John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 4. And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased , etc.] Just in the same humour he was after the prophet had delivered his message to him, ( 1 Kings 20:43), where the same words are used as here: because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him, for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers , neither by way of exchange nor of purchase: and such a denial he could not bear, since it looked like treating him with contempt, and taxing him with imprudence at least, if not with injustice, or both: and he laid him down upon his bed ; or couch, which might be not in his bedchamber, but in one of his halls, where his courtiers were: and turned away his face ; to the wall, not choosing to have conversation with any of his nobles: and would eat no bread ; the vexation took away his stomach, and he became melancholy, at least sullen. Ver. 5 . But Jezebel his wife came unto him, and said, why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread ?] She perceived he was low spirited, and supposed he had met with something that had ruffled him, and made him so uneasy that he could not eat his food; and she desired to know what it was, that she might relieve him if possible.
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 ויבא935 אחאב256 אל413 ביתו1004 סר5620 וזעף2198 על5921 הדבר1697 אשׁר834 דבר1696 אליו413 נבות5022 היזרעאלי3158 ויאמר559 לא3808 אתן5414 לך את853 נחלת5159 אבותי1 וישׁכב7901 על5921 מטתו4296 ויסב5437 את853 פניו6440 ולא3808 אכל398 לחם׃3899
