1 Kings 21:29
New International Version
“Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.”

New Living Translation
“Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has done this, I will not do what I promised during his lifetime. It will happen to his sons; I will destroy his dynasty.”

English Standard Version
“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son’s days I will bring the disaster upon his house.”

Berean Standard Bible
“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity during his days, but I will bring it upon his house in the days of his son.”

King James Bible
Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.

New King James Version
“See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days. In the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house.”

New American Standard Bible
“Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; I will bring the disaster upon his house in his son’s days.”

NASB 1995
“Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days, but I will bring the evil upon his house in his son’s days.”

NASB 1977
“Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days, but I will bring the evil upon his house in his son’s days.”

Legacy Standard Bible
“Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days, but I will bring the evil upon his house in his son’s days.”

Amplified Bible
“Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil (catastrophe) in his lifetime, but in his son’s days I will bring evil upon his house.”

Christian Standard Bible
“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? I will not bring the disaster during his lifetime, because he has humbled himself before me. I will bring the disaster on his house during his son’s lifetime.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? I will not bring the disaster during his lifetime, because he has humbled himself before Me. I will bring the disaster on his house during his son’s lifetime.”

American Standard Version
Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days; but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.

English Revised Version
Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Do you see how Ahab is humbling himself in my presence? Because he's humbling himself in my presence, I will not let any evil happen to his family while he is alive. I will bring evil on it during his son's lifetime."

Good News Translation
"Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Since he has done this, I will not bring disaster on him during his lifetime; it will be during his son's lifetime that I will bring disaster on Ahab's family."

International Standard Version
"Have you noticed that Ahab has humbled himself in my presence? Because he has humbled himself in my presence, I will not bring his evil to harvest during his lifetime, but I will bring evil to his household during his son's lifetime."

Majority Standard Bible
“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity during his days, but I will bring it upon his house in the days of his son.”

NET Bible
"Have you noticed how Ahab shows remorse before me? Because he shows remorse before me, I will not bring disaster on his dynasty during his lifetime, but during the reign of his son."

New Heart English Bible
"See how Ahab humbles himself before me? Because he humbles himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son's days will I bring the disaster on his house."

Webster's Bible Translation
Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.

World English Bible
“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.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
“Have you seen that Ahab has been humbled before Me? Because that he has been humbled before Me, I do not bring in the calamity in his days; I bring in the calamity on his house in the days of his son.”

Young's Literal Translation
'Hast thou seen that Ahab hath been humbled before Me? because that he hath been humbled before Me, I bring not in the evil in his days; in the days of his son I bring in the evil on his house.'

Smith's Literal Translation
Thou sawest that Ahab humbled himself from before me. Because that he humbled himself from before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: in the days of his sons I will bring the evil upon his house.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Hast thou not seen Achab humbled before me? therefore, because he hath humbled himself for my sake, I will not bring the evil in his days, but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.

Catholic Public Domain Version
“Have you not seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Therefore, since he has humbled himself because of me, I will not lead in the evil during his days. Instead, during the days of his son, I will bring in the evil to his house.”

New American Bible
Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Since he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his time. I will bring the evil upon his house in his son’s time.

New Revised Standard Version
“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son’s days I will bring the disaster on his house.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
“I have seen that Akhab is ashamed from before me. Because he is ashamed from before me, I shall not bring the evil in his days; in the days of his son I shall bring the evil on his house.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before Me? because he humbleth himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days; but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Hast thou seen how Achaab has been pricked to the heart before me? I will not bring on the evil in his days, but in his son's days will I bring on the evil.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Ahab's Repentance
28Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying: 29“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity during his days, but I will bring it upon his house in the days of his son.”

Cross References
2 Kings 22:19-20
because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its people, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and because you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I have heard you,’ declares the LORD. / ‘Therefore I will indeed gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the calamity that I will bring on this place.’” So they brought her answer back to the king.

2 Chronicles 34:27-28
because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its people, and because you have humbled yourself before Me and have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I have heard you,’ declares the LORD. / ‘Now I will indeed gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the calamity that I will bring on this place and on its people.’” So they brought her answer back to the king.

Ezekiel 18:21-23
But if the wicked man turns from all the sins he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die. / None of the transgressions he has committed will be held against him. Because of the righteousness he has practiced, he will live. / Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Lord GOD. Wouldn’t I prefer that he turn from his ways and live?

Jonah 3:10
When God saw their actions—that they had turned from their evil ways—He relented from the disaster He had threatened to bring upon them.

Jeremiah 18:7-8
At any time I might announce that a nation or kingdom will be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed. / But if that nation I warned turns from its evil, then I will relent of the disaster I had planned to bring.

Exodus 34:6-7
Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness, / maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

Isaiah 55:7
Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.

Psalm 103:8-10
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. / He will not always accuse us, nor harbor His anger forever. / He has not dealt with us according to our sins or repaid us according to our iniquities.

Joel 2:13-14
So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster. / Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him—grain and drink offerings for the LORD your God.

Micah 7:18-19
Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion? / He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast out all our sins into the depths of the sea.

Matthew 3:8
Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance.

Luke 15:7
I tell you that in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to repent.

Acts 3:19
Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away,

Romans 2:4
Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.


Treasury of Scripture

See you how Ahab humbles himself before me? because he humbles himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil on his house.

Seest thou

Jeremiah 7:17
Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?

Luke 7:44
And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.

Ahab

Exodus 10:3
And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.

Psalm 18:44
As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.

Psalm 66:3
Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.

I will not

Psalm 86:15
But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

Ezekiel 33:10,11
Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? …

Micah 7:18
Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.

the evil in

1 Kings 21:21-23
Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, …

in his son's days

2 Kings 9:25,26,33-37
Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain, Take up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite: for remember how that, when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the LORD laid this burden upon him; …

2 Kings 10:1-7,11
And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to them that brought up Ahab's children, saying, …

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Ahab Disaster Evil Family House Humbled Humbles Humbleth Low Noticed Seest Son's Time
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Ahab Disaster Evil Family House Humbled Humbles Humbleth Low Noticed Seest Son's Time
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














Have you seen
This phrase indicates God's omniscience and His active observation of human actions. In the Hebrew text, the word used is "רָאִיתָ" (ra'ita), which means "to see" or "to perceive." It underscores the personal nature of God's relationship with humanity, where He is not distant but intimately aware of individual actions and attitudes. This serves as a reminder that God is always watching and is aware of our hearts and deeds.

how Ahab has humbled himself
The Hebrew word for "humbled" is "כָּנַע" (kana), which means to be subdued or to bring oneself low. Ahab's act of humbling himself is significant because it shows a moment of repentance and acknowledgment of God's authority. Historically, Ahab was a king known for his idolatry and wickedness, influenced by his wife Jezebel. Yet, this moment of humility is a powerful testament to the possibility of repentance, even for those who have strayed far from God's ways.

before Me
This phrase emphasizes the direct relationship between Ahab's actions and God. The Hebrew "לְפָנַי" (lefanai) means "before My face" or "in My presence." It highlights the personal nature of repentance and humility, which must be directed towards God Himself. It is a reminder that true repentance is not just an outward act but an inward turning towards God, acknowledging His sovereignty and seeking His mercy.

Because he has humbled himself before Me
This repetition underscores the importance of humility in the eyes of God. It is a key theme throughout Scripture that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Ahab's humility, though perhaps temporary, is enough to elicit a merciful response from God, showing His readiness to forgive and relent from sending immediate judgment.

I will not bring the calamity in his days
The word "calamity" in Hebrew is "רָעָה" (ra'ah), which can mean evil, disaster, or misfortune. God's decision to delay the calamity is an act of mercy, demonstrating His willingness to respond to genuine repentance. This delay also serves as a test of Ahab's sincerity and a chance for him to lead his people back to God.

but in his son’s days
This phrase introduces the concept of generational consequences. While Ahab's repentance delays the judgment, it does not remove it entirely. The consequences of sin can extend beyond the individual to affect future generations, a theme seen throughout the Bible. This serves as a sobering reminder of the lasting impact of our actions and the importance of living righteously.

I will bring the calamity upon his house
The "house" refers to Ahab's dynasty or lineage. The judgment is not just personal but extends to his family and descendants. This reflects the biblical principle of corporate responsibility and the idea that leaders' actions can have far-reaching effects on their families and nations. It also points to the ultimate justice of God, who will not let sin go unpunished but will bring about His righteous judgment in His perfect timing.

(29) How Ahab humbleth himself.--As there is something entirely characteristic of Ahab's impressible nature in this burst of penitence; so in the acceptance of it there is a remarkable illustration of the Divine mercy. The repentance might seem not only to come too late, but to be the mere offspring of fear--more sensible of the shame of discovery than of the shamefulness of sin. Man's judgment would despise it; God sees in its imperfection some germs of promise, and His partial remission of penalty shows it to be not disregarded in His sight. Ahab himself is still to suffer the predicted doom; but he is to die in honour, and the utter destruction waits, till Jehoram shall fill up the measure of iniquity.

Verse 29. - Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? [The repentance, if it was not profound, or enduring, was nevertheless, while it lasted, sincere. The Searcher of hearts saw in it a genuine self-abasement. And "He will not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax;" Isaiah 42:3; Matthew 12:20.] Because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil [There is a manifest reference to ver. 21, where the same words are used] in his days; but in his son's days [There is no injustice here - no threat of punishment against the innocent instead of the guilty - as might at first sight appear. For in the first place, God knew well what the son would be, and in the second place, if the son had departed from his father's sins he would have been spared (Ezekiel 18:14 sqq.); the sentence would have been revoked. Judgment was deferred to give the house of Ahab another chance. When Ahab lapsed into sin, he suffered in his own person: when his sons persisted in sin, excision befell the family] will I bring the evil [ver. 19] upon his house [ver. 22],



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Have you seen
הֲ‍ֽרָאִ֔יתָ (hărā·’î·ṯā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

how
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

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

has humbled himself
נִכְנַ֥ע (niḵ·na‘)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3665: To bend the knee, to humiliate, vanquish

before Me?
מִלְּפָנָ֑י (mil·lə·p̄ā·nāy)
Preposition-m, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6440: The face

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

he has humbled himself
נִכְנַ֣ע (niḵ·na‘)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3665: To bend the knee, to humiliate, vanquish

before Me,
מִפָּנַ֗י (mip·pā·nay)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6440: The face

I will not
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

bring
אָבִ֤יא (’ā·ḇî)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

the calamity
הָֽרָעָה֙ (hā·rā·‘āh)
Article | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

during his days,
בִּימֵ֣י (bî·mê)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 3117: A day

but I will bring
אָבִ֥יא (’ā·ḇî)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

[it]
הָרָעָ֖ה (hā·rā·‘āh)
Article | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

upon
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

his house
בֵּיתֽוֹ׃ (bê·ṯōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

in the days
בְּיָמָ֔יו (bə·yā·māw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

of his son.”
בְנ֔וֹ (ḇə·nōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1121: A son


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OT History: 1 Kings 21:29 See you how Ahab humbles himself before (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 21:28
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