Jezebel (1 Kings 16:31; 1 Kings 18:4; 1 Kings 18:13; 1 Kings 18:19; 1 Kings 19:1–3; 1 Kings 21:5–15; 1 Kings 21:23; 1 Kings 21:25–26; 2 Kings 9:7–10; 2 Kings 9:22; 2 Kings 9:30–37; Revelation 2:20)

Daughter of Ethbaal, Wife of Ahab

The daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, whom Ahab took to wife; she cut off the prophets of the LORD, threatened Elijah, wrote the letters that ended in Naboth's death, and was thrown down from a window at Jezreel at Jehu's word.

She is introduced in the account of Ahab's reign: “he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him” (1 Kings 16:31). That verse speaks of Ahab's serving Baal; of her the text says that the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty and the prophets of the Asherah four hundred are those “that eat at Jezebel's table” (1 Kings 18:19), and the narrator says Ahab was one “whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. And he did very abominably in following idols” (1 Kings 21:25-26). She “cut off the prophets of Jehovah” (1 Kings 18:4). When Ahab told her what Elijah had done, she sent him a messenger with an oath and a threat, and Elijah “went for his life” (1 Kings 19:3).

When Naboth the Jezreelite would not give up the inheritance of his fathers, Ahab lay on his bed “heavy and displeased” (1 Kings 21:4), and she said to him, “Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thy heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite” (1 Kings 21:7). She “wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal” (1 Kings 21:8); the elders and nobles did as she had sent, Naboth was stoned, and she told Ahab to take the vineyard (1 Kings 21:11-15). Of her the LORD spoke: “The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel” (1 Kings 21:23).

The word was repeated when Jehu was anointed, with the LORD's purpose to “avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of Jehovah, at the hand of Jezebel” (2 Kings 9:7). To her son Joram, Jehu spoke of “the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts” (2 Kings 9:22). When he came to Jezreel she “painted her eyes, and attired her head, and looked out at the window” (2 Kings 9:30); at his word she was thrown down and trodden, and Jehu called what followed “the word of Jehovah, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite” (2 Kings 9:36). In the letter to Thyatira, Revelation speaks of “the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess” (Revelation 2:20); that verse does not say whether she is the Jezebel of Kings, and the two are not equated here.

Weaknesses

• The prophets of Baal and of the Asherah ate at her table
• Cut off the prophets of the LORD
• Threatened Elijah's life
• Wrote letters calling for false witness against Naboth
• Stirred up Ahab to evil

Themes

• Baal and the prophets of the LORD
• Naboth's vineyard
• The word of the LORD against her
• Judgment at Jezreel

Ahab takes Jezebel to wife (1 Kings 16:29–33)

Ahab, who did evil above all before him, takes Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, serves Baal, and makes an altar and the Asherah.

The prophets of the LORD cut off (1 Kings 18:3–4; 1 Kings 18:13; 1 Kings 18:19)

Obadiah, over Ahab's household, hides a hundred prophets of the LORD in a cave when Jezebel cuts them off; the prophets of Baal and of the Asherah eat at her table.

The prophets of the LORD cut off

Ahab called Obadiah, “who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared Jehovah greatly: for it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of Jehovah, that Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water” (1 Kings 18:3-4).

When Elijah sent him to tell Ahab of his coming, Obadiah answered, “Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of Jehovah, how I hid a hundred men of Jehovah's prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?” (1 Kings 18:13).

Elijah then told Ahab to gather Israel to mount Carmel, “and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the Asherah four hundred, that eat at Jezebel's table” (1 Kings 18:19). The account of the contest on Carmel does not name her (1 Kings 18:20-40), and the text does not say how she cut off the prophets of the LORD.

Her threat to Elijah (1 Kings 19:1–3)

Ahab tells Jezebel all that Elijah had done; she sends a messenger swearing to make his life as the life of one of the slain, and Elijah flees to Beer-sheba.

Her threat to Elijah

“And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword” (1 Kings 19:1).

“Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to-morrow about this time” (1 Kings 19:2).

“And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there” (1 Kings 19:3). The text records no reply from Elijah to her and no further word from her on the matter.

Naboth's vineyard (1 Kings 21:1–16)

Naboth refuses Ahab his vineyard; Jezebel promises it to him, writes letters in Ahab's name with his seal, and the elders and nobles of Naboth's city stone him on false witness.

Naboth's vineyard

Naboth the Jezreelite said to Ahab, “Jehovah forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee” (1 Kings 21:3). Ahab “would eat no bread” (1 Kings 21:4). “But Jezebel his wife came to him” (1 Kings 21:5), and said, “Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thy heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite” (1 Kings 21:7).

“So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, and that dwelt with Naboth” (1 Kings 21:8). The letters told them to proclaim a fast, to “set two men, base fellows, before him, and let them bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst curse God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him to death” (1 Kings 21:10).

“And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who dwelt in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them” (1 Kings 21:11). “Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead” (1 Kings 21:14). She then said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite … for Naboth is not alive, but dead” (1 Kings 21:15), and Ahab rose up to go down and take possession of it (1 Kings 21:16).

The word of the LORD against her (1 Kings 21:17–26)

The LORD speaks of Jezebel also, that the dogs shall eat her by the rampart of Jezreel, and the narrator says Ahab was one whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.

Jehu anointed, the word repeated (2 Kings 9:1–10)

A young prophet anoints Jehu to smite the house of Ahab and avenge the blood of the prophets at the hand of Jezebel, saying that the dogs shall eat her in the portion of Jezreel.

Jezebel at the window (2 Kings 9:22; 2 Kings 9:30–37)

Jehu tells Joram of the whoredoms of his mother Jezebel; she paints her eyes and speaks to Jehu from the window, and at his word she is thrown down and trodden, and too little of her is found to bury.

Jezebel at the window

Joram asked Jehu, “Is it peace, Jehu?” (2 Kings 9:22) and Jehu “answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?” (2 Kings 9:22). The words are Jehu's; the narrator does not enlarge on them.

“And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her eyes, and attired her head, and looked out at the window. And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Is it peace, thou Zimri, thy master's murderer?” (2 Kings 9:30-31). Jehu lifted up his face and asked who was on his side, and “there looked out to him two or three eunuchs. And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down; and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trod her under foot” (2 Kings 9:32-33).

Jehu went in and ate and drank, then said, “See now to this cursed woman, and bury her; for she is a king's daughter” (2 Kings 9:34). “And they went to bury her; but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands” (2 Kings 9:35).

Jehu said, “This is the word of Jehovah, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite” (2 Kings 9:36). The text records no word of repentance or prayer from her.

Ahab (1 Kings 16:31; 1 Kings 21:5–8; 1 Kings 21:25)

He took her to wife; she wrote letters in his name and sealed them with his seal, and the narrator says she stirred him up.

Elijah (1 Kings 19:1–3; 1 Kings 21:23; 2 Kings 9:36)

She sent him a messenger with a threat, and the LORD's word through Elijah named her.

Ethbaal king of the Sidonians (1 Kings 16:31)

Her father, named only in the verse that tells of her marriage.

Naboth the Jezreelite (1 Kings 21:1–16)

He refused to give Ahab his vineyard and was stoned after her letters were sent.

Jehu (2 Kings 9:22; 2 Kings 9:30–37)

He accused her of whoredoms and witchcrafts, and at his word she was thrown down from the window.

Joram (2 Kings 9:21–26)

Her son, to whom Jehu spoke of the whoredoms of his mother Jezebel before slaying him in the portion of Naboth.

The prophets of the LORD (1 Kings 18:4; 1 Kings 18:13; 2 Kings 9:7)

Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, and the LORD promised to avenge their blood at her hand.

The prophets of Baal and of the Asherah (1 Kings 18:19)

Four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and four hundred of the Asherah are said to eat at her table.

Major sections

• 1 Kings 16:29–33
• 1 Kings 18–19
• 1 Kings 21
• 2 Kings 9

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