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Naboth

Man living at the time of Divided Monarchy

Naboth, a Jezreelite, was unjustly killed by King Ahab and Queen Jezebel for refusing to sell his ancestral vineyard.

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Naboth was a Jezreelite who owned a vineyard adjacent to the palace of King Ahab of Israel. His story, recorded in 1Kings 21 and 2Kings 9, is a tragic account of injustice and the abuse of power.

King Ahab desired to acquire Naboth's vineyard to use as a vegetable garden, offering to purchase it or provide a better vineyard in exchange. However, Naboth refused, stating that he could not give up the inheritance of his ancestors (1Ki.21.1-3). This refusal greatly displeased Ahab, who sulked and refused to eat.

Ahab's wife, Queen Jezebel, learning of the situation, devised a wicked plan to secure the vineyard. She wrote letters in Ahab's name, ordering the elders and nobles of Jezreel to proclaim a fast and seat Naboth in a prominent place. Then, they were to have two scoundrels accuse Naboth of cursing God and the king, leading to his execution by stoning (1Ki.21.8-14).

The plan was carried out, and Naboth was unjustly killed. After his death, Ahab took possession of the vineyard (1Ki.21.15-16). However, the prophet Elijah confronted Ahab, pronouncing God's judgment on him and his household for their wickedness (1Ki.21.17-24).

Years later, as prophesied by Elijah, Ahab's son King Joram was killed by Jehu in the same plot of land that had belonged to Naboth (2Ki.9.21-26), fulfilling the divine retribution for the unjust murder of Naboth and the seizure of his ancestral property.

Naboth's story illustrates the importance of justice, the sanctity of ancestral inheritance, and the consequences of abusing power and disregarding God's laws. It also demonstrates the role of prophets in speaking truth to power and pronouncing judgment on those who commit evil.

Connections

Part of: Kings, prophets and the house of David

Naboth, Ahab and Jezebel

RoleStated in the text

Naboth refused to sell his ancestral vineyard; Jezebel arranged false witnesses and his death, and Ahab took the land. Elijah met Ahab there and announced that dogs would lick his blood; Ahab's repentance delayed the judgement.

NabothJezreelite vineyard owner, unjustly killed by Ahab and Jezebel.AhabKing of N. IsraelJezebelDaughter of EthbaalElijahA prophet
Where the text shows it: 1 Kgs 21:1-16 — Naboth's vineyard1 Kgs 21:19 — Elijah's sentence1 Kgs 21:27-29 — Ahab humbles himself2 Kgs 9:25-26 — Jehu recalls Naboth

Sources: 1 Kgs 21:1-16 · 1 Kgs 21:19 · 1 Kgs 21:27-29 · 2 Kgs 9:25-26

More background: search Wikipedia ↗

Bible dictionary

Naboth Easton Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897)

Fruits, “the Jezreelite,” was the owner of a portion of ground on the eastern slope of the hill of Jezreel (2 Kings 9:25, 26). This small “plat of ground” seems to have been all he possessed. It was a vineyard, and lay “hard by the palace of Ahab” (1 Kings 21:1, 2), who greatly coveted it. Naboth, however, refused on any terms to part with it to the king. He had inherited it from his fathers, and no Israelite could lawfully sell his property (Lev. 25:23). Jezebel, Ahab’s wife, was grievously offended at Naboth’s refusal to part with his vineyard. By a crafty and cruel plot she compassed his death. His sons also shared his fate (2 Kings 9:26; 1 Kings 21:19). She then came to Ahab and said, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.” Ahab arose and went forth into the garden which had so treacherously and cruelly been acquired, seemingly enjoying his new possession, when, lo, Elijah suddenly appeared before him and pronounced against him a fearful doom (1 Kings 21:17-24). Jehu and Bidcar were with Ahab at this time, and so deeply were the words of Elijah imprinted on Jehu’s memory that many years afterwards he refers to them (2 Kings 9:26), and he was the chief instrument in inflicting this sentence on Ahab and Jezebel and all their house (9:30-37). The house of Ahab was extinguished by him. Not one of all his great men and his kinsfolk and his priests did Jehu spare (10:11). Ahab humbled himself at Elijah’s words (1 Kings 21:28, 29), and therefore the prophecy was fulfilled not in his fate but in that of his son Joram (2 Kings 9:25). The history of Naboth, compared with that of Ahab and Jezebel, furnishes a remarkable illustration of the law of a retributive providence, a law which runs through all history (comp. Ps. 109:17, 18).

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Naboth Smith Smith’s Bible Dictionary (1863)

(fruits), the victim of Ahab and Jezebel, was the owner of a small vineyard at Jezreel, close to the royal palace of Shab. (1 Kings 21:1,2) (B.C. 897.) It thus became an object of desire to the king, who offered an equivalent in money or another vineyard. In exchange for this Naboth, in the independent spirit of a Jewish landholder, refused: “The Lord forbid it me that I should give the inheritance of my father unto thee.” Ahab was cowed by this reply; but the proud spirit of Jezebel was aroused. She took the matter into her own hands. A fast was proclaimed, as on the announcement of some impending calamity. Naboth was “set on high” in the public place of Samaria; two men of worthless character accused him of having “cursed God and the king.” He and his children, (2 Kings 9:26) were dragged out of the city and despatched; the same night. The place of execution there was by the large tank or reservoir which still remains an the slope of the hill of Samaria, immediately outside the walls. The usual punishment for blasphemy was enforced: Naboth and his sons were stoned; and the blood from their wounds ran down into the waters of the tank below. For the signal retribution taken on this judicial murder—a remarkable proof of the high regard paid in the old dispensation to the claims of justice and independence—see Ahab; Jehu; Jezebel.

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Naboth Hitchcock Hitchcock’s Bible Names Dictionary (1869)

words; prophecies

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Naboth Hastings Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible (1898)

NA'BOTH (fruits), an Israelite of the town of Jezreel who owned a vineyard adjoining the palace of King Ahab. 1 Kgs 21:1. Anxious to secure this particular spot that he might use it for a garden, the king proposed to buy it or give him some other property of equal value; but Naboth declined, to the great disappointment of the wicked monarch. In this difficulty Jezebel devised a base plan to secure the coveted possession. At a large feast Naboth was accused by two sons of Belial of blasphemy and disloyalty, and was forthwith stoned to death. The murder was avenged by the doom immediately passed upon Ahab and Jezebel, the royal murderers. 1 Kgs 21:19.

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Naboth Schaff Schaff’s Dictionary of the Bible

NA'BOTH (fruits), an Israelite of the town of Jezreel who owned a vineyard adjoining the palace of King Ahab. 1 Kgs 21:1. Anxious to secure this particular spot that he might use it for a garden, the king proposed to buy it or give him some other property of equal value; but Naboth declined, to the great disappointment of the wicked monarch. In this difficulty Jezebel devised a base plan to secure the coveted possession. At a large feast Naboth was accused by two sons of Belial of blasphemy and disloyalty, and was forthwith stoned to death. The murder was avenged by the doom immediately passed upon Ahab and Jezebel, the royal murderers. 1 Kgs 21:19.

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Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.

Where Naboth appears

18 verses in 2 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H5022

1 Kings15
2 Kings3

Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.