Naboth

Biblical Account

Naboth was a Jezreelite who owned a vineyard near the palace of King Ahab (1 Kings 21:1). Wanting the land for a vegetable garden, Ahab offered him a better vineyard or its value in money. Naboth refused, saying, "The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee" (1 Kings 21:3).

When Ahab grew sullen, his queen Jezebel devised a plan. She wrote letters in Ahab's name, sealed them with the king's seal, and sent them to the elders and nobles of the city. As the letters directed, the city proclaimed a fast and set up two worthless men to testify that Naboth had cursed God and the king. Naboth was taken outside the city and stoned to death, and Ahab took possession of the vineyard (1 Kings 21:8-16).

God then sent Elijah to pronounce judgment on Ahab: in the place where dogs had licked the blood of Naboth, dogs would also lick Ahab's blood (1 Kings 21:19). Judgment was pronounced on Jezebel as well (1 Kings 21:23). When Ahab tore his clothes and humbled himself, the calamity was deferred to the days of his son (1 Kings 21:27-29). First Kings 22:38 records that after Ahab's death dogs licked up his blood. In 2 Kings 9, Jehu kills Ahab's son Joram and casts his body into "the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite" (2 Kings 9:21-26).

Significance Within Scripture

Naboth's refusal is read against the background of the principle in the Law that the land belongs to God and that the inheritance (the allotted portion) of each tribe and family is not to be permanently transferred (Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7). The institution of the Year of Jubilee belongs to the same context.

The episode is frequently cited as a case in which several of the Ten Commandments—those against coveting, bearing false witness, and murder—were broken all at once under royal power. It is also noted that the law requiring two witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15) was itself turned to evil use. Although it was Jezebel who actually devised the scheme, Elijah holds the king responsible, asking Ahab, "Hast thou killed, and also taken possession?" (1 Kings 21:19).

The New Testament does not mention Naboth by name. Jezebel's name, however, appears in Revelation 2:20 as a designation for a false prophetess.

Interpretation and Issues

• Differences in the accounts: First Kings 21 reports only the death of Naboth, whereas 2 Kings 9:26 speaks of "the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons." The information that his sons were also killed appears only in 2 Kings.
• Place of fulfillment: First Kings 21:19 refers to the place where Naboth died, but 22:38 records that dogs licked Ahab's blood by the pool of Samaria. Interpreters differ on how to account for this. One view holds that after Ahab humbled himself the judgment was partially deferred and was fully carried out on Naboth's field in the time of his son Joram. Another holds that the prophecy should be read as a statement of the principle of retribution rather than as a statement about location.
• Comparative readings: Because of shared features such as false witnesses and execution outside the city, Naboth's death is sometimes read alongside the trial of Jesus or the martyrdom of Stephen. These are comparisons drawn by interpreters; the text itself does not make the connection.
• Later tradition: Ambrose, bishop of Milan, is known to have written a work that uses the story of Naboth to rebuke the greed of the rich. Some Jewish rabbinic literature is reported to contain an interpretation linking the "lying spirit" of 1 Kings 22 with the spirit of Naboth. Both are later interpretations not found in the biblical text.

In the Korean Church

In Korean church preaching, the story of Naboth is used mainly in three ways. The first presents him as an example of steadfast faith that held fast to the inheritance God had given. The second focuses on the covetousness of the powerful and the judgment it brings. Sermons emphasizing social justice sometimes connect the story with land issues or abuses of power. In Sunday school, Naboth is more often presented as an episode within the stories of Ahab and Jezebel and of Elijah than as a main character in his own right.