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Monday, August 25th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Read the Bible

Literal Standard Version

1 Kings 21:8

And she writes letters in the name of Ahab, and seals with his seal, and sends the letters to the elderly and to the nobles who are in his city, those dwelling with Naboth,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Confiscation;   Conspiracy;   Covetousness;   Dishonesty;   Falsehood;   Forgery;   Government;   Indictments;   Jezebel;   Judge;   King;   Naboth;   Perjury;   Seal;   Usurpation;   Women;   Thompson Chain Reference - Elders;   Jezebel;   Leaders;   Letters;   Nobles;   Queens;   Religious;   Seal;   Treachery;   Women;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Murder;   Seals;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Jezebel;   Jezreel;   Justice;   Letters;   Naboth;   Rings;   Seal, Sealing;   Vine;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Ahab;   Jezebel;   King;   Lie;   Ruler;   Steal;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Government;   Leadership;   Punishment;   Seal;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Writing;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Epistle;   Judges;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Book(s);   Esdraelon;   Festivals;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Letter;   Naboth;   Queen;   Seal;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Elder;   Government;   Jezebel;   Justice;   Seal, Signet;   Writing;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Trial-At-Law;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Jezebel ;   Jezreelite, Jezreelitess ;   Naboth ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Naboth;   Seal;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Elijah;   Jezebel;   Seal;   Writing;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Seal;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Rings;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Babylonish Captivity, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Blindness, Judicial;   Epistle;   Jezebel;   Jezreel;   Judge;   Naboth;   Name;   Noble;   Seal;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal. She sent the letters to the elders and nobles who lived with Naboth in his city.
Hebrew Names Version
So she wrote letters in Ach'av's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the Zakenim and to the nobles who were in his city, [and] who lived with Navot.
King James Version
So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth.
English Standard Version
So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and she sent the letters to the elders and the leaders who lived with Naboth in his city.
New Century Version
So Jezebel wrote some letters, signed Ahab's name to them, and used his own seal to seal them. Then she sent them to the elders and important men who lived in Naboth's town.
New English Translation
She wrote out orders, signed Ahab's name to them, and sealed them with his seal. She then sent the orders to the leaders and to the nobles who lived in Naboth's city.
Amplified Bible
So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived with Naboth in his city.
New American Standard Bible
So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles who were living with Naboth in his city.
Geneva Bible (1587)
So she wrote letters in Ahabs name, and sealed them with his seale, and sent the letters vnto the Elders, and to the nobles that were in his citie dwelling with Naboth.
Legacy Standard Bible
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.
Contemporary English Version
Jezebel wrote a letter to each of the leaders of the town where Naboth lived. In the letters she said: Call everyone together and tell them to go without eating today. When they come together, give Naboth a seat at the front. Have two liars sit across from him and swear that Naboth has cursed God and the king. Then take Naboth outside and stone him to death! She signed Ahab's name to the letters and sealed them with his seal. Then she sent them to the town leaders.
Complete Jewish Bible
So she wrote letters in Ach'av's name, sealed them with his seal and sent the letters to the leaders and notables of the city where Navot lived.
Darby Translation
And she wrote a letter in Ahab's name, and sealed it with his seal, and sent the letter to the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then Jezebel wrote some letters. She signed Ahab's name to them and used his seal to seal the letters. Then she sent them to the elders and important men who lived in the same town as Naboth.
George Lamsa Translation
So she wrote a letter in Ahabs name and sealed it with his ring, and sent the letter to the elders and to the nobles who dwelt in the city with Naboth.
Good News Translation
Then she wrote some letters, signed Ahab's name to them, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the officials and leading citizens of Jezreel.
Lexham English Bible
So she wrote letters in the name of Ahab and sealed them with his seal. She sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling with Naboth in his city.
Literal Translation
And she wrote letters in the name of Ahab, and sealed with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles of his city, dwelling with Naboth.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And she wrote a letter vnder Achabs name, and sealed it with his signet, and sent it vnto ye Elders and rulers in his cite, which dwelt aboute Naboth,
American Standard Version
So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, and that dwelt with Naboth.
Bible in Basic English
So she sent a letter in Ahab's name, stamped with his stamp, to the responsible men and the chiefs who were in authority with Naboth.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And so she wrote a letter in Ahabs name, and sealed it with his seale, and sent the letter vnto the elders, and to the nobles that were in his citie dwelling with Naboth.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, and that dwelt with Naboth.
King James Version (1611)
So shee wrote letters in Ahabs name, and sealed them with his seale, and sent the letters vnto the Elders, and to the Nobles that were in his citie dwelling with Naboth.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the elders and all the people said to him, Hearken not, and consent not.
English Revised Version
So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, [and] that dwelt with Naboth.
Berean Standard Bible
Then Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab's name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived with Naboth in his city.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor sche wroot lettris in the name of Achab, and seelide tho with the ryng of hym; and sche sente to the grettere men in birthe, and to the beste men, that weren in the citee of hym, and dwelliden with Naboth.
Young's Literal Translation
And she writeth letters in the name of Ahab, and sealeth with his seal, and sendeth the letters unto the elders, and unto the freemen, who are in his city, those dwelling with Naboth,
Update Bible Version
So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, [and] that dwelt with Naboth.
Webster's Bible Translation
So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed [them] with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles that [were] in his city, dwelling with Naboth.
World English Bible
So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles who were in his city, [and] who lived with Naboth.
New King James Version
And she wrote letters in Ahab's name, sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling in the city with Naboth.
New Living Translation
So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and other leaders of the town where Naboth lived.
New Life Bible
So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and put the mark of his name on them. She sent letters to the leaders and the king's sons who were living with Naboth in his city.
New Revised Standard
So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal; she sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who lived with Naboth in his city.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So she wrote letters, in the name of Ahab, and sealed them with his signet-ring, - and sent the letters unto the elders, and unto the nobles who were in his city, dwelling with Naboth.
Douay-Rheims Bible
So she wrote letters in Achab’s name, and sealed them with his ring, and sent them to the ancients, and the chief men that were in his city, and that dwelt with Naboth.
Revised Standard Version
So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and she sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who dwelt with Naboth in his city.
THE MESSAGE
She wrote letters over Ahab's signature, stamped them with his official seal, and sent them to the elders in Naboth's city and to the civic leaders. She wrote "Call for a fast day and put Naboth at the head table. Then seat a couple of stool pigeons across from him who, in front of everybody will say, ‘You! You blasphemed God and the king!' Then they'll throw him out and stone him to death."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
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.

Contextual Overview

5And his wife Jezebel comes to him, and speaks to him, "Why [is] this [that] your spirit [is] sulky, and you are not eating bread?" 6And he says to her, "Because I speak to Naboth the Jezreelite, and say to him, Give your vineyard to me for money, or if you desire, I give a vineyard to you in its stead; and he says, I do not give my vineyard to you." 7And his wife Jezebel says to him, "You now execute rule over Israel! Rise, eat bread, and let your heart be glad—I give the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite to you." 8And she writes letters in the name of Ahab, and seals with his seal, and sends the letters to the elderly and to the nobles who are in his city, those dwelling with Naboth,9and she writes in the letters, saying, "Proclaim a fast, and cause Naboth to sit at the head of the people, 10and cause two men—sons of worthlessness—to sit opposite him, and they testify of him, saying, You have blessed [[or cursed]] God and [the] king; and they have brought him out, and stoned him, and he dies." 11And the men of his city, the elderly and the nobles who are dwelling in his city, do as Jezebel has sent to them, as written in the letters that she sent to them, 12they have proclaimed a fast, and caused Naboth to sit at the head of the people, 13and two men—sons of worthlessness—come in, and sit opposite him, and the men of worthlessness testify of him, even Naboth, before the people, saying, "Naboth blessed [[or cursed]] God and [the] king"; and they take him out to the outside of the city, and stone him with stones, and he dies; 14and they send to Jezebel, saying, "Naboth was stoned, and is dead."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

she wrote: 2 Samuel 11:14, 2 Samuel 11:15, 2 Chronicles 32:17, Ezra 4:7, Ezra 4:8, Ezra 4:11, Nehemiah 6:5, Esther 3:12-15, Esther 8:8-13

the elders: Numbers 11:16, Deuteronomy 16:18, Deuteronomy 16:19, Deuteronomy 21:1-9

the nobles: 1 Kings 21:1, 2 Kings 10:1-7, 2 Kings 10:11

Reciprocal: Exodus 24:11 - nobles Deuteronomy 1:17 - ye shall not Ruth 4:2 - the elders 1 Kings 21:12 - General 2 Kings 9:22 - the whoredoms 2 Kings 10:6 - General Esther 8:10 - in the king Jeremiah 29:25 - Because Matthew 26:59 - sought Acts 26:12 - with

Cross-References

Genesis 19:3
And he presses on them greatly, and they turn aside to him, and come into his house; and he makes a banquet for them, and has baked unleavened things; and they eat.
Genesis 26:30
And he makes a banquet for them, and they eat and drink,
Genesis 29:22
and Laban gathers all the men of the place, and makes a banquet.
Genesis 40:20
And it comes to pass, on the third day, Pharaoh's birthday, that he makes a banquet to all his servants, and lifts up the head of the chief of the butlers, and the head of the chief of the bakers among his servants,
Judges 14:10
And his father goes down to the woman, and Samson makes a banquet there, for so the young men does;
Judges 14:12
And Samson says to them, "Now let me put forth a riddle to you; if you certainly declare it to me [in] the seven days of the banquet, and have found [it] out, then I have given thirty linen shirts and thirty changes of garments to you;
1 Samuel 1:22
And Hannah has not gone up, for she said to her husband, "Until the youth is weaned—then I have brought him in, and he has appeared before the face of YHWH, and dwelt there for all time."
1 Samuel 25:36
And Abigail comes to Nabal, and behold, he has a banquet in his house, like a banquet of the king, and the heart of Nabal [is] glad within him, and he [is] drunk to excess, and she has not declared anything to him, little or much, until the morning light.
2 Samuel 3:20
and Abner comes to David, to Hebron, and twenty men [are] with him, and David makes a banquet for Abner and for the men who [are] with him.
1 Kings 3:15
And Solomon awakens, and behold, [it was] a dream; and he comes to Jerusalem, and stands before the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH, and causes burnt-offerings to ascend, and makes peace-offerings, and he makes a banquet for all his servants.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal,.... He giving her leave, no doubt, to take his seal; though she might not communicate her scheme to him, lest he should object to it:

and sent the letters unto the elders, and to the nobles that were in his city dwelling with Naboth: to the chief magistrates of the city of Jezreel, where Naboth dwelt.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Seal - The seal is a very ancient invention. Judah’s signet and Pharaoh’s signet-ring are mentioned in Genesis Genesis 38:18; Genesis 41:42. Signets of Egyptian kings have been found which are referred to about 2000 B.C. Sennacherib’s signet, and an impression of Sargon’s, are still extant. There can be no doubt that in the East, from a very remote antiquity, kings had seals and appended them to all documents which they set forth under their authority. (Compare also Esther 3:12; Esther 8:8; Daniel 6:17). The Hebrew mode of sealing seems to have been by attaching a lump of clay to the document, and impressing the seal thereupon Job 38:14.

His city - i. e., Jezreel 1 Kings 21:1. The mode in which it is spoken of here, and in 1 Kings 21:11, seems to imply that it was not the city from which Jezebel wrote. The court was evidently at this time residing at Samaria 1 Kings 20:43; and Ahab may either have met Naboth there, or have gone down (compare 1 Kings 21:16) to Jezreel to make his request, and then, on being refused, have returned to Samaria. The distance is not more than seven miles.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 21:8. She wrote letters in Ahab's name — She counterfeited his authority by his own consent; and he lent his signet to stamp that authority.


 
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