Ahab went into his house: It is not clear whether Ahab returned to his palace in Jezreel or in Samaria (verse 1). The Hebrew may be translated “Ahab went home” as in Good News Translation. Verse 8 seems to imply that Ahab and Jezebel were not in the same city as Naboth, in which case Ahab must have returned to Samaria.

Vexed and sullen: See the comments on these same two adjectives in 1 Kgs 20.43, where they are translated “resentful and sullen.” They can be rendered in the same way here.

Naboth the Jezreelite: Good News Translation omits the words the Jezreelite for reasons of English style. This information has already been given in the immediate context (verse 1).

For he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers”: According to the usual interpretation of this part of the verse, the Hebrew text repeats here the words that Naboth had spoken to Ahab in verse 3; that is, the writer reminds the reader what Naboth had said to Ahab. For reasons of English style Good News Translation omits the words I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers. Revised English Bible uses an indirect quotation, saying “Naboth had refused to let him have his ancestral holding.” But the Hebrew may also be rendered “and he said, ‘I will not….’ ” Walsh follows this interpretation, in which the pronoun he refers to Ahab, not to Naboth. The common Hebrew conjunction will then be translated “and” instead of for, and the verb had said will be translated as a simple past tense (“said”) rather than as a past perfect. Walsh renders the first half of this verse as follows: “Resentful and sullen over what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him, Ahab went home, muttering, ‘ “I will not give you my ancestral inheritance.” ’ ” In other words, if this interpretation if followed, Ahab is muttering to himself the words that Naboth had said to him. There is little difference in meaning between the two interpretations, so translators may choose to follow the usual interpretation.

Turned away his face is a literal translation of the Hebrew. The meaning seems to be that he turned his face away from being able to see anyone who might be in the room. Good News Translation expresses this as “facing the wall” (the Vulgate, in fact, adds the words “against the wall”). The Hebrew verb rendered turned away may also mean “to encircle” or “to surround.” Revised English Bible, Moffatt, and An American Translation apparently assume this second meaning here and say with the Septuagint that Ahab “covered his face,” that is, he surrounded his face with a blanket. In either case Ahab concealed his face from other people. And in some languages it may be best to say simply “he hid his face.” The New American Bible rendering “he turned away from food” is difficult to justify from the Hebrew syntax.

Would eat no food is literally “he ate no bread,” but here and in verse 5, as often in the Old Testament, “bread” is used in the more general sense for food (see 1 Kgs 11.18). In certain languages it will be more natural to say “refused to eat” or “accepted no food.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .