Topical Bible: Revenge: Jezebel

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Jezebel, a prominent figure in the Old Testament, is often associated with the theme of revenge due to her actions and influence as the queen of Israel. She was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, and became the wife of Ahab, king of Israel (1 Kings 16:31). Her marriage to Ahab marked the beginning of a significant period of idolatry and moral decline in Israel, as she actively promoted the worship of Baal and Asherah, leading the nation away from the worship of Yahweh.

Jezebel's vengeful nature is most vividly illustrated in the account of Naboth's vineyard. King Ahab desired the vineyard of Naboth, a Jezreelite, which was adjacent to the king's palace in Jezreel. When Naboth refused to sell or exchange his ancestral inheritance, Ahab became sullen and refused to eat (1 Kings 21:1-4). Jezebel, upon seeing her husband's distress, took matters into her own hands. She orchestrated a scheme to falsely accuse Naboth of blasphemy and treason, leading to his execution by stoning (1 Kings 21:8-14). After Naboth's death, Jezebel told Ahab to take possession of the vineyard, demonstrating her ruthless and vengeful disposition.

Jezebel's influence extended beyond her personal vendettas, as she sought to eliminate the prophets of Yahweh. She ordered the massacre of the prophets, forcing many to hide in caves to escape her wrath (1 Kings 18:4, 13). Her actions were a direct challenge to the authority of God and His prophets, further illustrating her defiance and vengeful spirit.

The prophet Elijah confronted Ahab and Jezebel, pronouncing God's judgment upon them for their wickedness. Elijah declared that dogs would devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel (1 Kings 21:23). This prophecy was fulfilled when Jehu, anointed as king of Israel, executed God's judgment upon the house of Ahab. Jezebel met her end when she was thrown from a window, trampled by horses, and her body was consumed by dogs, leaving only her skull, feet, and the palms of her hands (2 Kings 9:30-37).

Jezebel's legacy is one of idolatry, manipulation, and revenge. Her actions serve as a cautionary tale of the destructive power of vengeance and the consequences of turning away from God. Her life and death underscore the biblical principle that vengeance belongs to the Lord, as stated in Romans 12:19 : "Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God's wrath. For it is written: 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.'" Jezebel's account is a stark reminder of the ultimate justice of God and the futility of human revenge.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Kings 19:2
Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not your life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Royal Murderers
... to a king, than be one of his stoners, who killed their innocent neighbour to pleasure
Jezebel! ... 'Surely the bitter wormwood of divine revenge grew abundantly ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/royal murderers.htm

How Jehu was Anointed King, and Slew Both Joram and Ahaziah; as ...
... him to be king, in order to his destroying the house of Ahab, and that he might
revenge the blood of the prophets that were unjustly slain by Jezebel, that so ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 6 how jehu was.htm

The Sixth Commandment
... Mordecai because he would not bow to him, and presently sought revenge, by getting ...
Thus, though Jezebel did not lay her own hands upon Naboth, yet because she ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 6 the sixth commandment.htm

The Martyrdom of John
... carelessness of human life, she is the sister of Jezebel, and curiously ... in her character,
her hot animal passions, her cool inflexible revenge, her cynical ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/the martyrdom of john.htm

Herod --A Startled Conscience
... singularly like the other triad in the Old Testament, of Ahab, Jezebel, and Elijah ...
for the malignant gloating of the woman over her gratified revenge, the event ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture d/heroda startled conscience.htm

Chrysostom as Patriarch of Constantinople. AD 398-404.
... or rather his prime minister, the eunuch Eutropius, and nursed his revenge for a
more ... language in the pulpit, and spoke on Elijah's relation to Jezebel in such ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/chapter vii chrysostom as patriarch of.htm

Chrysostom and Theophilus. His First Deposition and Banishment.
... whom he had reluctantly consecrated, set every instrument in motion to take revenge. ...
alone and bathed alone, that he had compared the empress to Jezebel. ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/chapter viii chrysostom and theophilus his.htm

The Martyrdom of John
... Herodias, the Jezebel to this Ahab, was his brother's wife, and niece to both her ...
kept him safe' (not ob- but pre-served him); that is, from Herodias' revenge. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture d/the martyrdom of john.htm

Knox and Queen Mary (Continued), 1564-1567
... against God "in all the actions of her life." Ahab and Jezebel were again ... make them,
not merciful Calvinists, the objects of the fear and revenge of Catholic ...
/.../lang/john knox and the reformation/chapter xvii knox and queen.htm

The Second Part.
... and glebes, unlawfull, because they are loth to forgo them: If Jezebel proclaime
a ... with malicious Doegs, to make it a stalking horse for revenge against the ...
/.../ward/a coal from the altar to kindle the holy fire of zeale/the second part.htm