1 Kings 21 · Verse 27

1 Kings 21:27

And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.
1 Kings 21:27, King James Version

1 Kings 21:27 in other translations

BSBWhen Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He lay down in sackcloth and walked around meekly.
WEBWhen Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his body, fasted, lay in sackcloth, and went about despondently.
ASVAnd it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.
YLTAnd it cometh to pass, at Ahab's hearing these words, that he rendeth his garments, and putteth sackcloth on his flesh, and fasteth, and lieth in sackcloth, and goeth gently.
DARBYAnd it came to pass when Ahab heard these words, that he rent his garments, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.
BBEHearing these words, Ahab, in great grief, put haircloth on his flesh and went without food, sleeping in haircloth, and going about quietly.
WebsterAnd it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

What does 1 Kings 21:27 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Kings 21:27-29
27-29. Ahab ... rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly--He was not obdurate, like Jezebel. This terrible announcement made a deep impression on the king's heart, and led, for a while, to sincere repentance. Going softly, that is, barefoot, and with a pensive manner, within doors. He manifested all the external signs, conventional and natural, of the deepest sorrow. He was wretched, and so great is the mercy of God, that, in consequence of his humiliation, the threatened punishment was deferred.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 27 He rent his clothes - He was penetrated with sorrow, and that evidently unfeigned. Put sackcloth upon his flesh - He humbled himself before God and man. And fasted - He afflicted his body for his soul's benefit. Lay in sackcloth - Gave the fullest proof that his repentance was real. And went softly - Walked barefooted; so the Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic. The Vulgate has demisso capite, "with his head hanging down." Houbigant translates went groaning. Jarchi says that the word אט at, used here, signifies to be unshod. This is its most likely sense. All these things prove that Ahab's repentance was genuine; and God's approbation of it puts it out of doubt. The slow and measured pace which always accompanies deep and reflective sorrow is also alluded to by Aeschylus, where the Chorus are thus shortly addressed on the defeat of Xerxes. - Aesch. Pers. 1073. Γοασθ' ἁβροβαται "With light and noiseless step lament."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Kings 21:17-29

Blessed Paul complains that he was sold under sin, Ro 7:14, as a poor captive against his will; but Ahab was willing, he sold himself to sin; of choice, and as his own act and deed, he loved the dominion of sin. Jezebel his wife stirred him up to do wickedly. Ahab is reproved, and his sin set before his eyes, by Elijah. That man's condition is very miserable, who has made the word of God his enemy; and very…

Read the full comment on 1 Kings 21:17-29 →

1 Kings 21:27 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.

וַיְהִי֩vay.Hiand it wasH1961
כִשְׁמֹ֨עַkhish.Mo.a'when heardH8085
אַחְאָ֜ב'ach.'AvAhabH256
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַדְּבָרִ֤יםha.de.va.Rimthe wordsH1697
הָאֵ֙לֶּה֙ha.'E.leh<the> theseH428
וַיִּקְרַ֣עvai.yik.Ra'and he toreH7167
בְּגָדָ֔יוbe.ga.Davclothes hisH899
וַיָּֽשֶׂם\־vai.ya.sem-and he putH7760
שַׂ֥קsaksackclothH8242
עַל\־'al-onH5921
בְּשָׂר֖וֹbe.sa.Robody hisH1320
וַיָּצ֑וֹםvai.ya.Tzomand he fastedH6684
וַיִּשְׁכַּ֣בvai.yish.Kavand he lay downH7901
בַּשָּׂ֔קba.Sakin the sackclothH8242
וַיְהַלֵּ֖ךְvay.ha.Lekhand he went aboutH1980
אַֽט\׃\ \ס'AtdejectedlyH328

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

Cross references for 1 Kings 21:27

  • 2 Kings 6:30

    And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.

  • Genesis 37:34

    And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.

  • 2 Samuel 3:31

    And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David himself followed the bier.

  • Job 16:15

    I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.

  • Joel 1:13

    Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.

  • 2 Samuel 12:16-17

    David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.

  • Isaiah 22:12

    And in that day did the Lord God of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:

  • Isaiah 58:5-8

    Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward.

  • Isaiah 38:15

    What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.

  • 2 Kings 18:37

    Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rab–shakeh.

  • Jonah 3:6

    For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
he rent.
Ge 37:34; 2Ki 6:30; 18:37; Jon 3:6
lay in sackcloth.
2Sa 12:17; Job 16:15; Isa 22:12; 58:5-8; Joe 1:13
went softly.
Isa 38:15

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

Context

  • 1 Kings 21:26

    And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.

  • 1 Kings 21:27

    And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

  • 1 Kings 21:28

    And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

Read all of 1 Kings 21

1 Kings 21:27 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y acaeció cuando Achâb oyó estas palabras, que rasgó sus vestidos, y puso saco sobre su carne, y ayunó, y durmió en saco, y anduvo humillado.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et il arriva, quand Achab entendit ces paroles, qu’il déchira ses vêtements, et mit un sac sur sa chair, et jeûna; et il couchait avec le sac et marchait doucement.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und es geschah, als Ahab diese Worte hörte, da zerriß er seine Kleider und legte Sacktuch um seinen Leib und fastete; und er lag im Sacktuch, und er ging still einher.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Itaque cum audisset Achab sermones istos, scidit vestimenta sua, et operuit cilicio carnem suam, jejunavitque et dormivit in sacco, et ambulavit demisso capite.