Original Word: נָבוֹת
Part of Speech: Proper Name Feminine
Transliteration: Nabowth
Pronunciation: nah-BOHT
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-both')
KJV: Naboth
NASB: Naboth
Word Origin: [feminine plural from the same as H5011 (נוֹב - Nob)]

1. fruits
2. Naboth, an Israelite

Naboth

Feminine plural from the same as Nob; fruits; Naboth, an Israelite -- Naboth.

see HEBREW Nob

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
a Jezreelite
NASB Translation
Naboth (22).

נָבוֺת₂₂ proper name, masculine a Jezreelite; — -1 Kings 21:1,2,3 16t. 1 Kings 21; 2 Kings 9:21,25,26. ᵐ5 Ναβουθαι.

Identity and Setting

Naboth was a Jezreelite landowner whose vineyard lay “beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria” (1 Kings 21:1). His life is set in the Northern Kingdom during the reign of Ahab and the political ascendancy of Queen Jezebel, c. mid-ninth century BC. The vineyard’s location in fertile Jezreel made it desirable real estate adjoining royal property.

Narrative Summary

Ahab sought to acquire Naboth’s vineyard, offering either money or a land swap (1 Kings 21:2). Naboth refused: “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers” (1 Kings 21:3). Jezebel then orchestrated a sham trial, securing false witnesses who charged Naboth with cursing God and king (21:8-10). He was executed by stoning, and Ahab seized the property (21:13-16). Elijah confronted Ahab: “Have you murdered and also taken possession? … In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, there the dogs will lick your blood—yes, yours!” (21:19). Years later Jehu fulfilled the oracle by slaying Joram on Naboth’s field (2 Kings 9:24-26), throwing the corpse “on the plot of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite, in accordance with the word of the LORD” (9:25).

Legal and Theological Significance

1. Covenant land laws (Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7) safeguarded ancestral holdings. Naboth’s refusal was an act of fidelity, not defiance.
2. His trial subverted due process; two witnesses (Deuteronomy 17:6) were supplied, yet their testimony was fabricated, exposing systemic corruption.
3. The episode illustrates the progression of sin: covetous desire (Ahab), manipulative scheming (Jezebel), public injustice (elders), and blood-guilt (whole community).
4. Divine justice is immediate in prophetic declaration yet measured in outworking, underscoring the certainty of God’s moral order.

Prophetic Judgment and Fulfillment

Elijah’s oracle embraced both personal and dynastic consequences (1 Kings 21:21-24). Jehu’s revolt—“Surely I saw the blood of Naboth … and I will repay you on this plot” (2 Kings 9:26)—completed the judgment on Ahab’s house and on Jezebel (9:36-37). The narrative affirms the infallibility of prophetic word: elapsed time does not erode divine promises or warnings.

Legacy in Israel’s Memory

Naboth became a symbol of the righteous sufferer and of land sanctity. His name is attached to the vineyard even in later references (2 Kings 9), indicating that the ground itself testified against royal injustice. Jewish tradition and Christian preaching alike have viewed him as an archetype of the faithful layman persecuted for obedience.

Principles for Ministry Today

• Integrity before power: Naboth models courageous adherence to God’s statutes despite pressure from authority.
• Sanctity of inheritance: God values familial and covenant legacies; ministry should guard against any form of exploitation.
• Prophetic confrontation: Elijah’s fearless rebuke encourages pastoral willingness to confront sin, whether personal or systemic.
• Assurance of divine justice: Believers wronged for righteousness’ sake can rest in God’s eventual vindication, a key pastoral comfort (Romans 12:19).
• Warning to leaders: Ahab and Jezebel exemplify the peril of unchecked covetousness; shepherds must resist using position for personal gain (1 Peter 5:2-3).

לְנָב֥וֹת לנבות נָב֑וֹת נָב֔וֹת נָב֖וֹת נָב֗וֹת נָב֛וֹת נָב֣וֹת נָב֣וֹת ׀ נָב֥וֹת נָב֨וֹת נָבֽוֹת׃ נָבוֹת֙ נָבוֹת֩ נבות נבות׃ lə·nā·ḇō·wṯ lənāḇōwṯ lenaVot nā·ḇō·wṯ nāḇōwṯ naVotInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts