Naboth valued his vineyard highly because it had belonged to his fathers, and he refused to part with it. "The Lord forbid it me," he said to Ahab, "that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee." According to the Levitical code no land could be transferred permanently by sale or exchange; every one of the children of Israel must "keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers." Numbers 36:7.

Nabot satte denne vingård meget højt, fordi den havde tilhørt hans fædre, og ville ikke skille sig af med den. "Herren bevare mig fra at overlade dig mine fædres arvelod!" sagde han til Akab. Ifølge den levitiske lov måtte jord ikke sælges eller byttes bort for bestandig. Alle Israels børn skulle "holde fast hver ved sin fædrene stammes arvelod". 4Mos. 36,7.