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1 Kings 21 · a question people ask

Why would the evil come in his son's day and not Ahab's?

In the text

The chapter gives no reason beyond Ahab's humbling: "Because he humbles himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days; but I will bring the evil on his house in his son’s day" (21:29). The word against the house had already been spoken (21:21-22); 21:29 says when it would come. The book goes on to say what Ahab's sons did. Of Ahaziah: "He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother" (22:52). Of Jehoram (the WEB calls him Joram in 2 Kings 9:21-25), in 2 Kings: "He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, but not like his father and like his mother" (2 Kings 3:2), and "he held to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat" (2 Kings 3:3). The chapter doesn't say more than that about why.

The verses

““See how Ahab humbles himself before me? Because he humbles himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days; but I will bring the evil on his house in his son’s day.””
1 Kings 21:29 · World English Bible
“Behold, I will bring evil on you, and will utterly sweep you away and will cut off from Ahab everyone who urinates against a wall, and him who is shut up and him who is left at large in Israel. I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation with which you have provoked me to anger, and have made Israel to sin.””
1 Kings 21:21-22 · World English Bible
“He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, in which he made Israel to sin.”
1 Kings 22:52 · World English Bible
“Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, but not like his father and like his mother, for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless he held to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. He didn’t depart from them.”
2 Kings 3:1-3 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of 1 Kings 21

1 Kings 21: The inheritance of my fathers

Naboth's no wasn't about price: "May the LORD forbid me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!" (21:3). And the chapter that says "there was no one like Ahab" (21:25) ends with the LORD pointing out Ahab's humbling to Elijah: "See how Ahab humbles himself before me?" (21:29).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions