The story continues in this second scene: “But Jezebel his wife [yes, that same Jezebel, the Phoenician pagan princess and Baal worshipper who led her husband the Israelite king Ahab to build Baal an altar and to sponsor a Canaanite cult] came to him and said to him, ‘How is it that your spirit is so sullen that you are not eating food?’” (1
27Cate, “Naboth,” 599.
28Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, 3:270.
Kgs 21:5). Despondently, Ahab replies to Jezebel in verse 6: “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you a vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my
vineyard.’” Jezebel replies to Ahab: “‘Do you now reign over Israel? Arise, eat bread, and let your heart be joyful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite’” (21:7). It sounds like Jezebel is really taunting Ahab, with a phrase such as “since you don’t have the courage to do it, I will give you the vineyard.” Following this conversation, Jezebel then takes matters into her own hands:
So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and sent letters to the elders and to the nobles who were living with Naboth in his city. Now she wrote in the letters, saying, “Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people;and seat two worthless men before him, and let them testify against him, saying, ‘You cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”
(1 Kgs 21:8-10)
It is interesting to note Jezebel’s use of the word “worthless.” It is the same word that is used in the NT in 2 Corinthians 6. The word “worthless” is translated as “belial” (Satan).
These two worthless men can be called “sons of the devil.”
The story continues to unfold in verses 11 and 12: “So the men of his city, the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them, just as it was written in the letters which she had sent them. They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the people.” At that point, the sons of the devil take their place in the drama: “Then the two worthless men came in and sat before him; and the worthless men testified against him, even against Naboth, before the people, saying, ‘Naboth cursed God and the king.’ So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones”
(21:13). Naboth is not the only one to die. Second Kings 9:26 reveals that Naboth’s sons are also put to death. What we see is a picture of absolute debasement in the town leaders: “The elders of Jezreel executed this command without delay; a striking proof both of deep moral corruption and of slavish fear of the tyranny of the ruthless queen.”29
29Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, 3:271.
Following this travesty, the deed is done: “Then they sent word to Jezebel, saying,
‘Naboth has been stoned and is dead’” (21:14).
The final two verses end this second scene: “When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, ‘Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth, the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.’ When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab arose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it” (21:15-16).
Character, Choices, and Consequences
Our character certainly will impact our choices and decisions. Our choices impact and influence events and individuals all around us. With Jezebel and her lack of character, these consequences were deception and death. One author I read said that
“Jezebel ordered the fasting for a sign, as though some public crime or heavy load of guilt rested upon the city, for which it was necessary that it should humble itself before God.”30 The entire fast was a sham, from top to bottom: “The intention was, that at the very outset the appearance of justice should be given to the legal process about to be instituted in the eyes of all the citizens, and the stamp of veracity impressed upon the crime of which Naboth was to be accused.”31
This charade involved not only city officials but also the king. Ahab was the beneficiary of the murder of Naboth and his family: “As Naboth’s sons were put to death at the same time (2 Kgs 9:26), the king was able to confiscate his property; not, indeed, on any principle involved in the Mosaic law, but according to a principle involved in the very idea of high treason.”32 Jezebel’s accusation against Naboth involved both God and king.
30Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, 3:270-71.
31Ibid., 271.
32Ibid.
Jezebel took action in the name of Ahab. It’s as if she said, “Daddy . . .
Mama’s gonna make it alright.” And that’s just what she did. She inasmuch says to Ahab:
“Don’t cry! Get up and eat and be happy—I’ll take care of it.” She orchestrates a plot to frame poor innocent Naboth who was only trying to honor God and protect his birthright.
He was innocent of any wrongdoing against God and the king. So off Ahab goes.
Our choices have consequences. With Ahab, these consequences were
destruction. Ahab told his spouse what happened, but did not stop his spouse from taking action. Ahab’s spouse resorted to intentional deception, lies, and murder—making Ahab an accomplice and recipient. Remember, Jezebel sent the letters in Ahab’s name and with his seal. We don’t know if he knew the dirty details of what transpired. Or, perhaps as in an old Hollywood scenario—when the crooked fixer speaks to his boss: “Do you wanna know the details, or do you just want me to take care of it?” We don’t know. The text doesn’t tell us.
I looked up some additional information on Jezebel, which also confirmed Ahab’s involvement:
Jezebel is also the villain in an episode about Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kgs 21).
Naboth refused to surrender a family vineyard the king wanted, a right protected by Israel’s covenant tradition. Ahab pouted but understood that the king, like all Hebrews, was bound by covenant. Not so Jezebel. She, believing that the king’s wish was above law, arranged Naboth’s death and confiscated the vineyard for Ahab. For the biblical narrator, Ahab is no less guilty than Jezebel.33