Naboth: 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
(Leviticus 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
(2 Kings 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
(2 Kings 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.)
(Psalms 109:17,18)
