Topical Bible: Jizreel

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Topical Encyclopedia

Etymology and Meaning:
The name "Jizreel" (also spelled "Jezreel") is derived from the Hebrew "יִזְרְעֶאל" (Yizre'el), meaning "God sows" or "May God give seed." This name reflects the agricultural richness of the region and its significance in biblical history.

Geographical Location:
Jizreel refers to both a city and a fertile valley in the northern part of ancient Israel. The Valley of Jizreel, also known as the Plain of Esdraelon, is a large, flat expanse that stretches from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by the hills of Galilee to the north and the mountains of Samaria to the south. The city of Jizreel was located on the southern edge of this valley.

Biblical Significance:
Jizreel holds considerable importance in the biblical narrative, serving as a backdrop for several key events and figures:

1. The Tribe of Issachar:
The Valley of Jizreel was part of the territory allotted to the tribe of Issachar. It was known for its agricultural productivity, which is reflected in the blessing given to Issachar by Jacob: "Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the sheepfolds. He saw that his resting place was good and that the land was pleasant" (Genesis 49:14-15).

2. Ahab and Jezebel:
Jizreel is perhaps most famously associated with King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. Ahab built a palace in the city of Jizreel, and it became a royal residence. The infamous incident involving Naboth's vineyard occurred here, where Jezebel orchestrated Naboth's death to seize his land for Ahab (1 Kings 21). This act of injustice led to the prophecy of doom against Ahab's house.

3. Jehu's Revolt:
The city of Jizreel was the site of Jehu's revolt against the house of Ahab. Jehu, anointed by a prophet sent by Elisha, executed judgment on the house of Ahab, fulfilling the prophecy against Jezebel and her family. Jezebel met her demise in Jizreel, as recorded in 2 Kings 9:30-37.

4. Hosea's Prophecy:
The prophet Hosea used the name Jizreel symbolically in his prophecies. Hosea's children were given names with prophetic significance, and his son was named Jezreel to symbolize the impending judgment on the house of Israel: "Yet the number of the Israelites will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted. And in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not My people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God'" (Hosea 1:10).

Historical and Archaeological Insights:
Archaeological excavations at the site of ancient Jizreel have uncovered remains from various periods, including the Iron Age, which corresponds to the biblical era of the Israelite monarchy. The strategic location of Jizreel made it a significant military and administrative center throughout history.

Theological Reflections:
Jizreel serves as a powerful symbol of both judgment and redemption in the biblical narrative. The events that transpired in Jizreel highlight themes of divine justice, the consequences of idolatry and injustice, and the hope of restoration for God's people. The prophetic use of Jizreel in Hosea underscores God's sovereignty and His ability to transform judgment into blessing for those who return to Him.

Strong's Hebrew

3158. Yizreeli -- an inhabitant of Jezreel
... of Jezreel NASB Word Usage Jezreelite (8). Jezreelite. Patronymically from
Yizr'e'l; a Jizreelite or native of Jizreel -- Jezreelite. see HEBREW Yizr'e'l. ...
/hebrew/3158.htm - 6k

3157. Yizreel -- "God sows," two Israelites, also two cities in ...
... Jezreel. From zara' and 'el; God will sow; Jizreel, the name of two places in Palestine
and of two Israelites -- Jezreel. see HEBREW zara'. see HEBREW 'el. ...
/hebrew/3157.htm - 6k

Thesaurus

Jizreel (30 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Jizreel (30 Occurrences). Joshua 15:56 and Jizreel,
and Jokdeam, and Zanoah, (DBY). Joshua 17:16 And the ...
/j/jizreel.htm - 15k

Jizreelite (7 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 21:1 And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jizreelite
had a vineyard, which was in Jizreel, by the side of the palace of Ahab king of ...
/j/jizreelite.htm - 8k

Fugitive (12 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 9:15 and king Joram had returned to be healed in Jizreel of the wounds that
the Syrians had given him, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria ...
/f/fugitive.htm - 11k

Zaretan (3 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 4:12 Baana the son of Ahilud had Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean,
which is by Zaretan beneath Jizreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-Meholah, as far ...
/z/zaretan.htm - 8k

Jizrahite (1 Occurrence)

/j/jizrahite.htm - 6k

Jehu's (6 Occurrences)
... NIV). 2 Kings 9:17 And the watchman stood on the tower in Jizreel, and saw
Jehu's company as he came, and said, I see a company. And ...
/j/jehu's.htm - 8k

Jidbash (1 Occurrence)
... 1 Chronicles 4:3 And these were of the father of Etam: Jizreel, and Jishma, and
Jidbash; and the name of their sister was Hazlelponi; (DBY). ...
/j/jidbash.htm - 6k

Jishma (1 Occurrence)
... 1 Chronicles 4:3 And these were of the father of Etam: Jizreel, and Jishma, and
Jidbash; and the name of their sister was Hazlelponi; (DBY). ...
/j/jishma.htm - 6k

Guardians (5 Occurrences)
... And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, to the princes of Jizreel, to the
elders, and to Ahab's guardians, saying, (DBY NAS RSV NIV). ...
/g/guardians.htm - 8k

Decked (10 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 9:30 And Jehu came to Jizreel; and Jezebel heard of it, and she put paint
to her eyes, and decked her head, and looked out at the window. (DBY). ...
/d/decked.htm - 9k

Resources

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Concordance

Jizreel (30 Occurrences)

Joshua 15:56
and Jizreel, and Jokdeam, and Zanoah,
(DBY)

Joshua 17:16
And the children of Joseph said, The hill-country will not be enough for us; and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, those that are of Beth-shean and its dependent villages, and those that are in the valley of Jizreel.
(DBY)

Joshua 19:18
And their territory was toward Jizreel, and Chesulloth, and Shunem,
(DBY)

1 Samuel 25:43
David had also taken Ahinoam of Jizreel; and they became, even both of them, his wives.
(DBY)

1 Samuel 29:1
And the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek; and Israel encamped by the spring that is in Jizreel.
(DBY)

1 Samuel 29:11
And David rose up early, he and his men, to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jizreel.
(DBY)

2 Samuel 2:9
and made him king over Gilead, and over the Asshurites, and over Jizreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
(DBY)

2 Samuel 4:4
And Jonathan Saul's son had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the news came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jizreel; and his nurse took him up and fled. And it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.
(DBY)

1 Kings 4:12
Baana the son of Ahilud had Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean, which is by Zaretan beneath Jizreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-Meholah, as far as beyond Jokneam.
(DBY)

1 Kings 18:45
And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heavens became black with clouds and wind, and there was a great pour of rain. And Ahab got on the chariot, and went to Jizreel.
(DBY)

1 Kings 18:46
And the hand of Jehovah was upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jizreel.
(DBY)

1 Kings 21:1
And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jizreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jizreel, by the side of the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
(Root in DBY)

1 Kings 21:23
And of Jezebel also spoke Jehovah saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the moat of Jizreel.
(DBY)

2 Kings 8:29
And king Joram returned to be healed in Jizreel of the wounds that the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to see Joram the son of Ahab at Jizreel, for he was sick.
(DBY)

2 Kings 9:10
And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the plot of Jizreel, and none shall bury her. And he opened the door and fled.
(DBY)

2 Kings 9:15
and king Joram had returned to be healed in Jizreel of the wounds that the Syrians had given him, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria.) And Jehu said, If it be your will, let not a fugitive escape out of the city to go to tell it in Jizreel.
(DBY)

2 Kings 9:16
And Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jizreel; for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to see Joram.
(DBY)

2 Kings 9:17
And the watchman stood on the tower in Jizreel, and saw Jehu's company as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take a horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace?
(DBY)

2 Kings 9:30
And Jehu came to Jizreel; and Jezebel heard of it, and she put paint to her eyes, and decked her head, and looked out at the window.
(DBY)

2 Kings 9:36
And they came back and told him. And he said, This is the word of Jehovah, which he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite saying, In the plot of Jizreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel;
(DBY)

2 Kings 9:37
and the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the open field in the plot of Jizreel, so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel.
(DBY)

2 Kings 10:1
Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, to the princes of Jizreel, to the elders, and to Ahab's guardians, saying,
(DBY)

2 Kings 10:7
And it came to pass when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and slaughtered seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him to Jizreel.
(DBY)

2 Kings 10:11
And Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jizreel, and all his great men, and his acquaintances, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.
(DBY)

1 Chronicles 4:3
And these were of the father of Etam: Jizreel, and Jishma, and Jidbash; and the name of their sister was Hazlelponi;
(DBY)

2 Chronicles 22:6
And he returned to be healed in Jizreel because of the wounds that were given him at Ramah, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria. And Azariah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab at Jizreel; for he was sick.
(DBY)

Hosea 1:4
And Jehovah said unto him, Call his name Jizreel; for yet a little, and I will visit the blood of Jizreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause the kingdom of the house of Israel to cease.
(DBY)

Hosea 1:5
And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jizreel.
(DBY)

Hosea 1:11
And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint themselves one head, and shall go up out of the land: for great is the day of Jizreel.
(DBY)

Hosea 2:22
and the earth shall hear the corn, and the new wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jizreel.
(DBY)

Subtopics

Jizreel

Related Terms

Jizreel (30 Occurrences)

Jizreelitess (5 Occurrences)

Plot (53 Occurrences)

Sovereignty (14 Occurrences)

Exercise (35 Occurrences)