Atomic Bible

Queen of Israel; wife of King Ahab

Jezebel

Named in 20 verses across 3 books, first in 1 Kings 16:31.

אִיזֶבֶלJezebel

ἸεζαβήλJezebel

The name means “chaste.” Hitchcock's Bible Names, 1869

Father
Ethbaal
Married to
Ahab
Children
Athaliah, Joash, Ahaziah, Joram
People
Israel

About Jezebel Written by AI

Jezebel was the Phoenician princess who became the wife of King Ahab of Israel (1 Kings 16:31). She zealously promoted the worship of the Canaanite god Baal and persecuted the prophets of the Lord (1 Kings 18:4). Her conflict with the prophet Elijah is notably recorded in 1Kings 18-19, where Elijah confronts the prophets of Baal and Jezebel threatens Elijah's life. Jezebel's wickedness is further demonstrated in her plot to have Naboth killed so that Ahab could seize his vineyard (1Ki.21). Her actions led to divine judgment, as pronounced by Elijah (1 Kings 21:23). Years later, during the reign of Ahab's son Joram, Jezebel met her demise as prophesied. Jehu, anointed as king of Israel, had her thrown from a window, and her body was consumed by dogs, fulfilling Elijah's prophecy (2 Kings 9:30 to 37). In Revelation 2:20, the name "Jezebel" is used symbolically to describe a false prophetess who led people astray in the church of Thyatira, drawing a parallel to the idolatry and immorality promoted by Ahab's queen.

Drafted by an AI model for STEPBible's TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Check it against the verses below.

Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897

Chaste, the daughter of Ethbaal, the king of the Zidonians, and the wife of Ahab, the king of Israel (1 Kings 16:31). This was the “first time that a king of Israel had allied himself by marriage with a heathen princess; and the alliance was in this case of a peculiarly disastrous kind. Jezebel has stamped her name on history as the representative of all that is designing, crafty, malicious, revengeful, and cruel. She is the first great instigator of persecution against the saints of God. Guided by no principle, restrained by no fear of either God or man, passionate in her attachment to her heathen worship, she spared no pains to maintain idolatry around her in all its splendour. Four hundred and fifty prophets ministered under her care to Baal, besides four hundred prophets of the groves [R.V., ’prophets of the Asherah’], which ate at her table (1 Kings 18:19). The idolatry, too, was of the most debased and sensual kind.” Her conduct was in many respects very disastrous to the kingdom both of Israel and Judah (21:1-29). At length she came to an untimely end. As Jehu rode into the gates of Jezreel, she looked out at the window of the palace, and said, “Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?” He looked up and called to her chamberlains, who instantly threw her from the window, so that she was dashed in pieces on the street, and his horses trod her under their feet. She was immediately consumed by the dogs of the street (2 Kings 9:7-37), according to the word of Elijah the Tishbite (1 Kings 21:19).

Her name afterwards came to be used as the synonym for a wicked woman (Rev. 2: 20).

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It may be noted that she is said to have been the grand-aunt of Dido, the founder of Carthage.

M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, third edition (1897), public domain, from CrossWire. Shown as written; its Scripture quotes are from older translations.

GenesisMatthewRevelation

Where the Bible names her

  1. 1 Kings 16:31

    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.

  2. 1 Kings 18:4

    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.)

  3. 1 Kings 18:13

    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.

  4. 1 Kings 18:19

    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.”

  5. 1 Kings 19:1

    Now Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.

  6. 1 Kings 19:2

    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!”

  7. 1 Kings 21:5

    Soon his wife Jezebel came in and asked, “Why are you so sullen that you refuse to eat?”

  8. 1 Kings 21:7

    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.”

  9. 1 Kings 21:11

    So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel had instructed in the letters she had written to them.

  10. 1 Kings 21:14

    Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death.”

  11. 1 Kings 21:15

    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.”

  12. 1 Kings 21:23

    And the LORD also speaks concerning Jezebel: ‘The dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’

  13. 1 Kings 21:25

    (Surely there was never one like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, incited by his wife Jezebel.

  14. 2 Kings 9:7

    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.

  15. 2 Kings 9:10

    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.

  16. 2 Kings 9:22

    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?”

  17. 2 Kings 9:30

    Now when Jehu arrived in Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. So she painted her eyes, adorned her head, and looked down from a window.

  18. 2 Kings 9:36

    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.

  19. 2 Kings 9:37

    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.’”

  20. Revelation 2:20

    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.

From STEPBible's TIPNR, Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0): names, family, references and the AI written article. Verse text is the BSB.