1 Kings 21:10, commentary and pictures

The verse belongs to the incident of Naboth the Jezreelite's vineyard beside, hard by, the palace, which took place while Elijah was still a prophet in Israel and which reveals the dominant trait in Ahab that disastrously influenced the fortunes of the kingdom under his successors, when Ahab set his heart on possessing the vineyard and offered to buy it or to give another vineyard or money for it. His naturally covetous disposition had grown until he was fully controlled by selfishness, so that he could brook no refusal of his wishes and felt that what he desired should by right be his. The episode shows Jezebel's evil influence over him continuing through his later years and bearing fruit in deeds of shame and violence seldom equaled, as she stirred him up so that he sold himself to work wickedness.

After Ahab showed he did not care by what means the vineyard was obtained, Jezebel wrote letters in the king's name, sealed them with his signet, and sent them to the elders and nobles of Naboth's city, commanding a fast and the public setting of Naboth on high. The verse records her order to set two wicked, worthless men before him to falsely testify that he blasphemed God and the king, and then to carry him out and stone him to death. The elders and nobles did exactly as written and Naboth was killed.

At Jezebel's word to arise and take the vineyard, Ahab went down to possess it heedless of consequences and blindly following her counsel, so selfish desire for another person's land led to wrongful death and seizure of the vineyard. For that flagrant evil in seizing Naboth's vineyard, Elijah prophesied the doom of Ahab and the doom of all his house. The account exemplifies the grave injustice of rulers using false witnesses and authority to condemn an innocent person for selfish gain, teaching those who make or enforce laws to establish the facts and administer punishment with integrity and impartial justice.