1 Kings 21:19—How could the prophecy of this verse claim to be fulfilled in the events recorded in 1 Kings 22:37–38?

Problem: God told Elijah to prophesy to Ahab that his blood would be licked by the dogs in the same place where dogs had licked the blood of Naboth. According to 1 Kings 22:37–38, when the chariot of King Ahab was washed in a pool in Samaria, the dogs licked the blood according to the word of the Lord. However, if Naboth was executed outside the city of Jezreel, and since Ahab’s chariot was washed in a pool in Samaria which was over 20 miles away, how can the one be the fulfillment of the other?

Solution: Nowhere in the Bible do we find a specific statement about where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth. First Kings 21:13 states that Naboth was taken outside the city of Jezreel and stoned to death. However, there is no statement about the dogs licking the blood of Naboth. Although it may seem likely that the licking of Naboth’s blood took place in the same place where he was stoned, this is only an assumption. It is possible that those who killed Naboth transported his body to Samaria, perhaps for verification by Jezebel, in which case the washing of Naboth’s chariot, and the licking of Ahab’s blood would have taken place in the same spot.

This excerpt is from When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1992). © 2014 Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Click here to purchase this book.