Who was Naboth in the Bible?

A Jezreelite, owner of a vineyard adjoining the property of Ahab, king of Israel. Ahab desired to purchase this vineyard, or exchange it for another; but Naboth refused to part with it, because it was the inheritance of his fathers. Jezebel, Ahab's wife, observing her husband's vexation on account of this refusal, wrote to the elders and nobles of the city where Naboth lived, telling them to proclaim a fast, to set Naboth in a prominent place, to get two sons of Belial to charge him with blaspheming God and the king, and then to stone him to death. The elders and nobles were mean and wicked enough to carry out her instructions, and sent word that Naboth was dead. Jezebel now informed her husband, and he went down to take possession of the vineyard; but God sent Elijah to tell him his doom and that of Jezebel. God could not allow such wickedness to go unpunished. 1 Kings 21:1-19; 2 Kings 9:21-26.

The times of Ahab were corrupt in the extreme. — There were none like him whom Jezebel his Queen stirred up to sell himself to work wickedness and to do very abominably in following idols. But in those times Naboth of Jezreel stood as the righteous one in the land. Though it were to please the King he would not depart from the law of the Lord and sell His inheritance. He knew that it was the decree of the God of Israel that inheritances were not to remove from tribe to tribe, but that every one in Israel should keep himself to the inheritance of his fathers (Num. 36:9). But for his righteousness' sake he is called to suffer. Through the subtlety of Jezebel and by the hand of certain sons of Belial his blood is shed in Jezreel, (1 Kings 21:13) and his inheritance, the inheritance of his fathers, is usurped by Ahab. For this deed the Lord, by His Prophet, denounces judgment on Ahab and his house; and, accordingly by stroke upon stroke he makes a full end of them, and the blood of Ahab and the blood of Joram his son, and the blood of Jezebel are shed in the portion of Jezreel. Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, is called forth to finish this judgment, to be the avenger of blood, and to cleanse the land that had been thus polluted with it (Num. 35:33); and as his reward the throne of Israel is secured to his family for four generations (2 Kings 10:30).

But Jehu in all this had himself in view; and while pretending zeal for the Lord, was really satisfying his own lust. As Ahab had coveted the vineyard of Naboth which was in Jezreel, hard by his palace, and for the sake of it had shed the blood of the righteous, so Jehu loved dominion, and for the sake of it, and not in the spirit of service to Jehovah, did he execute the judgment of God upon the house of Ahab. And therefore in his turn, like Ahab, he is made to answer for the blood of Jezreel: as says the Lord by Hosea, "I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu." But the Prophet adds — "and I will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel, and it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel" (Hosea 1:4). Thus upon this sin — i.e. the blood shedding at Jezreel, the Prophet suspends the final judgment and excision of Israel; and justly so, for the sin of Israel, as I will now show, was as the sin of Ahab, or as the sin of Jehu.

Although not a great man in Israel, Naboth valued the inheritance that God had given to his fathers, and when the covetous eyes of Ahab would rob him of it, he showed how greatly he valued it in his words to the king, "The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to thee" (1 Kings 21:1-3). Ahab's offer of "a better vineyard" or "the worth of it in money" did not tempt Naboth, for he prized what God had given to his fathers when God brought them out of Egypt into the promised land. Naboth's tenacity in clinging to his inheritance, in spite of the blandishments of the king, cost him his life at the hands of the wicked Jezebel who, acting in the name of the king, falsely charged him with blaspheming God and the king (1 Kings 21:8-14).

A t first glance Ahab's offer to purchase Naboth's vineyard seems both reasonable and fair. His father, Omri, had purchased a hill and built his capital, Samaria, upon it. Ahab wanted Naboth's land for a vegetable garden convenient to his palace kitchen. But the land was God's and He had forbidden His people to sell it on an absolute basis. Moreover, the land was to remain within the tribe to which God had assigned it. So Naboth's refusal to give up his inheritance was a matter of simple obedience to God. His faithfulness cost him his life through Jezebel's conniving.

The first, his coveting of Naboth's vineyard, and the false accusation and murder of that righteous man, form one of the most painful and soul-stirring chapters in human history, whether secular or inspired. "And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money." This Ahab, who could "brother" and spare a wicked Gentile king whom divine justice had doomed to destruction, can now, for the sake of gardening and enlarging the grounds about his palace, set about to murder a true brother. Though king, his offer to his neighbor Naboth is fearlessly refused. "And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee." This was not obstinacy on Naboth's part, as some have supposed; nor yet a stubborn refusal to surrender his legal rights to do his king a favor. He was contending, not for his own rights (which scarcely becomes one who owes his all to God's free grace), but for God's, and those of his successors. "The land shall not be sold forever," God had said. Merciful provision was made in the law for a man who might have become reduced to extreme poverty. He was permitted to sell the land, but only to the year of jubilee, when it was to revert back to the original owner, or his heirs. Naboth could not plead poverty, so had no excuse to sell his vineyard, even to the king. There was also a law relating to property within a city's walls, which, if sold, must be redeemed within a year, or remain the possession of the purchaser forever. See Lev. 25. If Naboth's vineyard, adjoining Ahab's palace, lay within the city walls, it would, if sold, pass for all time out of the hands of Naboth's heirs. Be that as it may, his firm refusal to sell out to his royal neighbor was a matter of conscience. Araunah's sale of his threshing-floor to David, and Omri's purchase of the hill of Samaria, cannot be called parallel cases. In the first instance Araunah, though a Jebusite (a Gentile), seemed fully to enter into David's purpose, and have fellowship with it. It was therefore surrendering and offering his property to the Lord Himself. In the second, the moral condition of the nation was such that Shemer, an Israelite; was probably unconcerned as to what God had said concerning the disposal of His land. Naboth was right, both toward God and toward his family ties, whatever his critics may be disposed to say to the contrary; but his resolute adherence to the right cost him both his good name and his life.

"And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread." His petulant conduct ill became a man — much less a king; it was rather that of a spoiled child, peevish and in ill humor, because crossed in his desire by one of his subjects. "But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?" Informed as to the cause of his dejection, her daring spirit finds a ready way out of Ahab's difficulty. "And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel?" Alas, was it not she that governed it really, with more daring ungodliness than Ahab, her puppet husband? "Arise," says she, "and eat bread, and let thy heart be merry. I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite." Herself the daughter of a Gentile king, she was thoroughly schooled in court methods of disposing of refractory subjects. She had not learned, as David, in God's school, that kings should be the shepherds of the people. Might made right in the kingdoms of the nations, and she should, show to her Hebrew husband how quickly Naboth's objections to the king's demands could be overcome, in spite of anything, or everything, written in the Mosaic code. "So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth. And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: and set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die." How base could such men be, to lend themselves as willing tools to her perfidious designs, and carry out her instructions to the letter! Yet, public conscience might rebel at open murder; and some appearance of justice had to be given her act therefore. The moral effect on the nation of what had happened on mount Carmel had, besides, probably not passed away; and this nefarious patron of Baal had to proceed with a measure of caution, in her wickedness. "And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them." Naboth was accordingly accused, taken out of the city, and there stoned to death. "Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead." All had succeeded but too well. "And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead. And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it."

Solomon says in Ecc. 2:4: "I made me great works; I builded houses; and I planted vineyards." Ahab could have said the same; but what blessing did he get out of it all? The humble prophet Elijah, whom he persecuted, is in Heaven; but Ahab, alas! is not there. His father Omri built Samaria, and made it the capital of his kingdom, not being satisfied with Tirzah. Ahab also built new cities, but he seems to have preferred Jezreel as a place of residence. In 1 Kings 22:39 we read of "the ivory house which he built," which was probably in Jezreel. He cast eyes upon the vineyard of a neighbour, Naboth by name, and demanded it; offering to give him a better vineyard in exchange, or money if he wished. Naboth brought Jehovah's name into the matter. It was not Ahab's custom to think of Jehovah, still less to seek His guidance about his doings. Naboth said: "Jehovah forbid it me that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to thee" (1 Kings 21:3). Let us be quite clear what was involved in this reply. Our God would not wish His servants to be disobliging and un-neighbourly, but it was not such sentiments as these that guided Naboth in his refusal of the King's demand. The land of Israel was unique in the earth. It was Jehovah's land in a very special sense (had He not a house there!), so much so that in Jer. 12:14 Jehovah speaks of the nations round about as "My evil neighbours." The land had been distributed amongst the tribes by His direction, and every individual Israelite was responsible to regard himself as a tenant under his God. He was thus not at liberty to alienate his portion. If he became poor, he might sell it until the Jubilee. "The land shall not be sold for ever, for the land is Mine for Ye are strangers and sojourners with Me. And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land" (Lev. 25:23-24). Moreover, we gather from Num. 36 that even such a temporary sale must take place within the limits of the tribe, so that Jehovah's original distribution might not be disturbed. Ahab had no fear of God before his eyes; the Word of God had no place in his heart; and the year of Jubilee meant nothing to him. Had Naboth yielded to the king, it is not at all likely that the property would ever be returned. Also, Ahab probably belonged to a different tribe. In Ezek. 46:18 it is enacted that the prince who will rule for God in the holy land during the Millennial era must not take of the people's inheritance by oppression, "that My people be not scattered every man from his possession."

Naboth was thus a man of faith. His father valued what Jehovah had given him, and Naboth valued it also. He would die rather than surrender what really belonged to God. The Naboth spirit seems rare in our time. Divine principles which our fathers prized, and for which many suffered the loss of everything, are very lightly regarded by their children. The worthies of past years are even regarded as over-scrupulous. A little of the accommodating spirit of the Twentieth Century would have been to their advantage! To be spoken of as a "Puritan" is considered a great reproach today!

THE COLD-BLOODED MURDER OF NABOTH (vs.1-16)

When one adopts a sullen, sulking character, it is likely to develop more seriously. Ahab illustrated this in his dealings with Naboth the Jezreelite. He coveted what belonged to Naboth and offered him either money or another vineyard for Naboth's vineyard, since it was near Ahab's property (v.2). But Naboth had received the vineyard as an inheritance from his father, and told Ahab that his conscience toward the Lord would not allow him to give up that inheritance (v.3).

Before turning from the subject of evidence, we may just remark that inspired history supplies us with more than one instance in which a man has been condemned with an appearance of attention to Deuteronomy 17:6-7. Witness the case of Naboth in 1 Kings 21; and the case of Stephen in Acts 6 and 7; and, above all, the case of the only perfect Man that ever trod this earth. Alas! men can, at times, put on the appearance of wonderful attention to the letter of scripture when it suits their own ungodly ends; they can quote its sacred words in defence of the most flagrant unrighteousness and shocking immorality. Two witnesses accused Naboth of blaspheming God and the king, and that faithful Israelite was deprived of his inheritance and of his life on the testimony of two liars hired by the direction of a godless cruel woman. Stephen, a man full of the Holy Ghost, was stoned to death for blasphemy, on the testimony of false witnesses received and acted upon by the great religious leaders of the day who could, doubtless, quote Deuteronomy 17 as their authority.

Certain details connected with the Jubilee follow, having respect both to the inheritance of the poor Israelite (25-34), and to his personal liberty (35-55). As regards the former, if from poverty he sold any of his possession, and that is the only ground here stated, on which he was permitted to alienate his patrimonial estate, the right of redemption, ere the Jubilee arrived, was reserved to him, or to his kin. If a kinsman came forward to effect it, this law empowered such an one to do it. If he himself had no kinsman to do it, liberty to redeem it was reserved to him. But on his part its redemption depended on his ability. The inheritance was to be prized, and none ought to have thought lightly of it, for it was God's provision for His people. To part with it except under the pressure of circumstances, was not, therefore, it would appear, to be thought of. To redeem it, if able (26), it became the original owner. Naboth, who had not fallen into poverty, refused to sell his vineyard at the personal request of the king. "The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to thee" (1 Kings 21:3).

Stoning was a punishment enjoined by the law for Jews guilty of idolatry, blasphemy, or other forms of profane rebellion against Jehovah. Hence the peculiar enormity of the death of Naboth and of Zechariah, the wickedness being wholly in those high in authority who perverted it to hurt saints. Nor can we conceive ordinarily a grosser and more daring wrong than that the pious should suffer the death of impiety at the hands of impious rulers, whether by crafty falsehood or in ungovernable rage.