And this was the tenor of the letters: Proclaim a fast, and make Naboth sit among the chief of the people,

And she wrote in the letter saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people;

and she writeth in the letters, saying, 'Proclaim a fast, and cause Naboth to sit at the head of the people,

And in the letter she said, Let a time of public sorrow be fixed, and put Naboth at the head of the people;

And she wrote in the letters, saying: 'Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people;

And this was the judgment of the letters: "Proclaim a fast, and cause Naboth to sit among the first rulers of the people.

The object of this fast was at once to raise a prejudice against Naboth, who was assumed by the elders to have disgraced the town; and at the same time to give an air of religion to the proceedings, which might blind persons to their real injustice.
Set Naboth on high among his people - This was not an order to do Naboth any, even apparent, honor; but simply a command to bring him forward before a court or assembly, where he might be seen by all, tried, and condemned.

Proclaim a fast - Intimate that there is some great calamity coming upon the nation, because of some evil tolerated in it.
Set Naboth on high - Bring him to a public trial.

And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a (d) fast, and set Naboth on high among the people:
(d) For then they used to enquire of men's faults: for no one could truly fast if he was a notorious sinner.

And she wrote in the letters, saying, proclaim a fast,.... Pretending fears of some dreadful calamity coming upon the nation, and therefore fasting and humiliation were necessary to avert it, and it would be right to inquire what crimes were committed by men among them, and punish them for them; and intimated to them that Naboth should be chosen as the great offender, and be accused, condemned, and put to death, R. Joseph Kimchi (a) thinks the phrase signifies "call an assembly or congregation"; convene a court of judicature, from the use of the word in the Talmudic language (b); and so it is thought it is used in Jeremiah 36:6 and indeed it can hardly be thought that Jezebel should have much notion of fasting; and besides, if it was a public fast, why should it be proclaimed only in Jezreel, and not throughout the kingdom?
and set Naboth on high among the people; the court being set, bring him to the bar and arraign him; perhaps in their courts of judicature there was a high place above the heads of the people, where criminals accused used to stand when they took their trials, that they might be seen and heard by all in court.
(a) Apud David. Kimchium in loc. (b) Vid. Buxtorf. Talmud. Lexic. in rad

Proclaim a fast, &c.--Those 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). The wicked authorities of Jezreel, by proclaiming the fast, wished to give an external appearance of justice to their proceedings and convey an impression among the people that Naboth's crime amounted to treason against the king's life.
set Naboth on high--During a trial the panel, or accused person, was placed on a high seat, in the presence of all the court; 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.

A fast - To remove all suspicion of evil design in Ahab, and to beget a good opinion of him amongst his people, as if he were grown zealous for God's honour, and careful of his people's welfare, and therefore desirous to enquire into all those sins which provoked God against them. On high - On a scaffold, or high - place, where malefactors were usually placed, that they might be seen, and heard by all the people.