1 Kings 21 · Verse 10

1 Kings 21:10

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.
1 Kings 21:10, King James Version

1 Kings 21:10 in other translations

BSBBut seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify, ‘You have cursed both God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”
WEBSet two men, wicked fellows, before him, and let them testify against him, saying, ‘You cursed God and the king!’ Then carry him out, and stone him to death.”
ASVand set two men, base fellows, before him, and let them bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst curse God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him to death.
YLTand cause two men--sons of worthlessness--to sit over-against him, and they testify of him, saying, Thou hast blessed God and Melech; and they have brought him out, and stoned him, and he dieth.'
DARBYand set two men, sons of Belial, before him, and they shall bear witness against him saying, Thou didst curse God and the king; and carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.
BBEAnd get two good-for-nothing persons to come before him and give witness that he has been cursing God and the king. Then take him out and have him stoned to death.
WebsterAnd 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.

What does 1 Kings 21:10 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 10 Set two men - For life could not be attainted but on the evidence of two witnesses at least. Sons of Belial - Men who will not scruple to tell lies and take a false oath. Thou didst blaspheme God and the king - Thou art an atheist and a rebel. Thou hast spoken words injurious to the perfections and nature of God; and thou hast spoken words against the crown and dignity of the king. The words literally are, Naboth hath Blessed Clod and the king; or, as Parkhurst contends, "Thou hast blessed the false gods and Molech," ברכת אלהים ומלך 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 Naboth, upon the false accusation of blessing the heathen Aleim and Molech, which subjected him to death by Deu 12:6; Deu 17:2-7. The first meaning appears the most simple. Many think that the word ברך barach signifies both to bless and curse; and so it is interpreted in most Lexicons: it is passing strange that out of the same word proceedeth blessing and cursing; and to give such opposite and self-destructive meanings to any word is very dangerous. Parkhurst denies that it ever has the meaning of cursing, and examines all the texts where it is said to occur with this meaning; and shows that blessing, not cursing, is to be understood in all those places: see him under ברך, sec. vi.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Kings 21:5-16

When, instead of a help meet, a man has an agent for Satan, in the form of an artful, unprincipled, yet beloved wife, fatal effects may be expected. Never were more wicked orders given by any prince, than those Jezebel sent to the rulers of Jezreel. Naboth must be murdered under colour of religion. There is no wickedness so vile, so horrid, but religion has sometimes been made a cover for it. Also, it must be done…

Read the full comment on 1 Kings 21:5-16 →

1 Kings 21:10 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְ֠הוֹשִׁיבוּVe.ho.shi.vuand make sitH3427
שְׁנַ֨יִםshe.Na.yimtwoH8147
אֲנָשִׁ֥ים'a.na.ShimmenH582
בְּנֵֽי\־be.nei-sons ofH1121
בְלִיַּעַל֮ve.li.ya.'AlworthlessnessH1100
נֶגְדּוֹ֒neg.Dobefore himH5048
וִיעִדֻ֣הוּvi.'i.Du.huand let them testify against himH5749
לֵאמֹ֔רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
בֵּרַ֥כְתָּbe.Rakh.tayou have blessedH1288
אֱלֹהִ֖ים'E.lo.HimGodH430
וָמֶ֑לֶךְva.Me.lekhand [the] kingH4428
וְהוֹצִיאֻ֥הוּve.ho.tzi.'U.huand take out himH3318
וְסִקְלֻ֖הוּve.sik.Lu.huand stone himH5619
וְיָמֹֽת\׃ve.ya.Motso may he dieH4191

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Kings 21:10

  • Exodus 22:28

    Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.

  • Acts 6:11

    Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.

  • Leviticus 24:15-16

    And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin. And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death.

  • Deuteronomy 19:15

    One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

  • Deuteronomy 13:13

    Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;

  • Matthew 26:59-66

    Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? …

  • Judges 19:22

    Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.

  • John 10:33

    The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

  • Acts 6:13

    And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
two men.
De 19:15; Mt 26:59,60; Ac 6:11
sons of Belial.
De 13:13; Jud 19:22
Thou didst blaspheme.Some, with Parkhurst, would render the original, {bairachta elohim wamailech,} "Thou hast blessed the gods and Molech;" a sense, however, which seems extremely forced, and is not acknowledged by any of the ancient versions, though the LXX. and Vulgate render {bairachta} by [eulogese,] {benedixit,} "blessed." It is no unusual thing for a word to have opposite senses.
Ex 22:28; Le 24:15; Mt 26:59-66; Joh 10:33; Ac 6:13

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Kings 21:9

    And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people:

  • 1 Kings 21:10

    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.

  • 1 Kings 21:11

    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.

Read all of 1 Kings 21

1 Kings 21:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y poned dos hombres perversos delante de él, que atestigüen contra él, y digan: Tú has blasfemado á Dios y al rey. Y entonces sacadlo, y apedreadlo, y muera.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et mettez deux hommes, fils de Bélial, en face de lui, et qu’ils témoignent contre lui, disant: Tu as maudit Dieu et le roi. Et menez-le dehors et lapidez-le, et qu’il meure.
German
Elberfelder 1871		und setzet zwei Männer, Söhne Belials, ihm gegenüber, daß sie wider ihn zeugen und sprechen: Du hast Gott und den König gelästert! und führet ihn hinaus und steiniget ihn, daß er sterbe.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		et submittite duos viros filios Belial contra eum, et falsum testimonium dicant: Benedixit Deum et regem: et educite eum, et lapidate, sicque moriatur.