1 Kings 21:10

And set two men [according to the previsions of the law ( Deuteronomy 17:6 , Deuteronomy 17:7 ; Deuteronomy 19:5 ; Numbers 35:30 ). "Even Jezebel bears witness to the Pentateuch" (Wordsworth). Josephus speaks of three witnesses], sons of Belial [ i.e; worthless men. This use of the word "son" (cf. Psalms 89:22 , "son of wickedness"), which is one of the commonest idioms of the East, throws some light on the expression "sons of the prophets" (see 1 Kings 20:35 , note; cf. Deuteronomy 13:13 ; Matthew 26:60 )], before him [confronting him], to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme [Heb. bless ; cf. Job 1:5 , Job 1:11 ; Job 2:5 ; LXX . εὐλόγησε . The Lexicographers are not agreed as to how this word, the primary meaning of which is to kneel, hence to pray, to bless, came to signify curse or blaspheme . According to some, it is an euphemism, the idea of cursing God being altogether too horrible for the Jew to express in words; whilst others derive this signification from the fact that a curse is really a prayer addressed to God; and others, again, account for it by the consideration that a person who bids farewell to another sometimes does so in the sense of dismissing and cursing him. Anyhow, it is noticeable that the word "blessing" is sometimes used with a similar meaning amongst ourselves] God and the king [God and the representative of God in Israel are here coupled together, as in Exodus 22:28 . To curse the king was practically to curse Him whose vicegerent he was (cf. Matthew 23:18-22 ). Hence such cursing is called blasphemy and was punishable with death ( Deuteronomy 13:11 ; Deuteronomy 17:5 ; 2 Samuel 16:9 ; 2 Samuel 19:21 ; and see on 1 Kings 2:43 , 1 Kings 2:44 )]. And then carry him out [ i.e; out of the city (cf. Le Exodus 24:14 ; Acts 7:58 ; Luke 4:29 ; Hebrews 13:12 ). " Locus lapidationis erat extra urbem, omnes enim civitates muris cinctae paritatem habent ad castra Israelis " (Babyl. Sanh.)], and stone him [the legal punishment for blasphemy (Le Exodus 24:16 )], that he may die . [The terrible power accorded to "two or three witnesses," of denouncing a man to death, accounts for the prominence given to the sin of bearing false witness ( Exodus 20:16 ; Exodus 23:1 ; Deuteronomy 19:16 ). It found a mention in the Decalogue.]