Jezebel
The name Jezebel means “chaste”
Summary
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Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, king of Sidon (1 Kings 16:31), married King Ahab of Israel, likely to strengthen a political alliance between their nations. Jezebel supported Baal worship and insisted on total control for the king and queen.
Jezebel persuaded Ahab to start Baal worship in Samaria and to set up an Asherah pole (1 Kings 16:30–33). She attempted to eliminate God's prophets (1 Kings 18:4) and supported many of Baal's prophets in the royal palace (1 Kings 18:19).
Elijah confronted Jezebel and Ahab on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:19–40). There, he challenged Israel to follow the true God. After God showed His power, the Israelites recognized Him and assisted Elijah in killing the false prophets. When Jezebel learned of this, she threatened Elijah, causing him to flee (1 Kings 19:1–3).
Later, Jezebel advised her husband on how to take a vineyard from their neighbor Naboth. When Naboth refused to sell it, Jezebel made a plan to falsely accuse him of cursing God and the king. As a result, Naboth was executed. Ahab took the vineyard, but God sent Elijah to announce judgment on Jezebel and Ahab (1 Kings 21:20–24). Ahab died soon after (1 Kings 22:29–40), but Jezebel lived through her son Ahaziah’s reign. She was later executed when Jehu destroyed the ruling family, fulfilling God’s judgment against her (2 Kings 9:30–37).
Jezebel's evil influence reached the southern kingdom of Judah when her daughter Athaliah married Jehoram, the son of King Jehoshaphat (see 2 Kings 8:18, 26–27).
Her name has long been linked with evil. In Revelation 2:20, Jezebel is a prophetess who led the Christians of Thyatira to commit sexual sins and eat food offered to idols.
Passages for Further Study
Glossary entries
Family members
Alternative names
Mentions
Includes 7 verses that refer to Jezebel without naming them, as “he”, “she”, or the subject of a verb.
- And as if it were not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he even married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he then proceeded to serve and worship Baal.
- …for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.)
- Was it not reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel slaughtered the prophets of the LORD? I hid a hundred prophets of the LORD, fifty men per cave, and I provided them with food and water.
- Now summon all Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
- Now Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
- So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I have not made your life like the lives of those you killed!”
- Soon his wife Jezebel came in and asked, “Why are you so sullen that you refuse to eat?”
- 1 Kings 21:6Referred to, not namedAhab answered, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and told him, ‘Give me your vineyard for silver, or if you wish, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ And he replied, ‘I will not give you my vineyard!’”
- But his wife Jezebel said to him, “Do you not reign over Israel? Get up, eat some food, and be cheerful, for I will get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
- 1 Kings 21:8Referred to, not namedThen Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived with Naboth in his city.
- 1 Kings 21:9Referred to, not namedIn the letters she wrote: “Proclaim a fast and give Naboth a seat of honor among the people.
- So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel had instructed in the letters she had written to them.
- Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death.”
- When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, who refused to give it to you for silver. For Naboth is no longer alive, but dead.”
- And the LORD also speaks concerning Jezebel: ‘The dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’
- (Surely there was never one like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, incited by his wife Jezebel.
- And you are to strike down the house of your master Ahab, so that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of the LORD shed by the hand of Jezebel.
- And on the plot of ground at Jezreel the dogs will devour Jezebel, and there will be no one to bury her.’” Then the young prophet opened the door and ran.
- When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?” “How can there be peace,” he replied, “as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?”
- Now when Jehu arrived in Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. So she painted her eyes, adorned her head, and looked down from a window.
- 2 Kings 9:31Referred to, not namedAnd as Jehu entered the gate, she asked, “Have you come in peace, O Zimri, murderer of your master?”
- 2 Kings 9:33Referred to, not named“Throw her down!” yelled Jehu. So they threw her down, and her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses as they trampled her underfoot.
- 2 Kings 9:34Referred to, not namedThen Jehu went in and ate and drank. “Take care of this cursed woman,” he said, “and bury her, for she was the daughter of a king.”
- 2 Kings 9:35Referred to, not namedBut when they went out to bury her, they found nothing but her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands.
- So they went back and told Jehu, who replied, “This is the word of the LORD, which He spoke through His servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘On the plot of ground at Jezreel the dogs will devour the flesh of Jezebel.
- And Jezebel’s body will lie like dung in the field on the plot of ground at Jezreel, so that no one can say: This is Jezebel.’”
- But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads My servants to be sexually immoral and to eat food sacrificed to idols.