1 Kings 21:8

Geneva Bible (1560)

So she wrote letters in Ahabs name, and sealed them with his seale, and sent the letters vnto the Elders, and to the nobles that were in his citie dwelling with Naboth.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַתִּכְתֹּ֤ב סְפָרִים֙ בְּשֵׁ֣ם אַחְאָ֔ב וַתַּחְתֹּ֖ם בְּחֹתָמ֑וֹ וַתִּשְׁלַ֣ח *הספרים **סְפָרִ֗ים אֶל־הַזְקֵנִ֤ים וְאֶל־הַֽחֹרִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּעִיר֔וֹ הַיֹּשְׁבִ֖ים אֶת־נָבֽוֹת׃

Transliteration

wa-tiktōb səpārîm in-šēm ʾaḥʾāb wa-taḥtōm with-ḥōtāmô wa-tišlaḥ səpārîm to-the-zəqēnîm and-to-the-ḥōrîm who in-ʿîrô the-yōšəbîm with-nābôt.

Grammar Details

• *wa-tiktōb*: conjunction + imperfect, 3rd singular feminine, Qal - and she wrote
• *səpārîm*: noun, masculine plural - letters/documents
• *šēm*: noun, masculine singular construct - name of
• *ʾaḥʾāb*: proper name, masculine - Ahab
• *wa-taḥtōm*: conjunction + imperfect, 3rd singular feminine, Qal - and she sealed
• *ḥōtāmô*: noun, masculine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix - his seal
• *wa-tišlaḥ*: conjunction + imperfect, 3rd singular feminine, Qal - and she sent
• *zəqēnîm*: adjective/noun, masculine plural - elders
• *ḥōrîm*: noun, masculine plural - nobles/free men
• *ʿîrô*: noun, feminine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix - his city
• *yōšəbîm*: participle, masculine plural, Qal - dwelling/living
• *nābôt*: proper name, masculine - Naboth

Word Meanings

• *səpārîm*: letters/documents/scrolls
• *ḥōtāmô*: his seal/his signet
• *zəqēnîm*: elders/older men
• *ḥōrîm*: nobles/free men/officials
• *yōšəbîm*: dwelling/living/sitting

Referenced Verses

• Num 11:16 : 16 Then the Lord said vnto Moses, Gather vnto me seuetie men of ye Elders of Israel, whome thou knowest, that they are the Elders of the people, and gouernonrs ouer them, & bring them vnto the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and let them stand there with thee,
• Deut 16:18-19 : 18 Iudges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy cities, which the Lord thy God giueth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall iudge the people with righteous iudgement. 19 Wrest not thou ye Law, nor respect any person, neither take rewarde: for the reward blindeth ye eyes of the wise, & peruerteth ye worde of ye iust.
• Deut 21:1-9 : 1 If one be founde slaine in the lande, which the Lord thy God giueth thee to possesse it, lying in the field, & it is not knowe who hath slaine him, 2 Then thine Elders & thy Iudges shal come forth, and measure vnto the cities that are round about him that is slayne. 3 Aud let ye Elders of that citie, which is next vnto the slaine man, take out of the droue an heifer that hath not bene put to labour, nor hath drawen in the yoke. 4 And let the Elders of that citie bring the heifer vnto a stonie valley, which is neyther eared nor sowen, and strike off the heifers necke there in the valley. 5 Also the Priests the sonnes of Leui (whom the Lord thy God hath chosen to minister, & to blesse in the name of the Lorde) shal come forth, & by their word shal all strife & plague be tried. 6 And all the Elders of that citie that came neere to the slayne man, shal wash their hands ouer the heifer that is beheaded in the valley: 7 And shal testifie, and say, Our handes haue not shed this blood, neither haue our eies seene it. 8 O Lord, be mercifull vnto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay no innocent blood to the charge of thy people Israel, and the blood shalbe forgiuen them. 9 So shalt thou take away the cry of innocet blood from thee, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the Lord.
• 2 Sam 11:14-15 : 14 And on the morowe Dauid wrote a letter to Ioab, and sent it by the hand of Vriah. 15 And he wrote thus in the letter, Put ye Vriah in the forefront of the strength of the battell, and recule ye backe from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
• 1 Kgs 20:7 : 7 Then the King of Israel sent for all the Elders of the land, & sayd, Take heede, I pray you, and see how he seeketh mischiefe: for he sent vnto me for my wiues, and for my children, and for my siluer, and for my golde, and I denyed him not.
• 1 Kgs 21:1 : 1 After these things Naboth the Izreelite had a vineyarde in Izreel, hard by the palace of Ahab King of Samaria.
• 2 Kgs 10:1-7 : 1 Ahab had nowe seuentie sonnes in Samaria; Iehu wrote letters, & sent to Samaria vnto the rulers of Izreel, and to the Elders, and to ye bringers vp of Ahabs children, to this effect, 2 Nowe when this letter commeth to you, (for ye haue with you your masters sonnes, yee haue with you both charets and horses, and a defenced citie, and armour) 3 Consider therefore which of your masters sonnes is best and most meete, and set him on his fathers throne, and fight for your masters house. 4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and saide, Behold two Kings coulde not stande before him, how shall we then stand? 5 And he that was gouernour of Ahabs house, and he that ruled the citie, and the Elders, & the bringers vp of the children sent to Iehu, saying, We are thy seruants, and will doe all that thou shalt bid vs: we will make no King: do what seemeth good to thee. 6 Then he wrote another letter to them, saying, If ye be mine, & wil obey my voyce, take the heads of ye men that are your masters sonnes, & come to me to Izreel by to morowe this time. (Nowe the Kings sonnes, euen seuentie persons were with the great men of the citie, which brought them vp) 7 And when the letter came to them, they tooke the Kings sonnes, and slewe the seuentie persons, and layde their heads in baskets, and sent them vnto him to Izreel.
• 2 Kgs 10:11 : 11 So Iehu slew al that remained of the house of Ahab in Izreel, & all that were great with him, and his familiars and his priestes, so that he let none of his remaine.
• 2 Chr 32:17 : 17 He wrote also letters, blaspheming the Lorde God of Israel and speaking against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other countreies could not deliuer their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliuer his people out of mine hande.
• Ezra 4:7-8 : 7 And in the daies of Artahshashte, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions wrote when it was peace, vnto Artahshashte king of Persia, and the writing of the letter was the Aramites writing, and the thing declared was in the language of the Aramites. 8 Rehum the chancelour, and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Ierusalem to Artahshashte the King, in this sort.
• Ezra 4:11 : 11 This is the copie of the letter that they sent vnto King Artahshashte, Thy servants the men beyond the Riuer & Cheeneth, salute thee.
• Neh 6:5 : 5 Then sent Sanballat his seruant after this sorte vnto me the fift time, with an open letter in his hand,
• Esth 3:12-15 : 12 Then were the Kings scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first moneth, and there was written (according to all that Haman commaunded) vnto the Kings officers, and to the captaines that were ouer euery prouince, and to the rulers of euery people, and to euery prouince, according to the writing thereof, and to euery people according to their language: in the name of King Ahashuerosh was it written, and sealed with the Kings ring. 13 And the letters were sent by postes into all the Kings prouinces, to roote out, to kill and to destroy all the Iewes, both yong & olde, children and women, in one day vpon the thirteenth day of the twelft moneth, (which is the moneth Adar) and to spoyle them as a pray. 14 The contents of the writing was, that there shoulde be giuen a commandement in all prouinces, and published vnto all people, that they should be ready against the same day. 15 And the postes compelled by the Kings commaundement went forth, and the commandement was giuen in the palace at Shushan: and the King & Haman sate drinking, but the citie of Shushan was in perplexitie.
• Esth 8:8-9 : 8 Write yee also for the Iewes, as it liketh you in the Kinges name, and seale it with the Kings ring (for the writings written in the Kings name, and sealed with the Kings ring, may no man reuoke) 9 Then were the Kings Scribes called at the same time, euen in the thirde moneth, that is the moneth Siuan, on the three and twentieth day thereof: and it was written, according to all as Mordecai commanded, vnto the Iewes and to the princes, and captaines, and rulers of the prouinces, which were from India euen vnto Ethiopia, an hundreth and seuen and twentie prouinces, vnto euery prouince, according to the writing thereof, and to euery people after their speache, and to the Iewes, according to their writing, and according to their language. 10 And hee wrote in the King Ahashuerosh name, and sealed it with the Kings ring: and he sent letters by postes on horsebacke and that rode on beastes of price, as dromedaries and coltes of mares. 11 Wherein the King graunted the Iewes (in what cities so euer they were) to gather theselues together, and to stand for their life, & to roote out, to slay & to destroy al the power of the people & of the prouince that vexed them, both children and women, and to spoyle their goods: 12 Vpon one day in all the prouinces of King Ahashuerosh, euen in the thirteenth day of the twelft moneth, which is the moneth Adar. 13 The copie of the writing was, howe there should be a commandement giuen in all & euery prouince, published among all the people, & that the Iewes should be ready against that day to auenge themselues on their enemies.