The Beginning:
Naboth owned a vineyard in Jezreel near King Ahab’s palace. Ahab offered to buy it or exchange it for a better vineyard, but Naboth refused because the land was his ancestral inheritance. Ahab returned home upset and resentful.
The Middle:
Jezebel questioned Ahab’s grief and took matters into her own hands. Using Ahab’s name and seal, she wrote letters to Jezreel’s leaders ordering a public fast and the staged accusation that Naboth had cursed God and the king. Two witnesses testified falsely, and Naboth was condemned and stoned to death. When Jezebel heard Naboth was dead, she told Ahab to take possession of the vineyard.
The End:
The LORD sent Elijah to confront Ahab at the vineyard, declaring judgment for murder and theft and announcing disaster upon Ahab’s house. Ahab humbled himself with fasting and mourning. Because of this temporary repentance, the LORD delayed the announced calamity until after Ahab’s lifetime, though the judgment against his house remained.
This account reveals the LORD as a defender of covenant justice who sees hidden wrongdoing and holds rulers accountable. The story highlights that Israel’s king was not above God’s law: power used to violate inheritance, truth, and life provokes divine judgment. At the same time, Ahab’s humbling shows that God responds to repentance—even when consequences for entrenched injustice are not removed.
In Israel’s covenant life, ancestral land was tied to family inheritance and identity (cf. laws about preserving inherited property in the Torah). Naboth’s refusal was not mere stubbornness but reflected a widely recognized obligation to protect inherited land within the clan. Jezebel’s use of official letters, seals, public assembly, and “two witnesses” shows how legal forms could be manipulated to create the appearance of justice while committing injustice.
“Have you murdered and also taken possession?” — 1 Kings 21:19
Answer the questions below. When you choose an option, you will see the result and an explanation.
1. Why did Naboth refuse King Ahab’s offer for the vineyard?
2. What did Jezebel arrange that led to Naboth’s death?