Bible Strands
1 Kings 21:29
“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity during his days, but I will bring it upon his house in the days of his son.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — God addresses Elijah the Tishbite immediately after delivering a judgment message, responding to the report that Ahab has performed acts of mourning and self-abasement.
The words — The Hebrew נִכְנַע (nikh.Na') literally means “he has humbled himself” and appears twice to mark the repeated condition. The phrase מִ/לְּ/פָנָ֑/י (mi./le./fa.Na/i) translates directly as “before Me,” specifying the location of that submission.
The thread — The motif of withheld judgment following repentance appears in 2 Peter 3:9 and Micah 7:18, while the delayed execution of the decree is recorded in 2 Kings 9:25.
Why it lands — The text states that God postpones calamity solely because the king humbled himself before Him, then infers that divine patience has limits and judgment will still fall on the house during the next generation.
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
Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house.
Cross-references
- 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.
- Micah 7:18 Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion?
- 2 Kings 9:25 And Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Pick him up and throw him into the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember that when you and I were riding together behind his father Ahab, the LORD lifted up this burden against him:
- Psalms 86:15 But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness.
- 2 Kings 9:33 “Throw her down!” yelled Jehu. So they threw her down, and her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses as they trampled her underfoot.
- 2 Kings 10:11 So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his great men and close friends and priests, leaving him without a single survivor.
- Psalms 18:44 When they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cower before me.
- Ezekiel 33:10 Now as for you, son of man, tell the house of Israel that this is what they have said: ‘Our transgressions and our sins are heavy upon us, and we are wasting away because of them! How can we live?’
- Psalms 78:34 When He slew them, they would seek Him; they repented and searched for God.
- Jeremiah 7:17 Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?