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Jezebel
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jez'-e-bel (chaste, ('izebhel) unexalted, unhusbanded)
RELATED: Ahab, Athaliah, Baal, Balaam, Blasphemy, Elijah, Idols, Jehu, Kingdom of Israel, Naboth |
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Easton's Bible Dictionary
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 [RSV, '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 ( 1
Kings 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 ( Revelation
2:20 ). It may be noted that she is said to have been the grand-aunt of Dido,
the founder of Carthage.
Hitchcock's Dictionary of Bible Names
chaste
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(chaste) Wife of Ahab king of Israel. (B.C. 883.) She
was a Phoenician princess, daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians. In her hands
her husband became a mere puppet. ( 1
Kings 21:25 ) The first effect of her influence was the immediate establishment
of the Phoenician worship on a grand scale in the court of Ahab. At her table
were supported no less than 450 prophets of Baal and 400 of Eastward. ( 1
Kings 16:31 , 16:21
; 18:19
) The prophets of Jehovah were attacked by her orders and put to the sword. (
1
Kings 18:13 ; 2
Kings 9:7 ) At last the people, at the instigation of Elijah, rose against
her ministers and slaughtered them at the foot of Carmel. When she found her husband
east down by his disappointment at being thwarted by Naboth, ( 1
Kings 21:7 ) she wrote a warrant in Ahabs name, and sealed it with his seal.
To her, and not to Ahab, was sent the announcement that the royal wishes were
accomplished, ( 1
Kings 21:14 ) and on her accordingly fell the prophets curse, as well as on
her husband, ( 1
Kings 21:23 ) a curse fulfilled so literally by Jehu, whose chariot-horses
trampled out her life. The body was left in that open space called in modern eastern
language "the mounds," where offal is thrown from the city walls. ( 2
Kings 9:30 - 37
)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
jez'-e-bel, 'izebhel, "unexalted," "unhusbanded" (?);
Iezabel; see BDB; 1 Kings 16:31 ; 18:4 , 13 , 19 ; 19:1 , 2 ; 21:5 f ; 2 Kings
9:7 ff , 30 ff ; Revelation 2:20):
Daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Zidonians, i.e. Phoenicians, and queen of Ahab,
king of Northern Israel. Ahab (circa 874-853 BC) carried out a policy, which his
father had perhaps started, of making alliances with other states. The alliance
with the Phoenicians was cemented by his marriage with Jezebel, and he subsequently
gave his daughter Athaliah in marriage to Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, king of
Judah. His own union with Jezebel is regarded as a sin in 1 Kings 16:31, where
the Massoretic Text is difficult, being generally understood as a question. The
Septuagint translations: "and it was not enough that he should walk in the sins
of Jeroboam ben Nebat, he also took to wife Jezebel," etc. The Hebrew can be pointed
to mean, "And it was the lightest thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam
ben Nebat, he also took to wife Jezebel, and went and served Baal and worshipped
him," i.e. all the other sins were light as compared with the marriage with Jezebel
and the serving of Baal (compare Micah 6:16). Is this a justifiable view to take
of the marriage? One answer would be that Ahab made a wise alliance; that Baal-worship
was not non-Hebrew, that Ahab named his children not alter Baal but after Yahweh
(compare Ahaziah, Jehoram, Athaliah), and that he consulted the prophets of Yahweh
(compare 1 Kings 22:6); further, that he only did what Solomon had done on a much
larger scale; it may be added too that Ahab was in favor of religious toleration,
and that Elijah and not the king is the persecutor. What then can be said for
the unfavorable Verdict of the Hebrew historians? That verdict is based on the
results and effects of the marriage, on the life and character of Jezebel, and
in that life two main incidents demand attention.
1. Persecution of Yahweh's Prophets:
This is not described; it is only referred to in 1 Kings 18:4, "when Jezebel cut
off the prophets of Yahweh"; and this shows the history of the time to be incompletely
related. In 1 Kings 18:19 we are further told that "450 prophets of Baal ate at
her table" (commentators regard the reference to "400 prophets of the Asherah"
as an addition). In 1 Kings 19:1 Ahab tells Jezebel of the slaughter of the prophets
of Baal by Elijah, and then Jezebel (1 Kings 19:2) sends a messenger to Elijah
to threaten his life. This leads to the prophet's flight, an object which Jezebel
had in view, perhaps, for she would hardly dare to murder Elijah himself. 2 Kings
9:7 regards the massacre of Ahab's family as a punishment for the persecution
of the prophets by Jezebel.
2. Jezebel's Plot Against Naboth (1 Kings 21):
Ahab expresses a desire to possess the vineyard neighboring upon his palace in
Jezreel, owned by Naboth, who refuses to part with the family inheritance though
offered either its money value or a better vineyard in exchange. Ahab is depressed
at this, and Jezebel, upon finding the cause of his melancholy feelings, asks
him sarcastically if he is not king, suggesting that as king his wishes should
be immediately granted by his subjects. She thereupon plots to secure him Naboth's
vineyard. Jezebel sends letters sealed in Ahab's name to the elders of Naboth's
township, and bids them arrange a public fast and make Naboth "sit at the head
of the people" (Revised Version margin), a phrase taken by some to mean that he
is to be arraigned, while it is explained by others as meaning that Naboth is
to be given the chief place. Two witnesses - a sufficient number for that purpose
- are to be brought to accuse Naboth of blasphemy and treason. This is done, and
Naboth is found guilty, and stoned to death. The property is confiscated, and
falls to the king (1 Kings 21:1 - 16). Elijah hears of this, and is sent to threaten
Ahab with Divine vengeance; dogs shall lick his dead body (1 Kings 21:19). But
in 1 Kings 21:20 - 23 this prophecy is made, not concerning Ahab but against Jezebel,
and 1 Kings 21:25 attributes the sins of Ahab to her influence over him.
The prophecy is fulfilled in 2 Kings 9:30 - 37. Ahaziah and Jehoram had succeeded
their father Ahab; the one reigned for 2 years (1 Kings 22:51), the other 12 years
(2 Kings 3:1). Jehu heads a revolt against the house of Ahab, and one day comes
to Jezreel. Jezebel had "painted her eyes, and attired her head," and sees Jehu
coming. She greets him sarcastically as his master's murderer. according to Massoretic
Text, Jehu asks, "Who is on my side? who?" but the text is emended by Klostermann,
following Septuagint in the main, "Who art thou that thou shouldest find fault
with me?" i.e. thou art but a murderess thyself. She is then thrown down and the
horses tread upon her (reading "they trod" for "he trod" in 2 Kings 9:33). When
search is afterward made for her remains, they are found terribly mutilated. Thus
was the prophecy fulfilled. (Some commentaries hold that Naboth's vineyard and
Ahab's garden were in Samaria, and Naboth a Jezreelite. The words, "which was
in Jezreel," of 1 Kings 21:1 are wanting in Septuagint, which has "And Naboth
had a vineyard by the threshing-floor of Ahab king of Samaria." But compare 1
Kings 18:45 ; 21:23 ; 2 Kings 8:29 ; 9:10 , 9:15 , 9:30.) See AHAB; JEHU.
3. Jezebel's Character:
The character of Jezebel is seen revived in that of her daughter, Athaliah of
Judah (2 Kings 11); there is no doubt that Jezebel was a powerful personality.
She brought the worship of the Phoenician Baal and Astarte with her into Hebrew
life, and indirectly introduced it into Judah as well as into the Northern Kingdom.
In judging her connection with this propagation, we should bear in mind that she
is not a queen of the 20th century; she must be judged in company with other queens
famous in history. Her religious attitude and zeal might profitably be compared
with that of Mary, queen of Scots. It must also be remembered that the introduction
of any religious change is often resented when it comes from a foreign queen,
and is apt to be misunderstood, e.g. the attitude of Greece to the proposal of
Queen Olga have an authorized edition of the Bible in modern Greek.
On the other hand, although much may be said that would be favorable to Jezebel
from the religious standpoint, the balance is heavy against her when we remember
her successful plot against Naboth. It is not perhaps blameworthy in her that
she upheld the religion of her native land, although the natural thing would have
been to follow that of her adopted land (compare Ruth 1:16 f). The superiority
of Yahweh-worship was not as clear then as it is to us today. It may also be held
that Baal-worship was not unknown in Hebrew life (compare Judges 6:25 f), that
Baal of Canaan had become incorporated with Yahweh of Sinai, and that there were
pagan elements in the worship of the latter. But against all this it must be clear
that the Baal whom Jezebel attempted to introduce was the Phoenician Baal, pure
and simple; he was another god, or rather in him was presented an idea of God
very different from Yahweh. And further, "in Phoenicia, where wealth and luxury
had been enjoyed on a scale unknown to either Israel or the Canaanites of the
interior, there was a refinement, if one may so speak, and at the same time a
prodigality of vicious indulgences, connected with the worship of Baal and Astarte
to which Israel had hitherto been a stranger... It was like a cancer eating into
the vitals or a head and heart sickness resulting in total decay (Isaiah 1:6).
In Israel, moral deterioration meant political as well as spiritual death. The
weal of the nation lay in fidelity to Yahweh alone, and in His pure worship" (HPM,
section symbol 213).
The verdict of the Hebrew historian is thus substantiated. Jezebel is an example
- an extreme one no doubt - of the bad influence of a highly developed civilization
forcing itself with all its sins upon a community less highly civilized, but possessed
of nobler moral and religious conceptions. She has parallels both in family and
in national life. For a parallel to Elijah's attitude toward Jezebel compare the
words of Carlyle about Knox in On Heroes and Hero-Worship , IV, especially the
section, "We blame Knox for his intolerance," etc.
In Revelation 2:20, we read of Iezabel, "the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself
a prophetess"; not "thy wife" (i.e. the wife of the bishop) the Revised Version
margin, but as Moffat (Expositor's Greek Testament) aptly renders, "that Jezebel
of a woman alleging herself a prophetess." Some members of the church at Thyatira
"under the sway of an influential woman refused to separate from the local guilds
where moral interests, though not ostensibly defied, were often seriously compromised...
Her lax principles or tendencies made for a connection with foreign and compromising
associations which evidently exerted a dangerous influence upon some weaker Christians
in the city." Her followers "prided themselves upon their enlightened liberalism
(Revelation 2:24)." Moffat rejects both the view of Schurer (Theol. Abhandlungen,
39 f), that she is to be identified with the Chaldean Sibyl at Thyatira, and also
that of Selwyn making her the wife of the local asiarch. "It was not the cults
but the trade guilds that formed the problem at Thyatira." See also Zahn, Introduction
to the New Testament, section symbol 73, note 7; AHAB; BAAL; ELIJAH.
David Francis Roberts
Tags:
450 prophets of baal, bible commentary, bible history, bible reference, bible study, define, eaten by dogs, elijah prophecy, ezebel, heathen, idolatry, israel, prophetess, run over by chariot horses, thrown from window, wicked, wife of ahab
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