King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.
Complete Jewish Bible:
If someone from the line of Ach'av dies in the city, the dogs will eat him; if he dies in the countryside, the vultures will eat him.'"
Berean Standard Bible:
Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs, and anyone who dies in the field will be eaten by the birds of the air.”
American Standard Version:
Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the birds of the heavens eat.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
Him that dieth{H4191} of Ahab{H256} in the city{H5892} the dogs{H3611} shall eat{H398}; and him that dieth{H4191} in the field{H7704} shall the fowls{H5775} of the air{H8064} eat{H398}.
Cross-References (KJV):
1 Kings 14:11
- Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat: for the LORD hath spoken [it].
1 Kings 16:4
- Him that dieth of Baasha in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth of his in the fields shall the fowls of the air eat.
Jeremiah 15:3
- And I will appoint over them four kinds, saith the LORD: the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy.
Isaiah 14:19
- But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, [and as] the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet.
Ezekiel 39:18
- Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
Ezekiel 39:20
- Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
Revelation 19:18
- That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all [men, both] free and bond, both small and great.
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Commentary for 1 Kings 21:24
1 Kings 21:24 is a verse that pronounced a severe judgment on Ahab, the king of Israel, and his lineage. The historical context of this verse is set within the narrative of Ahab's reign, which was marked by his idolatrous practices and the influence of his Sidonian wife, Jezebel. The specific incident that led to this divine judgment was Ahab's unjust acquisition of Naboth's vineyard, which he coveted for himself. Naboth refused to sell his ancestral inheritance, so Jezebel orchestrated a plot to have Naboth falsely accused and stoned to death, allowing Ahab to take possession of the land.
In response to this wicked deed, the prophet Elijah was sent by God to confront Ahab with the words of judgment found in 1 Kings 21:24. The verse reflects the gravity of Ahab's sin and the consequent breakdown of the social and moral order. The gruesome imagery of dogs eating the remains of Ahab's family members who die in the city and birds consuming those who die in the field serves as a sign of divine retribution for the injustice committed against Naboth. It also symbolizes the complete reversal of fortune for Ahab's dynasty, as the royal family would not receive a proper burial, which was a great dishonor in ancient Near Eastern culture.
The themes present in this verse include the sovereignty of God over human affairs, the certainty of divine judgment for sin, particularly for those in positions of power who abuse their authority, and the importance of justice and righteousness as upheld by the Mosaic Law. This prophecy ultimately came to pass, as recorded later in 1 Kings and 2 Kings, with the downfall of Ahab's dynasty and the fulfillment of the grim predictions regarding his family's fate. The narrative serves as a powerful warning against the dangers of covetousness, the misuse of power, and the disregard for the law of God.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H4191
There are 694 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מוּת
Transliteration: mûwth
Pronunciation: mooth
Description: a primitive root; to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill; [idiom] at all, [idiom] crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), [idiom] must needs, slay, [idiom] surely, [idiom] very suddenly, [idiom] in (no) wise. - Strong's Number: H256
There are 397 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אַחְאָב
Transliteration: ʼAchʼâb
Pronunciation: akh-awb'
Description: once (by contraction) אֶחָב (Jeremiah 29:22); from אָח and אָב; brother (i.e. friend) of (his) father; Achab, the name of a king of Israel and of a prophet at Babylon; Ahab. - Strong's Number: H5892
There are 937 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עִיר
Transliteration: ʻîyr
Pronunciation: eer
Description: or (in the plural) עָר; or עָיַר; (Judges 10:4), from עוּר; a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post); Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town. - Strong's Number: H3611
There are 31 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כֶּלֶב
Transliteration: keleb
Pronunciation: keh'-leb
Description: from an unused root means. to yelp, or else to attack; a dog; hence (by euphemism) a male prostitute; dog. - Strong's Number: H398
There are 825 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָכַל
Transliteration: ʼâkal
Pronunciation: aw-kal'
Description: a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively); [idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite. - Strong's Number: H7704
There are 309 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׂדֶה
Transliteration: sâdeh
Pronunciation: saw-deh'
Description: or שָׂדַי; from an unused root meaning to spread out; a field (as flat); country, field, ground, land, soil, [idiom] wild. - Strong's Number: H5775
There are 70 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עוֹף
Transliteration: ʻôwph
Pronunciation: ofe
Description: from עוּף; a bird (as covered with feathers, or rather as covering with wings), often collectively; bird, that flieth, flying, fowl. - Strong's Number: H8064
There are 395 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׁמַיִם
Transliteration: shâmayim
Pronunciation: shaw-mah'-yim
Description: dual of an unused singular שָׁמֶה; from an unused root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve); air, [idiom] astrologer, heaven(-s).