And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people:
Proclaim a fast ... These obsequious and unprincipled magistrates did according to orders. Pretending that a heavy guilt lay on one, or some unknown party, who was charged with blaspheming God and the king, and that Ahab was threatening vengeance on the whole city unless the culprit were discovered and punished, they assembled the people to observe a solemn fast. Fasts were commanded on extraordinary occasions affecting the public interests of the state (2 Chronicles 20:3; Ezra 8:21; Joel 1:14; Joel 2:15; Jonah 3:5). This was a fast not appointed by divine, but by human authority, х beeraktaa (H1288) 'Elohiym (H430) waamelek (H4428). The verb baarak (H1288) signifies in most places to bless; and accordingly, the Septuagint has: Eulogeese Theon kai basilea; and there are only two places of Scripture (Job 1:5; Job 2:5, and here) in which it does not appear possible to give it this meaning. Schultens, Dr. Lee, and other able philologists think that it should have this meaning here also, for 'Elohiym (H430) they consider to denote in both places false gods or idols. But though blessing idols might be punished as a crime in Israel, it is inconceivable that blessing the king could be a punishable offence. Besides, 'Elohiym (H430) should not be taken in the sense of idols, unless there is something in the passage which indicates that that is the meaning. Gesenius says that the signification of cursing, which is so obviously the meaning of the word in this passage, is supported by the analogy of the cognate languages. In fact, the secondary senses ascribed to barak belong as naturally to Hebrew usage as to that of other languages, in which such usage is common.]
Set Naboth on high - i:e., bring him to trial. During a trial the panel, or accused person, was placed on a high seat, in the presence of all the court, in order that he might be identified by the witnesses. But as the guilty person was supposed to be unknown, the setting of Naboth on high among the people must have been owing to his being among the distinguished men of the place.