1 Kings 21:7, commentary and pictures

The verse belongs to Ahab's desire for Naboth's vineyard near the royal palace, which he tried to obtain by purchase or exchange for other land, revealing the selfishness and covetousness that shaped his conduct. He was naturally covetous, followed the dictates of his evil heart, could brook no refusal of his wishes, and felt that what he desired should by right be his, so the promise to give him the vineyard answered his entitled demand. After Naboth's refusal, the selfish king became sick with disappointment, heavy and displeased, lying on his bed with his face turned away and refusing to eat.

When Jezebel learned what Naboth had said she was indignant that anyone should refuse the king's request, assured Ahab he need no longer be sad, and told him to arise and eat bread and let his heart be merry, promising that she herself would give him the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. In urging him to stop grieving over Naboth's refusal to sell or give up the vineyard and promising to obtain it for him, she exercised control over Ahab and used royal authority, revealing her readiness to secure his selfish desire by any wicked means, while he accepted her plan without concern or regard for how she would carry it out. Her evil influence over him from the first continued into the later years of his life, strengthening and sustaining his covetous disposition in wrongdoing until he was fully controlled by selfishness and stirred up to sell himself to work wickedness, bearing fruit in deeds of shame and violence seldom equaled.

Her promise led to the seizure of the vineyard through false testimony and abuse of authority and false justice, with Naboth put to death so that Ahab could obtain the coveted vineyard, showing covetous desire leading to death and seizure of land. His evil course brought God's reproof and warning through Elijah, who met the flagrant evil of the seizure with stern rebuke and prophesied the doom of Ahab and all his house, exposing wrongdoing and calling for heed to correction where refusal to repent reveals motives. This occurred in the years after the call of Elisha while Elijah and Elisha labored together and Elisha daily gained preparedness, after the idolatry supported by Ahab and Jezebel that had seduced the nation had been checked by the slaying of Baal's prophets and many in Israel were stirred to return to worship. Naboth's murder for the vineyard illustrates the grave guilt of those who use power to secure selfish ends and of rulers who excuse or fail to punish crime, showing that justice requires diligent inquiry and impartial enforcement of the law.