JEZEBEL

Daughter of Ethbaal king of Tyre and Zidon, and wife of Ahab king of Israel, 1Ki 16:31. She spent herself in efforts to establish idolatry in Samaria, and exterminate the worship of God and the lives of his servants. Obadiah saved a hundred of them, at the risk of his own life. Jezebel herself maintained four hundred priests of Astarte. When the prophets of Baal perished at Carmel, at the word of Elijah, she sought to avenge herself on him. Afterwards, she secured the vineyard of Naboth for her husband by perjuries and murder; and her tragical death, the fitting close of a bloody life, took place, according to the prediction of Elijah, near the scene of this crime, 1Ki 19:1-21 21:1-29 2Ki 9:1-37. Her name has become a proverb, and is given by John, probably as a descriptive epithet, to a certain female at Thyatira in his day holding a like bad preeminence in station and profligacy, in malice and in ruin, Lu 20:18 Re 2:20.

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Jezebel. Jezebel
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).

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

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Jezebel. chaste

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JEZEBEL. → Daughter of Ethbaal, a Zidonian, and wife of Ahab 1Ki 16:31 → Was an idolatress and persecuted the prophets of God 1Ki 18:4,13,19; 2Ki 3:2,13; 9:7,22 → Vowed to kill Elijah 1Ki 19:1-3 → Wickedly accomplishes the death of Naboth 1Ki 21:5-16 → Death of, foretold 1Ki 21:23; 2Ki 9:10 → Death of, at the hand of Jehu 2Ki 9:30-37 → FIGURATIVE Re 2:20

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wife of Ahab, the wicked queen (1) General References to 1Ki 16:31; 18:4; 19:1; 21:5,23; 2Ki 9:10,30,36 (2) Characteristics of A patroness of idolatry 1Ki 18:19 Revengeful 1Ki 19:2 A murderess 1Ki 21:5-13 Incited her husband to evil 1Ki 21:25 Vain 2Ki 9:30 Met a terrible death 2Ki 9:33-35 --SEE Notable Women, WOMEN

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Jez″e‐bel (?), n. [[From Jezebel, Heb. Izebel, the wife of Ahab king of Israel.]] A bold, vicious woman; a termagant. Spectator.