John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 2. And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs , etc.] For a kitchen garden to produce eatables of the vegetable kind for his household, or for a flower garden; and perhaps for both, as Kimchi observes, it being customary to have such in court yards, or behind the house; perhaps he might take his notion of an herb garden from his neighbours the Syrians, who were very diligent and laborious in cultivating their gardens, as Pliny f444 ; hence “multa Syrorum olera”, the many herbs of the Syrians, became a proverb with the Greeks: because it is near unto mine house ; lay very convenient for him: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seemeth good unto thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money ; which seems very well spoken, that he would either give him a better in exchange, or purchase it at its full value; he did not pretend to take it by usurpation, by force, against his will, as it was represented by Samuel kings would do, ( Samuel 8:14) as yet such oppression and tyranny was not exercised.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-4 - Naboth, perhaps, had been pleased that he had a vineyard situated s near the palace, but the situation proved fatal to him; many a man' possessions have been his snare, and his neighbourhood to greatness, or bad consequence. Discontent is a sin that is its own punishment, an makes men torment themselves. It is a sin that is its own parent; it arises not from the condition, but from the mind: as we find Pau contented in a prison, so Ahab was discontented in a palace. He had all the delights of Canaan, that pleasant land, at command; the wealth of kingdom, the pleasures of a court, and the honours and powers of throne; yet all avails him nothing without Naboth's vineyard. Wron desires expose men to continual vexations, and those that are dispose to fret, however well off, may always find something or other to fre at.
Original Hebrew וידבר1696 אחאב256 אל413 נבות5022 לאמר559 תנה5414 לי את853 כרמך3754 ויהי1961 לי לגן1588 ירק3419 כי3588 הוא1931 קרוב7138 אצל681 ביתי1004 ואתנה5414 לך תחתיו8478 כרם3754 טוב2896 ממנו4480 אם518 טוב2896 בעיניך5869 אתנה5414 לך כסף3701 מחיר4242 זה׃2088
