1 Kings 21:13

13 and when two men, (the) sons of the devil, were brought (in), they made them to sit against him (they had them sit opposite him), and they, that is, as men of the devil, said (false) witnessing against him before all the multitude, (saying,) Naboth blessed God, and the king, that is, Naboth hath cursed God, and the king; for which thing they led him without the city, and killed him with stones.

1 Kings 21:13 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 21:13

And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before
him
Which position showed that they were his accusers, and had a charge against him; it being usual for the accusers and accused to be set face to face, as it was the manner of the Romans in later times, ( Acts 25:16 ) . Josephus says ^F4 there were "three" men to accuse him; but the Targum, and all the ancient versions, have only "two":

and the men of Belial witnessed against him, [even] against Naboth, in
the presence of the people;
both before the judges of the court, and before all the people that filled it, who came to hear the trial; so bold and impudent were they:

saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king;
or "bless", an euphemism; the phrase of cursing God being shocking to the ear, and therefore such a word is used to express it, see ( Job 1:5 ) ( 2:9 ) ,

then they carried him forth out of the city;
without any further process of examining witnesses, and of hearing what the accused had to say in his defence; but immediately they carried him out of court, and out of the city, to put him to death, malefactors being executed always without the city:

and stoned him with stones, that he died;
which was the death blasphemers were put to, ( Leviticus 24:14 Leviticus 24:23 ) , of the manner of which, (See Gill on Acts 7:58), it seems from ( 2 Kings 9:26 ) , that his sons were stoned with him.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F4 Antiqu. l. 3. c. 13. sect. 8.

1 Kings 21:13 In-Context

11 Therefore his citizens, the greater men in birth, and the best men that dwelled with him in the city (And so his fellow citizens, the men of great age, that is, the elders, and the best men who lived with him in the city), did as Jezebel had commanded [to them], and as it was written in the letters, which she had sent to them.

12 They preached fasting, and made Naboth to sit among the first men of the people;

13 and when two men, (the) sons of the devil, were brought (in), they made them to sit against him (they had them sit opposite him), and they, that is, as men of the devil, said (false) witnessing against him before all the multitude, (saying,) Naboth blessed God, and the king, that is, Naboth hath cursed God, and the king; for which thing they led him without the city, and killed him with stones.

14 And they sent to Jezebel, and said, Naboth is stoned (Naboth was stoned), and is dead.

15 Forsooth it was done, when Jezebel had heard Naboth stoned and dead, she spake to Ahab, Rise thou, take in possession the vinery of Naboth of Jezreel, which would not assent to thee, and give it for [the] money taken; for Naboth liveth not, but is dead. (And it was done, when Jezebel had heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, she spoke to Ahab, and said, Rise thou up, and take in possession the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel, who would not assent to thee, and give it to thee for the money received; for Naboth no longer liveth, but now is dead.)