 2 Kgs 9:10, 36, which reads, “the plot [of ground] at Jezreel.” The Hebrew words translated “outer wall” (חֵל, khel, defectively written here!) and “plot [of ground]” (חֵלֶק, kheleq) are spelled similarly.
  13. 1 Kings 21:24 tn “Dogs will eat the ones who belonging to Ahab who die in the city.”

17 And the word of Jehovah came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who dwelleth in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to take possession of it. 19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith Jehovah, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith Jehovah, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. 20 And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee, because thou hast sold thyself to do that which is evil in the sight of Jehovah. 21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will utterly sweep thee away and will cut off from Ahab every man-child, and him that is shut up and him that is left at large in Israel: 22 and I will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and hast made Israel to sin. 23 And of Jezebel also spake Jehovah, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel. 24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the birds of the heavens eat.

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