Topical Bible: Murder: Jezebel

◄ Murder: Jezebel ►

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Jezebel, a prominent figure in the Old Testament, is often associated with murder and manipulation. She was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, and became the wife of Ahab, king of Israel. Her influence over Ahab and her actions are detailed in the books of 1 Kings and 2 Kings, where she is depicted as a queen who led Israel into idolatry and was responsible for numerous acts of violence and murder.

Idolatry and Influence

Jezebel's marriage to Ahab marked a significant turning point for the kingdom of Israel. She introduced the worship of Baal, a Canaanite deity, and Asherah, leading the Israelites away from the worship of Yahweh. Her influence over Ahab is noted in 1 Kings 21:25 : "There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, incited by his wife Jezebel."

The Murder of Naboth

One of the most notorious acts of murder associated with Jezebel is the killing of Naboth, a righteous man who owned a vineyard that Ahab desired. When Naboth refused to sell his vineyard, Jezebel orchestrated a plot to have him falsely accused of blasphemy and treason. As recorded in 1 Kings 21:13 , "Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him, and they testified against Naboth before the people, saying, 'Naboth has cursed both God and the king!' So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death." This act of murder allowed Ahab to seize Naboth's vineyard, demonstrating Jezebel's ruthless and manipulative nature.

Persecution of Prophets

Jezebel's murderous actions extended beyond Naboth. She was also responsible for the persecution and killing of the prophets of Yahweh. 1 Kings 18:4 notes, "While Jezebel was killing off the LORD’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water." Her relentless pursuit of the prophets highlights her determination to eradicate the worship of Yahweh from Israel.

Confrontation with Elijah

The prophet Elijah emerged as a significant opponent to Jezebel's idolatry and murderous ways. After the dramatic confrontation on Mount Carmel, where Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal, Jezebel vowed to kill him. 1 Kings 19:2 states, "So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, 'May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.'" Her threat forced Elijah to flee for his life, illustrating her power and the fear she instilled.

Downfall and Death

Jezebel's reign of terror eventually led to her downfall. As prophesied by Elijah, her death was both violent and ignominious. In 2 Kings 9:30-33 , Jehu, anointed as king of Israel, confronted Jezebel. "When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it. So she painted her eyes, arranged her hair, and looked out of a window. As Jehu entered the gate, she asked, 'Have you come in peace, O Zimri, murderer of your master?' He looked up at the window and called out, 'Who is on my side? Who?' Two or three eunuchs looked down at him. 'Throw her down!' yelled Jehu. So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered the wall and the horses as they trampled her underfoot." Her death fulfilled the prophecy that dogs would devour her body, leaving no one to bury her, as a sign of divine judgment against her wickedness.

Jezebel's legacy in the biblical narrative is one of idolatry, manipulation, and murder. Her actions and their consequences serve as a stark warning against turning away from God and embracing evil.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Kings 21:10
And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, You did blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Self-Destruction
... We heard of Ahab in this morning's lesson letting Jezebel murder the righteous Naboth,
by perjury and slander, to get possession of his vineyard; and then ...
/.../kingsley/twenty-five village sermons/sermon viii self-destruction.htm

Royal Murderers
... Jezebel had Ahab's signet, the badge of authority, which she probably got from him ...
only be done by worthless men, cool lying, ferocity, and murder,"these are ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/royal murderers.htm

The Kingdom of Samaria.
... Yet they only hardened Jezebel into greater cruelty, and Elijah was forced to flee
into ... Ahab, and that was to rebuke him for having permitted the murder of a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson viii the kingdom of.htm

Obadiah
... generally do) to take good care of themselves, and to eat at Jezebel's table, while ...
was in the hands of a weak and capricious tyrant, who might murder him any ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/town and country sermons/sermon ix obadiah.htm

The Martyrdom of John
... The singular double which he, Herodias and John present to Ahab, Jezebel and Elijah ...
sharpened to an edge by hatred, and knew her own mind, which was murder. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/the martyrdom of john.htm

Ahab and Naboth
... There was no need for Ahab to say, 'Jezebel did it, and not I.' The prophet ... By taking
possession of Naboth's vineyard, and so profiting by his murder, he made ...
/.../kingsley/sermons for the times/sermon xi ahab and naboth.htm

Knox and Queen Mary, 1561
... only have consented thereto." Mary might have gone the way of Jezebel and Athaliah ...
His repentance was publicly expressed shortly before the murder of Riccio. ...
/.../lang/john knox and the reformation/chapter xiv knox and queen.htm

How Jehu was Anointed King, and Slew Both Joram and Ahaziah; as ...
... He also bid his servants to take up Jezebel and bury her, because of the nobility ...
and fenced cities, and that by so doing they might avenge the murder of Ahab. ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 6 how jehu was.htm

Book 9 Footnotes
... was Joram, the son of Ahab, which Ahab slew, or permitted his wife Jezebel to slay ...
I suppose, because he had now also himself sent an officer to murder him; yet ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/book 9 footnotes.htm

Letter cxxii. To Rusticus.
... the Lord also hath put away thy sin." [3167] He had added murder to adultery ... who
shed the blood of Naboth to gain his vineyard, was with Jezebel, the partner ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter cxxii to rusticus.htm