Bible Strands
1 Kings 21:10
But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify, ‘You have cursed both God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jezebel issues written orders to the elders and nobles of Naboth’s city, directing them to stage a proceeding that ends in his execution.
The words — The instruction to place witnesses uses הוֹשִׁיבוּ (ho.shi.vu), meaning “make sit,” and יְעִדוּהוּ (ye'i.du.hu), meaning “let them testify against him.”
The thread — The fabricated charge of cursing God and a ruler directly inverts the command in Exodus 22:28, while the method of false testimony parallels the account in Acts 6:11.
Why it lands — The text plainly records a written directive that commands institutional actors to stage a trial and carry out a stoning, requiring the reader to observe how official procedures can be engineered to produce a predetermined verdict.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.
Cross-references
- Exodus 22:28 You must not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.
- Acts 6:11 Then they prompted some men to say, “We heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.”
- Leviticus 24:15 And you are to tell the Israelites, ‘If anyone curses his God, he shall bear the consequences of his sin.
- Deuteronomy 13:13 that wicked men have arisen from among you and have led the people of their city astray, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” (which you have not known),
- Deuteronomy 19:15 A lone witness is not sufficient to establish any wrongdoing or sin against a man, regardless of what offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
- Judges 19:22 While they were enjoying themselves, suddenly the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they said to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house, so we can have relations with him!”
- Matthew 26:59 Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were seeking false testimony against Jesus in order to put Him to death.
- John 10:33 “We are not stoning You for any good work,” said the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because You, who are a man, make Yourself out to be God.”
- Acts 6:13 where they presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law.