1 Kings 21:20
New International Version
Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy!” “I have found you,” he answered, “because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD.

New Living Translation
“So, my enemy, you have found me!” Ahab exclaimed to Elijah. “Yes,” Elijah answered, “I have come because you have sold yourself to what is evil in the LORD’s sight.

English Standard Version
Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible
When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So you have found me out, my enemy.” He replied, “I have found you out because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD.

King James Bible
And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.

New King James Version
So Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” And he answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD:

New American Standard Bible
Then Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, enemy of mine?” And he answered, “I have found you, because you have given yourself over to do evil in the sight of the LORD.

NASB 1995
Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” And he answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD.

NASB 1977
And Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” And he answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” And he answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of Yahweh.

Amplified Bible
Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” And he answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD.

Christian Standard Bible
Ahab said to Elijah, “So, my enemy, you’ve found me, have you? ” He replied, “I have found you because you devoted yourself to do what is evil in the LORD’s sight.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Ahab said to Elijah, “So, you have caught me, my enemy.” He replied, “I have caught you because you devoted yourself to do what is evil in the LORD’s sight.

American Standard Version
And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee, because thou hast sold thyself to do that which is evil in the sight of Jehovah.

Contemporary English Version
Ahab said, "So, my enemy, you found me at last." Elijah answered: Yes, I did! Ahab, you have managed to do everything the LORD hates.

English Revised Version
And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to do that which is evil in the sight of the LORD.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Ahab asked Elijah, "So you've found me, my enemy?" Elijah answered, "I found you. Because you sold yourself to do what the LORD considers evil.

Good News Translation
When Ahab saw Elijah, he said, "Have you caught up with me, my enemy?" "Yes, I have," Elijah answered. "You have devoted yourself completely to doing what is wrong in the LORD's sight.

International Standard Version
Later on, Ahab asked Elijah, "Have you found me, my enemy?" But Elijah answered, "I've found you because you sold yourself to do what the LORD considers to be evil!

Majority Standard Bible
When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, ?So you have found me out, my enemy.? He replied, ?I have found you out because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD.

NET Bible
When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, "So, you have found me, my enemy!" Elijah replied, "I have found you, because you are committed to doing evil in the sight of the LORD.

New Heart English Bible
And Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, my enemy?" And he answered, "I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do that which is evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O my enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.

World English Bible
Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do that which is evil in Yahweh’s sight.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Ahab says to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” And he says, “I have found—because of your selling yourself to do evil in the eyes of YHWH;

Young's Literal Translation
And Ahab saith unto Elijah, 'Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?' and he saith, 'I have found -- because of thy selling thyself to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah;

Smith's Literal Translation
And Ahab will say to Elijah, Didst thou find me, O mine enemy? And he will say I found: because thou didst sell thyself to do evil in the eyes of Jehovah,
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Achab said to Elias: Hast thou found me thy enemy? He said: I have found thee, because thou art sold, to do evil in the sight of the Lord.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you discovered me to be your enemy?” And he said: “I have discovered you to have been sold, so that you would do evil in the sight of the Lord:

New American Bible
Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me out, my enemy?” He said, “I have found you. Because you have given yourself up to doing evil in the LORD’s sight,

New Revised Standard Version
Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you. Because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the LORD,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Ahab said to Elijah, Have you found me, O my enemy? And he answered, I have found you because you have exalted yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Akhab said to Elyah, “You have found me, my enemy!” He said to him: “I have found you, because you have exalted yourself to do evil before LORD JEHOVAH!
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Ahab said to Elijah: 'Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?' And he answered: 'I have found thee; because thou hast given thyself over to do that which is evil in the sight of the LORD.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Achaab said to Eliu, Hast thou found me, mine enemy? and he said, I have found thee: because thou hast wickedly sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Elijah Denounces Ahab and Jezebel
19Tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Have you not murdered a man and seized his land?’ Then tell him that this is also what the LORD says: ‘In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, there also the dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’ ” 20When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So you have found me out, my enemy.” He replied, “I have found you out because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD. 21This is what the LORD says: ‘I will bring calamity on you and consume your descendants; I will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both slave and free.…

Cross References
2 Samuel 12:7-9
Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. / I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more. / Why then have you despised the command of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You put Uriah the Hittite to the sword and took his wife as your own. You have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites.

2 Kings 9:26
‘As surely as I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons yesterday, declares the LORD, so will I repay you on this plot of ground, declares the LORD.’ Now then, according to the word of the LORD, pick him up and throw him on the plot of ground.”

2 Kings 9:36-37
So they went back and told Jehu, who replied, “This is the word of the LORD, which He spoke through His servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘On the plot of ground at Jezreel the dogs will devour the flesh of Jezebel. / And Jezebel’s body will lie like dung in the field on the plot of ground at Jezreel, so that no one can say: This is Jezebel.’”

Micah 6:16
You have kept the statutes of Omri and all the practices of Ahab’s house; you have followed their counsel. Therefore I will make you a desolation, and your inhabitants an object of contempt; you will bear the scorn of the nations.”

Isaiah 5:8
Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field until no place is left and you live alone in the land.

Jeremiah 22:17
“But your eyes and heart are set on nothing except your own dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood, on practicing extortion and oppression.”

Ezekiel 22:12-13
In you they take bribes to shed blood. You engage in usury, take excess interest, and extort your neighbors. But Me you have forgotten, declares the Lord GOD. / Now look, I strike My hands together against your unjust gain and against the blood you have shed in your midst.

Hosea 5:10
The princes of Judah are like those who move boundary stones; I will pour out My fury upon them like water.

Amos 8:4-6
Hear this, you who trample the needy, who do away with the poor of the land, / asking, “When will the New Moon be over, that we may sell grain? When will the Sabbath end, that we may market wheat? Let us reduce the ephah and increase the shekel; let us cheat with dishonest scales. / Let us buy the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the chaff with the wheat!”

Matthew 23:33
You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell?

Luke 11:39
Then the Lord said, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.

Luke 20:15-16
So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? / He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” And when the people heard this, they said, “May such a thing never happen!”

John 8:44
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.

Acts 7:51-52
You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did. / Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers—

Romans 1:29-32
They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, / slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful. They invent new forms of evil; they disobey their parents. / They are senseless, faithless, heartless, merciless. ...


Treasury of Scripture

And Ahab said to Elijah, Have you found me, O my enemy? And he answered, I have found you: because you have sold yourself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.

Hast thou found me

1 Kings 18:17
And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?

1 Kings 22:8
And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.

2 Chronicles 18:7,17
And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, by whom we may inquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so…

thou hast sold

1 Kings 21:25
But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.

2 Kings 17:17
And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

Isaiah 50:1
Thus saith the LORD, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.

to work

1 Kings 16:30
And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him.

2 Kings 21:2
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

2 Chronicles 33:6
And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

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1 Kings 21
1. Ahab being denied Naboth's vineyard, is grieved
5. Jezebel writing letters against Naboth, he is condemned of blasphemy
15. Ahab take possession of the vineyard
17. Elijah denounces judgments against Ahab and Jezebel
25. Wicked Ahab repenting, God defers the judgment














When Elijah arrived
The arrival of Elijah, the prophet, is significant in the narrative of 1 Kings. Elijah, whose name means "My God is Yahweh," is a central figure in the confrontation between the worship of Yahweh and the idolatry promoted by Ahab and Jezebel. His arrival signifies the presence of God's judgment and truth. Historically, Elijah's role as a prophet was to call Israel back to covenant faithfulness, and his presence here underscores the seriousness of Ahab's sin.

Ahab said to him
Ahab, the king of Israel, is portrayed as a ruler who has turned away from God, influenced heavily by his wife Jezebel. His dialogue with Elijah reveals his awareness of Elijah's role as a prophet and his own guilt. Ahab's reign is marked by idolatry and injustice, and his interaction with Elijah highlights the tension between the king's authority and the prophetic voice of God.

So, you have found me, my enemy!
Ahab's greeting to Elijah as "my enemy" reflects his perception of the prophet as a threat to his rule and lifestyle. The Hebrew word for "enemy" (אֹיֵב, 'oyev) indicates hostility and opposition. This phrase captures the spiritual conflict between Ahab's sinful actions and Elijah's mission to uphold God's righteousness. It also illustrates the broader theme of enmity between those who follow God's ways and those who oppose them.

'I have found you,' he replied
Elijah's response confirms his role as God's messenger, tasked with confronting sin. The repetition of "found" emphasizes the inevitability of divine justice. Elijah's mission is not one of personal vendetta but of fulfilling God's command to hold Ahab accountable. This encounter is a reminder of the prophetic duty to speak truth to power, regardless of personal risk.

because you have sold yourself
The phrase "sold yourself" is a powerful metaphor for Ahab's moral and spiritual compromise. In Hebrew, the concept of selling oneself (מָכַר, makar) implies a voluntary surrender to sin, akin to slavery. Ahab's actions, particularly in the context of Naboth's vineyard, demonstrate a willingness to forsake God's commandments for personal gain. This phrase serves as a warning against the dangers of allowing sin to dominate one's life.

to do evil
The term "evil" (רָע, ra') in the Hebrew Bible often denotes actions that are morally wrong and contrary to God's will. Ahab's evil is not just personal but has national implications, leading Israel away from covenant faithfulness. This phrase underscores the seriousness of sin and its consequences, both for individuals and communities.

in the sight of the LORD
This phrase highlights the omniscience and holiness of God. Ahab's actions are not hidden from God, who sees and judges all. The "sight of the LORD" serves as a reminder that human actions are accountable to divine standards. It calls believers to live with an awareness of God's presence and judgment, encouraging a life of integrity and obedience.

(20) Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?--The cry is partly of dismay, partly of excuse. Ahab, having no word of defence to utter, endeavours to attribute Elijah's rebuke and condemnation to simple enmity, much as in 1Kings 18:17 he cries out "Art thou he that troubleth Israel?" The crushing answer is that the prophet came not because he was an enemy, but because Ahab had "sold himself"--had become a slave instead of a king--under the lust of desire and the temptation of Jezebel.

Verse 20. - And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me [Not merely, "Hast thou found me out? hast thou surprised me in the very act?" though this meaning is not to be excluded, but also, "Has thy vengeance overtaken me?" מָאָצ is used in this sense 1 Samuel 23:17; Isaiah 10:10; Psalm 21:9. Ahab is so conscience stricken by the sudden apparition of Elijah, whom in all probability he had not seen or heard of since "the day of Carmel," and by his appearance on the scene at the very moment when he was entering on the fruit of his misdoing," in the very blossom of his sin," that he feels that judgment is already begun], O mine enemy? [No doubt the thought was present in Ahab's mind that Elijah had ever been opposed to him and thwarting him, but he does not dream (Von Gerlach, in Bahr) of justifying himself by ascribing Elijah's intervention to personal hatred towards himself. The sequel shows that he was thoroughly conscious of wrong-doing.] And he answered, I have found thee: because [not because I am thine enemy, but because] thou has sold thyself [or sellest thyself, i.e., surrenderest thyself wholly. The idea is clearly derived from the institutions of slavery, according to which the bondservant was wholly at his master's disposal and was bound to accomplish his will. Whether "the practice of men selling themselves into slavery" (Rawlinson) existed in that age may perhaps be doubted. We have the same thought in 2 Kings 17:17, and Romans 7:14] to work evil in the sight of the Lord. [We can readily gather from these words why the doom was denounced against Ahab, who had but a secondary share in the crime, rather than against Jezebel, its real perpetrator. It was because Ahab was the representative of God, God's minister of justice, etc. If he had not himself devised the death of Naboth; if he had, which is possible, remained in ignorance of the means by which Jezebel proposed to procure him the vineyard, he had nevertheless readily and gladly acquiesced in her infamous crime after its accomplishment, and was then reaping its fruits. And because he was the king, the judge, who, instead of punishing the evil doer, sanctioned and approved the deed, and who crowned a reign of idolatries and abominations with this shameful murder, the prophetic sentence is directed primarily against him.]

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When Elijah [arrived],
אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ (’ê·lî·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 452: Elijah -- 'Yah is God', a well-known prophet of Israel, also three other Israelites

Ahab
אַחְאָב֙ (’aḥ·’āḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 256: Ahab -- 'father's brother', a king of Israel, also a false prophet

said
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to him,
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

“So you have found me out,
הַֽמְצָאתַ֖נִי (ham·ṣā·ṯa·nî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

my enemy.”
אֹיְבִ֑י (’ō·yə·ḇî)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 341: Hating, an adversary

He replied,
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“I have found [you] out
מָצָ֔אתִי (mā·ṣā·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

because
יַ֚עַן (ya·‘an)
Adverb
Strong's 3282: Heed, purpose, to indicate the reason, cause

you have sold yourself
הִתְמַכֶּרְךָ֔ (hiṯ·mak·ker·ḵā)
Verb - Hitpael - Infinitive construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 4376: To sell

to do
לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת (la·‘ă·śō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6213: To do, make

evil
הָרַ֖ע (hā·ra‘)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

in the sight
בְּעֵינֵ֥י (bə·‘ê·nê)
Preposition-b | Noun - cdc
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

of the LORD.
יְהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel


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OT History: 1 Kings 21:20 Ahab said to Elijah Have you found (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 21:19
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