1 Kings 21:10 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

And set two men before him to bear witness It was the Roman custom also; and was most rational, that the accused should have the accusers face to face, Acts 25:16. Thou didst blaspheme God and the king Hebrew, ברכת, beracta, thou didst bless. Blessing is here put for cursing and blaspheming, as in Job 1:5; Job 2:9, as is apparent, because his blessing God and the king would have been no crime. It was death by the law of Moses to blaspheme God, Leviticus 24:16; and by custom it was death to revile the king, which was forbidden, Exodus 22:28. Now, in order to make sure work, the witnesses, as they were instructed, accused Naboth of both those crimes, that the people might be the better satisfied to see him stoned. There is, however, this difference to be observed between these two crimes, that by blaspheming God, a person only forfeited his life, not his estate, which went to his heirs; whereas, when a man was executed for treason, his estate was forfeited to him against whom the offence was committed. For this reason it was that Naboth was charged with this crime also, that his estate might be confiscated, and Ahab might, by that means, get possession of the vineyard. And then carry him out Not merely out of the assembly, but out of the city, 1 Kings 21:13. For while they were in the wilderness, and before the conquest of Canaan, they executed punishments without the camp, Leviticus 24:23; Joshua 7:24; but afterward without the gates of their cities. By this they intended to signify, that they would take the evil out of the midst of them, and not suffer wickedness to remain among them.