The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 510

(3) She will accomplish this by an act of cruel and treacherous despotism eco.rcely to be paralleled in history (vers. 8-10). She makes her pliant husband her accom- plice, using, with his consent, his seal of state, as probably she had done before when she destroyed the prophets of the Lord (eh. xvili. 4), to give auth11'ity to the missive of death. She engaged in this business all the more readily because N aboth appears to have been one of the " seven thousund" who would not bend to Baal. II. AN UNSCRUPULOUS MAGISTRACY, 1. Their servility is horrible. (1) Not 11 voice of any noble or elder in Jezreel is raised in protest against the order from the palace to have Nabothmurdered. With eyes wide open-for the sons ofBelialare not found for them ; they have themselves to procure these Wl"etches-they proceed to give effect to the dreadful tragedy. (2) What motive can influence them? They are a~ai~ o~ Jezebel. They knew her power over Ahab, and they knew the cruelty and vmdictiveness of her nature was nerved by more than masculine resolution. (3) But where was their fear of God? 2. It is aggravated by treachery. (1) Naboth was one of their number. Is not this suggested in the words, " the elders and nobles that were in the city, dwelling with Naboth '' ! Then is there no voice of neighb0urly friendship to speak for Naboth ? N o;voiCA ie raised. (2) If one voice found courage surely others would take courage, and it might be found in the sequel that the sense of justice would be represented by such numbers and influence that even Jezebel might hesitate to reek vengeance upon them. But not a voice was raised. 3. The treachery is aggravated by hypocrisy. (1) The tragedy opens with a fast. This is proclaimed ostensibly to avert from the nation the judgments of God supposed to have been provoked by the crimes of Ne.both. How much more fitting bad it been proclaimed to avert the judgment provoked by the crimes of N aboth's murderers I (2) The accusation is, "Thou didst blaspheme God and the King" (7,o, Cl~i1,~ n:ii:i), which by some is rendered, " Thou hast blessed the false gods and Molech." Parkhurst says, " The Lexicons have absurdly, and contrary to the authority of the ancient versions, given to this verb (71:l)_ the sense of cursing in the six following passages: 1 Kings xxi. 10, 13; Job i 5, 11 ; ii. 5, 9, As to the two first, the LXX. render 7,~ in both cases by Ev~oyEw, and so the V ulgate by bendico, to bless. And though Jezebel was herself an abominable idolatress, yet, as the law of Moses still continued in force, she seems to have been wicked enough to have destroyed Ne.both upon the false nccusation of blessing the heathen Aleim and Molech, which subjected him to death by Deut. xiii. 6; xvii. 2-7." (3) ·what abominable cruelties have been perpetrated under the name of religion I III. A DEMORALIZED PEOPLE. 1. Sona of Belial are at hand. (1) There seems to have been no difficulty in procuring men so lost to truth and mercy that they will readily swear away the life of a good citizen. Nor is this to be wondered at when the whole magiE~\!.tcy are sons of Belial, no better thnn those they suborned. Jezebel saw no difficulty in procuring such. The nobles nnd elders of Jezreel found none. (2) The sons of Belial no doubt were paid for their services. The "consideration'' is not mentioned. What will not some men stoop to for gain I What will they hazard in eternity I And for what n trifle I 2. No voice is raised for justice. (1) N aboth has no hearing in his_ defen~e. The s~ntence given, _he is hurried away to be stoned to death. (2) His family are sacnficed along with him (see 2 Kings iL 26). This was on the principle that the family of Achan had to suifer with him (Josh. vii. 24). But how different are the cnses I (3) Unless the family of Naboth had perished with him, the vineyard would not hnYe fallen to the crown. This would be an objection to Jezebel hiring sons of Belial to assassinate Ne.both, for Naboth's heirs would still have to be disposed of. Melan- choly is the condition of the nation in which right is sacrificed to might. '' Sin is a reproach to any people."-J. A. M. Vers. 15-24.-Divin.e Inquuition. Ahab lost no time in reaping the fruit of Jezebel's wickedness. The next day, after the murder of Ne.both and his family, we find him taking possession of the coveted vineyard (see 2 Kings ix. 26). But in all this dark business there was an invisible Spectator, whose presence does nol 60em to have been sufficiently taken into the account. OH, XXI. 1-29.] THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. 523