I Kings 21

מלכים א׳ פרק כ״א

Section: נביאים · נביאים ראשונים | Book: I Kings | Chapter: 21 of 22 | Day: 121 of 742

Date: June 12, 2026

קלאוד על הנ״ך

The story of Navot’s vineyard (כרם נבות) is among the most morally searing episodes in all of Tanakh, a compact drama of greed, judicial murder, and prophetic confrontation that exposes the corruption at the heart of Ahab’s monarchy. It opens deceptively quietly: Navot the Jezreelite owns a vineyard adjoining Ahab’s palace in Jezreel, and the king, wanting it for a vegetable garden, offers a fair exchange or its price in silver. Navot refuses, not out of stubbornness but out of principle, invoking God’s name: chalila li meHashem mititi et nachalat avotai, far be it from me to give up my ancestral inheritance. Behind his refusal stands the Torah’s law that a tribal portion in the Land may not be permanently sold away (Numbers 36, Leviticus 25); Navot is defending a sacred trust, not haggling over real estate.

Ahab’s response reveals the smallness of the man whom Scripture will nonetheless call uniquely wicked. He retreats to his bed sar veza’eif, dispirited and sullen, the very phrase used of him at the close of the previous chapter, and turns his face to the wall and refuses to eat. The classical commentators note the pettiness of a king sulking like a child over a plot of land he has no right to seize. Into this vacuum steps Jezebel, who articulates a chillingly absolutist theory of kingship: ata ata aseh meluchah al Yisrael, is this how you exercise royal power over Israel? For Jezebel, raised in the autocratic court of Tzidon, a king simply takes what he wants. She tells Ahab to rise and eat, and promises to deliver the vineyard herself.

What follows is a perversion of Israel’s own legal machinery. Jezebel writes letters in Ahab’s name, seals them with the royal seal, and instructs the elders and nobles of Navot’s town to proclaim a public fast, seat Navot prominently, and suborn two base witnesses (anashim benei beliya’al) to accuse him of having cursed God and the king, a capital charge. The horror is that the forms of justice are scrupulously observed, two witnesses, a court, a verdict, even the requisite number of judges, while their substance is entirely hollow. The compliant elders carry out the judicial murder exactly as written, and Navot is stoned to death; the parallel account in II Kings 9:26 adds that his sons were killed as well, so that no heir could reclaim the land. Jezebel coldly reports the death to Ahab and tells him to go take possession.

It is precisely as Ahab descends to claim his ill-gotten vineyard that God sends Eliyahu to confront him with one of the great prophetic indictments of Scripture: haratzachta vegam yarashta, would you murder and also inherit? The sentence is measure for measure, in the place where dogs licked Navot’s blood, dogs will lick Ahab’s, and Jezebel will be devoured by dogs in Jezreel, while Ahab’s whole dynasty will be cut off like the houses of Yarovam and Basha before him. Ahab greets Eliyahu with the bitter recognition of an old adversary, found me, my enemy. Yet the chapter ends with a startling reversal that becomes a touchstone for the power of teshuvah: when Ahab hears the decree, he rends his garments, dons sackcloth, fasts, and walks about subdued (vayehalech at). Astonishingly, God responds to even this flawed and partial repentance, declaring through Eliyahu that because Ahab humbled himself, the catastrophe will be deferred to his son’s days. The Sages drew from this the lesson that no sinner is beyond the reach of repentance, and that God credits even the humbling of a wicked king, while leaving the ultimate reckoning intact.

פרק כ״א · Chapter 21

פסוק א׳ · Verse 1

Hebrew:

וַיְהִ֗י אַחַר֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה כֶּ֧רֶם הָיָ֛ה לְנָב֥וֹת הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִ֖י אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּיִזְרְעֶ֑אל אֵ֚צֶל הֵיכַ֣ל אַחְאָ֔ב מֶ֖לֶךְ שֹׁמְרֽוֹן׃

English:

[The following events] occurred some time afterward: Naboth the Jezreelite owned a vineyard in Jezreel, adjoining the palace of King Ahab of Samaria.

פסוק ב׳ · Verse 2

Hebrew:

וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אַחְאָ֣ב אֶל־נָב֣וֹת ׀ לֵאמֹר֩ ׀ תְּנָה־לִּ֨י אֶֽת־כַּרְמְךָ֜ וִיהִי־לִ֣י לְגַן־יָרָ֗ק כִּ֣י ה֤וּא קָרוֹב֙ אֵ֣צֶל בֵּיתִ֔י וְאֶתְּנָ֤ה לְךָ֙ תַּחְתָּ֔יו כֶּ֖רֶם ט֣וֹב מִמֶּ֑נּוּ אִ֚ם ט֣וֹב בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ אֶתְּנָֽה־לְךָ֥ כֶ֖סֶף מְחִ֥יר זֶֽה׃

English:

Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard, so that I may have it as a vegetable garden, since it is right next to my palace. I will give you a better vineyard in exchange; or, if you prefer, I will pay you the price in money.”

פסוק ג׳ · Verse 3

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר נָב֖וֹת אֶל־אַחְאָ֑ב חָלִ֤ילָה לִּי֙ מֵֽיְהֹוָ֔ה מִתִּתִּ֛י אֶת־נַחֲלַ֥ת אֲבֹתַ֖י לָֽךְ׃

English:

But Naboth replied, “GOD forbid that I should give up to you what I have inherited from my fathers!”

פסוק ד׳ · Verse 4

Hebrew:

וַיָּבֹא֩ אַחְאָ֨ב אֶל־בֵּית֜וֹ סַ֣ר וְזָעֵ֗ף עַל־הַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֣ר אֵלָ֗יו נָבוֹת֙ הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִ֔י וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹא־אֶתֵּ֥ן לְךָ֖ אֶת־נַחֲלַ֣ת אֲבוֹתָ֑י וַיִּשְׁכַּב֙ עַל־מִטָּת֔וֹ וַיַּסֵּ֥ב אֶת־פָּנָ֖יו וְלֹא־אָ֥כַל לָֽחֶם׃

English:

Ahab went home dispirited and sullen because of the answer that Naboth the Jezreelite had given him: “I will not give up to you what I have inherited from my fathers!” He lay down on his bed and turned away his face, and he would not eat.

פסוק ה׳ · Verse 5

Hebrew:

וַתָּבֹ֥א אֵלָ֖יו אִיזֶ֣בֶל אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ וַתְּדַבֵּ֣ר אֵלָ֗יו מַה־זֶּה֙ רוּחֲךָ֣ סָרָ֔ה וְאֵינְךָ֖ אֹכֵ֥ל לָֽחֶם׃

English:

His wife Jezebel came to him and asked him, “Why are you so dispirited that you won’t eat?”

פסוק ו׳ · Verse 6

Hebrew:

וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אֵלֶ֗יהָ כִּֽי־אֲ֠דַבֵּ֠ר אֶל־נָב֨וֹת הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִ֜י וָאֹ֣מַר ל֗וֹ תְּנָה־לִּ֤י אֶֽת־כַּרְמְךָ֙ בְּכֶ֔סֶף א֚וֹ אִם־חָפֵ֣ץ אַתָּ֔ה אֶתְּנָֽה־לְךָ֥ כֶ֖רֶם תַּחְתָּ֑יו וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹא־אֶתֵּ֥ן לְךָ֖ אֶת־כַּרְמִֽי׃

English:

So he told her, “I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and proposed to him, ‘Sell me your vineyard for money, or if you prefer, I’ll give you another vineyard in exchange’; but he answered, ‘I will not give my vineyard to you.’”

פסוק ז׳ · Verse 7

Hebrew:

וַתֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ אִיזֶ֣בֶל אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ אַתָּ֕ה עַתָּ֛ה תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה מְלוּכָ֖ה עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל ק֤וּם אֱכׇל־לֶ֙חֶם֙ וְיִטַ֣ב לִבֶּ֔ךָ אֲנִי֙ אֶתֵּ֣ן לְךָ֔ אֶת־כֶּ֖רֶם נָב֥וֹת הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִֽי׃

English:

His wife Jezebel said to him, “Now is the time to show yourself king over Israel. Rise and eat something, and be cheerful; I will get the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you.”

פסוק ח׳ · Verse 8

Hebrew:

וַתִּכְתֹּ֤ב סְפָרִים֙ בְּשֵׁ֣ם אַחְאָ֔ב וַתַּחְתֹּ֖ם בְּחֹתָמ֑וֹ וַתִּשְׁלַ֣ח (הספרים) [סְפָרִ֗ים] אֶל־הַזְּקֵנִ֤ים וְאֶל־הַחֹרִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּעִיר֔וֹ הַיֹּשְׁבִ֖ים אֶת־נָבֽוֹת׃

English:

So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who lived in the same town with Naboth.

פסוק ט׳ · Verse 9

Hebrew:

וַתִּכְתֹּ֥ב בַּסְּפָרִ֖ים לֵאמֹ֑ר קִֽרְאוּ־צ֔וֹם וְהֹשִׁ֥יבוּ אֶת־נָב֖וֹת בְּרֹ֥אשׁ הָעָֽם׃

English:

In the letters she wrote as follows: “Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth at the front of the assembly.

פסוק י״ · Verse 10

Hebrew:

וְ֠הוֹשִׁ֠יבוּ שְׁנַ֨יִם אֲנָשִׁ֥ים בְּנֵֽי־בְלִיַּ֘עַל֮ נֶגְדּוֹ֒ וִיעִדֻ֣הוּ לֵאמֹ֔ר בֵּרַ֥כְתָּ אֱלֹהִ֖ים וָמֶ֑לֶךְ וְהוֹצִיאֻ֥הוּ וְסִקְלֻ֖הוּ וְיָמֹֽת׃

English:

And seat two scoundrels opposite him, and let them testify against him: ‘You have reviled God and king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”

פסוק י״א · Verse 11

Hebrew:

וַיַּעֲשׂוּ֩ אַנְשֵׁ֨י עִיר֜וֹ הַזְּקֵנִ֣ים וְהַחֹרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר הַיֹּֽשְׁבִים֙ בְּעִיר֔וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר שָׁלְחָ֥ה אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם אִיזָ֑בֶל כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר כָּתוּב֙ בַּסְּפָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁלְחָ֖ה אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃

English:

The people of his town—the elders and nobles who lived in his town—did as Jezebel had instructed them, just as was written in the letters she had sent them:

פסוק י״ב · Verse 12

Hebrew:

קָרְא֖וּ צ֑וֹם וְהֹשִׁ֥יבוּ אֶת־נָב֖וֹת בְּרֹ֥אשׁ הָעָֽם׃

English:

They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth at the front of the assembly.

פסוק י״ג · Verse 13

Hebrew:

וַ֠יָּבֹ֠אוּ שְׁנֵ֨י הָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים בְּנֵֽי־בְלִיַּ֘עַל֮ וַיֵּשְׁב֣וּ נֶגְדּוֹ֒ וַיְעִדֻ֩הוּ֩ אַנְשֵׁ֨י הַבְּלִיַּ֜עַל אֶת־נָב֗וֹת נֶ֤גֶד הָעָם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר בֵּרַ֥ךְ נָב֛וֹת אֱלֹהִ֖ים וָמֶ֑לֶךְ וַיֹּצִאֻ֙הוּ֙ מִח֣וּץ לָעִ֔יר וַיִּסְקְלֻ֥הוּ בָאֲבָנִ֖ים וַיָּמֹֽת׃

English:

Then the two scoundrels came and sat down opposite him; and those scoundrels testified against Naboth publicly as follows: “Naboth has reviled God and king.” Then theyathey I.e., the leaders of Naboth’s town (see v. 11), the two scoundrels, and perhaps others; cf. Lev. 24.14; Deut. 17.6–7. took him outside the town and stoned him to death.

פסוק י״ד · Verse 14

Hebrew:

וַֽיִּשְׁלְח֖וּ אֶל־אִיזֶ֣בֶל לֵאמֹ֑ר סֻקַּ֥ל נָב֖וֹת וַיָּמֹֽת׃

English:

Word was sent to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death.”

פסוק ט״ו · Verse 15

Hebrew:

וַֽיְהִי֙ כִּשְׁמֹ֣עַ אִיזֶ֔בֶל כִּי־סֻקַּ֥ל נָב֖וֹת וַיָּמֹ֑ת וַתֹּ֨אמֶר אִיזֶ֜בֶל אֶל־אַחְאָ֗ב ק֣וּם רֵ֞שׁ אֶת־כֶּ֣רֶם ׀ נָב֣וֹת הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִ֗י אֲשֶׁ֤ר מֵאֵן֙ לָתֶת־לְךָ֣ בְכֶ֔סֶף כִּ֣י אֵ֥ין נָב֛וֹת חַ֖י כִּי־מֵֽת׃

English:

As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Go and take possession of the vineyard that Naboth the Jezreelite refused to sell you for money; for Naboth is no longer alive, he is dead.”

פסוק ט״ז · Verse 16

Hebrew:

וַיְהִ֛י כִּשְׁמֹ֥עַ אַחְאָ֖ב כִּ֣י מֵ֣ת נָב֑וֹת וַיָּ֣קׇם אַחְאָ֗ב לָרֶ֛דֶת אֶל־כֶּ֛רֶם נָב֥וֹת הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִ֖י לְרִשְׁתּֽוֹ׃ {פ}

English:

When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab set out for the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite to take possession of it.

פסוק י״ז · Verse 17

Hebrew:

וַֽיְהִי֙ דְּבַר־יְהֹוָ֔ה אֶל־אֵלִיָּ֥הוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּ֖י לֵאמֹֽר׃

English:

Then the word of GOD came to Elijah the Tishbite:

פסוק י״ח · Verse 18

Hebrew:

ק֣וּם רֵ֗ד לִקְרַ֛את אַחְאָ֥ב מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּשֹׁמְר֑וֹן הִנֵּה֙ בְּכֶ֣רֶם נָב֔וֹת אֲשֶׁר־יָ֥רַד שָׁ֖ם לְרִשְׁתּֽוֹ׃

English:

“Go down and confront King Ahab of Israel who [resides] in Samaria. He is now in Naboth’s vineyard; he has gone down there to take possession of it.

פסוק י״ט · Verse 19

Hebrew:

וְדִבַּרְתָּ֨ אֵלָ֜יו לֵאמֹ֗ר כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה הֲרָצַ֖חְתָּ וְגַם־יָרָ֑שְׁתָּ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֨ אֵלָ֜יו לֵאמֹ֗ר כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה בִּמְק֗וֹם אֲשֶׁ֨ר לָקְק֤וּ הַכְּלָבִים֙ אֶת־דַּ֣ם נָב֔וֹת יָלֹ֧קּוּ הַכְּלָבִ֛ים אֶת־דָּמְךָ֖ גַּם־אָֽתָּה׃

English:

Say to him, ‘Thus said GOD: Would you murder and take possession? Thus said GOD: In the very place where the dogs lapped up Naboth’s blood, the dogs will lap up your blood too.’”

פסוק כ׳ · Verse 20

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אַחְאָב֙ אֶל־אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ הַֽמְצָאתַ֖נִי אֹֽיְבִ֑י וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מָצָ֔אתִי יַ֚עַן הִתְמַכֶּרְךָ֔ לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה׃

English:

Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy?” “Yes, I have found you,” he replied. “Because you have committed yourself to doing what is evil in GOD’s sight,

פסוק כ״א · Verse 21

Hebrew:

הִנְנִ֨י מֵבִ֤י אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ רָעָ֔ה וּבִעַרְתִּ֖י אַחֲרֶ֑יךָ וְהִכְרַתִּ֤י לְאַחְאָב֙ מַשְׁתִּ֣ין בְּקִ֔יר וְעָצ֥וּר וְעָז֖וּב בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

English:

I will bring disaster upon you. I will make a clean sweep of you, I will cut off from Israel every male belonging to Ahab, bond and free.bbond and free See note at 14.10.

פסוק כ״ב · Verse 22

Hebrew:

וְנָתַתִּ֣י אֶת־בֵּיתְךָ֗ כְּבֵית֙ יָרׇבְעָ֣ם בֶּן־נְבָ֔ט וּכְבֵ֖ית בַּעְשָׁ֣א בֶן־אֲחִיָּ֑ה אֶל־הַכַּ֙עַס֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִכְעַ֔סְתָּ וַֽתַּחֲטִ֖א אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

English:

And I will make your house like the House of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the House of Baasha son of Ahijah, because of the provocation you have caused by leading Israel to sin.

פסוק כ״ג · Verse 23

Hebrew:

וְגַ֨ם־לְאִיזֶ֔בֶל דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר הַכְּלָבִ֛ים יֹאכְל֥וּ אֶת־אִיזֶ֖בֶל בְּחֵ֥ל יִזְרְעֶֽאל׃

English:

And GOD has also spoken concerning Jezebel: ‘The dogs shall devour Jezebel in the fieldcfield So nine Heb. mss. and the parallel 2 Kings 9.36, as well as Targum and other ancient versions. Most texts read here “rampart.” of Jezreel.

פסוק כ״ד · Verse 24

Hebrew:

הַמֵּ֤ת לְאַחְאָב֙ בָּעִ֔יר יֹאכְל֖וּ הַכְּלָבִ֑ים וְהַמֵּת֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה יֹאכְל֖וּ ע֥וֹף הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃

English:

All of Ahab’s line who die in the town shall be devoured by dogs, and all who die in the open country shall be devoured by the birds of the sky.’”

פסוק כ״ה · Verse 25

Hebrew:

רַ֚ק לֹא־הָיָ֣ה כְאַחְאָ֔ב אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִתְמַכֵּ֔ר לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה אֲשֶׁר־הֵסַ֥תָּה אֹת֖וֹ אִיזֶ֥בֶל אִשְׁתּֽוֹ׃

English:

(Indeed, there never was anyone like Ahab, who committed himself to doing what was displeasing to GOD, at the instigation of his wife Jezebel.

פסוק כ״ו · Verse 26

Hebrew:

וַיַּתְעֵ֣ב מְאֹ֔ד לָלֶ֖כֶת אַחֲרֵ֣י הַגִּלֻּלִ֑ים כְּכֹל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשׂ֣וּ הָאֱמֹרִ֔י אֲשֶׁר֙ הוֹרִ֣ישׁ יְהֹוָ֔ה מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ {פ}

English:

He acted most abominably, straying after the fetishes just like the Amorites, whom GOD had dispossessed before the Israelites.)

פסוק כ״ז · Verse 27

Hebrew:

וַיְהִי֩ כִשְׁמֹ֨עַ אַחְאָ֜ב אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֤ים הָאֵ֙לֶּה֙ וַיִּקְרַ֣ע בְּגָדָ֔יו וַיָּשֶׂם־שַׂ֥ק עַל־בְּשָׂר֖וֹ וַיָּצ֑וֹם וַיִּשְׁכַּ֣ב בַּשָּׂ֔ק וַיְהַלֵּ֖ךְ אַֽט׃ {פ}

English:

When Ahab heard these words, he rent his clothes and put sackcloth on his body. He fasted and lay in sackcloth and walked about subdued.

פסוק כ״ח · Verse 28

Hebrew:

וַֽיְהִי֙ דְּבַר־יְהֹוָ֔ה אֶל־אֵלִיָּ֥הוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּ֖י לֵאמֹֽר׃

English:

Then the word of GOD came to Elijah the Tishbite:

פסוק כ״ט · Verse 29

Hebrew:

הֲֽרָאִ֔יתָ כִּֽי־נִכְנַ֥ע אַחְאָ֖ב מִלְּפָנָ֑י יַ֜עַן כִּֽי־נִכְנַ֣ע מִפָּנַ֗י לֹֽא־אָבִ֤י הָרָעָה֙ בְּיָמָ֔יו בִּימֵ֣י בְנ֔וֹ אָבִ֥יא הָרָעָ֖ה עַל־בֵּיתֽוֹ׃

English:

“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 lifetime; I will bring the disaster upon his house in his son’s time.”

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