What Does 1 Kings 21:3 Mean in the King James?

And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.

1 Kings 21:3 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

THE KEY

The inheritance is a bond across generations, held before the LORD, so a king’s desire cannot make it his to claim.

THE MEANING

Naboth’s refusal places a boundary before Ahab’s desire: this land is the inheritance of his fathers, held before the LORD. The verse speaks now wherever someone’s power or appetite is treated as a claim to what another has received. Desire and rightful possession remain distinct.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

It undoes the belief that a powerful person’s desire gives them a right to another person’s inheritance.

THE ROOT

נַחֲלָה

naḥalah

GROWS FROM

נחל

n-ḥ-l

To inherit or take possession; in a causative form, to give possession or cause someone to inherit.

English can make inheritance sound like a thing merely owned, but this root holds both receiving a possession and assigning one to another. Naboth’s answer protects a bond of possession that comes through his fathers and stands before the LORD.

ALSO GROWS

nāḥal: To inherit, receive, or take possession.

נָחַל

The verb shows inheritance as something received, not something Ahab’s desire creates.

hinḥîl: To give as an inheritance; to cause someone to inherit.

הִנְחִיל

The causative form holds the other side of inheritance: possession can be passed on, linking Naboth’s present boundary to the generations before him.

THE PATTERN

Inheritance is received as a portion within a relationship, rather than created by whoever desires to claim it.

For the LORD’s portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.

Deuteronomy 32:9 · KJVThe verse names a people as the LORD’s own portion, showing inheritance as belonging held within a relationship.

For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

Galatians 3:18 · KJVThe inheritance is received by promise, not made into a possession by a claimant’s power.

And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

Acts 20:32 · KJVThe inheritance is given among a people, again presented as a received share within belonging.

THE THREAD

The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

Psalm 16:6 · KJV

“Heritage” here is ⁨נַחֲלָה⁩ (naḥalah), the same Hebrew word translated “inheritance” in Naboth’s reply. The verse’s image of lines makes visible the allotted boundary already contained in that word.

Read the SDV Bible.

Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.

Get Selah Verse

The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.

Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us