Naboth
Naboth the Jezreelite is a landholder in Jezreel whose vineyard adjoins the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria. He refuses to surrender his ancestral inheritance to the king, is condemned on staged charges and stoned at Jezebel's contrivance, and his death draws an oracle from Elijah that Jehu later executes against the house of Ahab.
The Vineyard and Ahab's Demand
The narrative opens by placing Naboth's land beside Ahab's palace: "And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, close by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria" (1Ki 21:1). Ahab proposes a swap or a sale: "And Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near to my house; and I will give you for it a better vineyard than it: or, if it seems good to you, I will give you the worth of it in silver" (1Ki 21:2). Naboth refuses on inheritance grounds, invoking Yahweh: "And Naboth said to Ahab, Yahweh forbid it of me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you" (1Ki 21:3). Ahab returns to his house "heavy and displeased," lies down, turns his face to the wall, and refuses food (1Ki 21:4).
Jezebel's Plot
Jezebel finds Ahab refusing to eat and asks why. He repeats Naboth's refusal, and she answers with a question that recasts the matter as a test of royal authority: "Do you now govern the kingdom of Israel? Arise, and eat bread, and let your heart be merry: I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite" (1Ki 21:7). She writes letters in Ahab's name, seals them with his seal, and sends them to the elders and nobles of Naboth's own city (1Ki 21:8). The letters direct a judicial frame-up: "Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: and set two men, base fellows, before him, and let them bear witness against him, saying, You cursed God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him to death" (1Ki 21:9-10).
The elders carry out the orders to the letter. They proclaim the fast, seat Naboth at the head of the people, and the two suborned witnesses testify: "Naboth cursed God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him to death with stones" (1Ki 21:13). The report comes back to Jezebel: "Naboth is stoned, and is dead" (1Ki 21:14). She tells Ahab to take possession of the vineyard, and Ahab rises and goes down to claim it (1Ki 21:15-16).
Elijah's Oracle
In the vineyard the word of Yahweh comes to Elijah the Tishbite: "Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who dwells in Samaria: look, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it" (1Ki 21:18). Elijah is to confront Ahab with both crimes — the murder and the seizure — and announce a like-for-like sentence: "Thus says Yahweh, Have you killed and also taken possession? And you will speak to him, saying, Thus says Yahweh, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth will dogs lick your blood, even yours" (1Ki 21:19).
The Murder Avenged
Years later Jehu's coup provides the answer to that oracle. Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah go out to meet Jehu and find him "in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite" (2Ki 9:21). Joram asks "Is it peace, Jehu?" and Jehu answers by naming Jezebel's continuing offenses (2Ki 9:22). Joram turns to flee, and Jehu shoots him through the heart (2Ki 9:24). Jehu then orders Bidkar his captain to cast the body into Naboth's field, recalling the oracle Yahweh had laid on Ahab: "Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, says Yahweh; and I will repay you in this plot [of ground], says Yahweh. Now therefore take and cast him into the plot, according to the word of Yahweh" (2Ki 9:26).
The same chapter closes the loop on Jezebel. When Jehu enters Jezreel, eunuchs throw her from a window at his command (2Ki 9:32-33). After he has eaten, he orders her burial, but searchers find "no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands" (2Ki 9:35). Jehu names this as Yahweh's word through Elijah: "This is the word of Yahweh, which he spoke by his slave Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel will the dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel" (2Ki 9:36).