The vineyard of Naboth
One of the most famous expressions of the Hebrew language from the old ages until today appears in 1 Kings 21- this is the story about the vineyard of Naboth. The expression speaks about the one who commits a sin and continues with another one, as we can read in1 Kings 21:19-
"וְדִבַּרְתָּ אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר, כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה, הֲרָצַחְתָּ, וְגַם-יָרָשְׁתָּ; וְדִבַּרְתָּ אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר, כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה, בִּמְקוֹם אֲשֶׁר לָקְקוּ הַכְּלָבִים אֶת-דַּם נָבוֹת, יָלֹקּוּ הַכְּלָבִים אֶת-דָּמְךָ גַּם-אָתָּה."
"Say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?' Then say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!'"
The one who committed a murder in this story was Jezebel, the woman of King Ahab, who saw the lack of confidence in her husband's life. Ahab wanted the vineyard of Naboth, who refused to his offer to replace the vineyard with another or to take money from the King, due to the law that forbids it, as written in Numbers 36:7-
"וְלֹא-תִסֹּב נַחֲלָה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, מִמַּטֶּה אֶל-מַטֶּה: כִּי אִישׁ, בְּנַחֲלַת מַטֵּה אֲבֹתָיו, יִדְבְּקוּ, בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל."
"No inheritance in Israel is to pass from one tribe to another, for every Israelite shall keep the tribal inheritance of their ancestors"
The one who inherited in the end of the story was King Ahab, who was the one who couldn't live without the vineyard of another person!
Main phrases of the post + transcription + translation
Hebrew Transcription Translation
רָצַח rātsach Murdered
רֶצַח retsach Murder
גַּם gam Also
יָרַשׁ yāraš Inherited
יְרֻשָּׁה yərušāh Inheritance
עָוֶל 'āwel Injustice
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