1 Kings 21:13
Ver. 13. And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him,.... Which position showed that they were his accusers, and had a charge against him; it being usual for the accusers and accused to be set face to face, as it was the manner of the Romans in later times, Ac 25:16. Josephus says {d} there were "three" men to accuse him; but the Targum, and all the ancient versions, have only "two":
and the men of Belial witnessed against him, [even] against Naboth, in the presence of the people; both before the judges of the court, and before all the people that filled it, who came to hear the trial; so bold and impudent were they:
saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king; or "bless", an euphemism; the phrase of cursing God being shocking to the ear, and therefore such a word is used to express it, see Job 1:5,
then they carried him forth out of the city; without any further process of examining witnesses, and of hearing what the accused had to say in his defence; but immediately they carried him out of court, and out of the city, to put him to death, malefactors being executed always without the city:
and stoned him with stones, that he died; which was the death blasphemers were put to, Le 24:14, of the manner of which, See Gill on "Ac 7:58", it seems from 2Ki 9:26, that his sons were stoned with him.
{d} Antiqu. l. 3. c. 13. sect. 8.