Bible Strands
1 Kings 21:6
Ahab answered, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and told him, ‘Give me your vineyard for silver, or if you wish, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ And he replied, ‘I will not give you my vineyard!’”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Ahab addresses his wife Jezebel immediately after she asks why he is refusing to eat. He explains his frustration over Naboth the Jezreelite’s refusal to sell or trade his vineyard.
The words — The Hebrew verb וַיְדַבֵּר (va/y.da.ber) means “and he spoke,” marking Ahab’s direct address to Jezebel. The phrase נָבוֹת הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִי (na.Vot hai./yiz.re.'e.Li) identifies the owner as “Naboth the Jezreelite,” anchoring the dispute to a specific familial inheritance.
The thread — Ahab’s initial offer to buy or trade the vineyard appears in 1 Kings 21:2. The narrative pattern of royal authority clashing with personal refusal also surfaces in Esther 5:9 and Esther 6:12, where Haman’s royal status meets Mordecai’s steadfast noncompliance.
Why it lands — The text records Ahab’s admission that he legally requested a transaction and was denied. It asks the reader to note how a lawful offer, when rejected, becomes the catalyst for royal entitlement rather than legal respect.
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 he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 21:2 So Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to use as a vegetable garden, since it is next to my palace. I will give you a better vineyard in its place—or if you prefer, I will give you its value in silver.”
- Esther 5:9 That day Haman went out full of joy and glad of heart. At the king’s gate, however, he saw Mordecai, who did not rise or tremble in fear at his presence. And Haman was filled with rage toward Mordecai.
- Esther 6:12 Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief.
- Proverbs 14:30 A tranquil heart is life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
- 1 Timothy 6:9 Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.
- James 4:2 You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask.