And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.
Parallel translations
- WEB Ahab came into his house sullen and angry because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He laid himself down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.
- BSB So Ahab went to his palace, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had told him, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He lay down on his bed, turned his face away, and refused to eat.
- NKJV So Ahab went into his house sullen and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food.
- NASB So Ahab entered his house sullen and furious because of the answer that Naboth the Jezreelite had given to him, since he said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed and turned his face away, and ate no food.
- NLT So Ahab went home angry and sullen because of Naboth’s answer. The king went to bed with his face to the wall and refused to eat!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Ahab goes home sullen and angry, refusing to eat, because Naboth would not give up his inheritance. The king sulks rather than accepting a righteous refusal.
Overview
Denied the vineyard, Ahab retreats to his bed in resentful gloom, refusing food, just as he sulked after the prophet's rebuke. His petulance over a lawful refusal reveals a heart enslaved to covetous desire and unwilling to submit to God's order. This childish bitterness opens the door for Jezebel's wicked scheme to seize what the king covets.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- 1 Kgs 20:43And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria.
- Jas 1:14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
- Num 22:13–14And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you.
- 2 Sam 13:4And he said unto him, Why art thou, being the king’s son, lean from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.
- Isa 57:20–21But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
- Job 5:2For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.
- 2 Sam 13:2And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do anything to her.
- Jonah 4:1But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.
- 1 Kgs 21:3And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.
- Eccl 6:9Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
- Jonah 4:9And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.
- Hab 2:9–12Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!
- Gen 4:5–8But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
- Eph 4:27Neither give place to the devil.
- Eccl 7:8–9Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
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Solomon's glory, wisdom, and temple where God's presence dwells are a shadow of the greater Son of David — 'one greater than Solomon is here' — and of the true Temple, Christ himself.
How 1 Kings 21:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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