Jezebel — Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

Daughter of Ethbaal, king of Sidon (1 Kgs 16:31). She became the wife of Ahab, king of the northern kingdom of Israel. The marriage was probably a continuation of the friendly relations between Israel and Phoenicia begun by Omri; it confirmed a political alliance between the two nations. Jezebel exerted a strong influence over the life of Israel, as she insisted on establishing the worship of Baal and demanded the absolute rights of the monarchy. So strong was her pagan influence that Scripture attributes the apostasy of Ahab directly to Jezebel (vv 30-33).

Show passage in OET: KI1 16:31

OET-RV KI1 16:31

31 As if following Yarov’am’s (Jeroboam’s) behaviour wasn’t bad enough, he married Izevel (Jezebel), the daughter of the Tsidoni King Etba’al, then went and served Ba’al and bowed down to him.

OET-LV KI1 16:31

31 And_he/it _was was_ he_to _walk in_the _sins _of Yāroⱱˊām the _son _of Neⱱaţ _it _trifling and_he/it _took a _wife DOM ʼĪzeⱱel/(Jezebel) the _daughter _of ʼEtbaˊal the _king _of the_Tsīdonī/(Sidonians) and_he/it _went and_he _served DOM (the)_Baˊal and_he _bowed _down to_him/it.

Show passage in OET: KI1 16:30–33

OET-RV KI1 16:30

30 Ahav did what Yahweh had said was evil—in fact he did more evil things than all those kings who preceded him.

OET-RV KI1 16:31

OET-RV KI1 16:32

32 ⇔He built a temple for Ba’al in Shomron and placed an altar in it.

OET-RV KI1 16:33

33 Ahav also made an Asherah pole and went on to provoke Yisrael’s god Yahweh to get angry, more than any of the previous kings of Yisrael had done.

OET-LV KI1 16:30

30 And_ ʼAḩʼāⱱ the _son _of ˊOmrī _he/it _made the_evil in/on_both _eyes _of YHWH from_all those_who were_before _of_him.

OET-LV KI1 16:31

OET-LV KI1 16:32

32 And_he _set _up an _altar to_Baˊal the _house _of (the)_Baˊal which he _built in_Shomrōn.

OET-LV KI1 16:33

33 And_ ʼAḩʼāⱱ _he/it _made DOM (the)_ʼAshērāh_pole and_ ʼAḩʼāⱱ _he _increased for_doing to_provoke _to _anger DOM YHWH the _god _of Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) from_all the _kings _of Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) who they _were before_him.

Jump to OET KI1 16:31 section.

Jump to OET KI1 16:30–33 section.

Jezebel’s efforts to establish Baal worship in Israel began with Ahab’s acceptance of Baal following the marriage (1 Kgs 16:31). Ahab followed Jezebel’s practices by building a house of worship and altar for Baal in Samaria, and by setting up a pole for worship of the Asherah. A campaign was then conducted to exterminate the prophets of God (18:4), while Jezebel organized and supported large groups of Baal prophets, housing and feeding large numbers of them in the royal palace (v 19). To meet this challenge, God sent Elijah to prophesy a drought that lasted three years (17:1; 18:1).

Show passage in OET: KI1 18:4

OET-RV KI1 18:4

4 When Queen Izevel (Jezebel) had tried to kill Yahweh’s prophets, Ovadyah had hidden a hundred prophets—fifty in each of two caves and kept them supplied with food and water.)

OET-LV KI1 18:4

4 And_he/it _was when_ ʼĪzeⱱel/(Jezebel) _cut _off DOM the _prophets _of YHWH and_ ˊOⱱad^yāh _he/it _took one _hundred prophets and_he_hid _them fifty man in_cave and_he_supplied _them food and_water.

Show passage in OET: KI1 18:19

OET-RV KI1 18:19

19 So now, get all Yisrael to go to Mt. Karmel, along with the 450 prophets of Ba’al and the 400 prophets of Asherah who Queen Izevel (Jezebel) feeds at her table.”

OET-LV KI1 18:19

19 And_now send gather to_me DOM all _of Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) to the _mountain _of (the)_Karmel/(Carmel) and_DOM the _prophets _of (the)_Baˊal four hundred(s) and_fifty and_the _prophets _of (the)_ʼAshērāh four hundred(s) who_eat _of the _table _of ʼĪzeⱱel.

Show passage in OET: KI1 17:1

OET-RV KI1 17:1

17 One day the prophet Eliyah (Elijah) from the Tishbim in the Gilead region said to Ahav, “As Yisrael’s (Israel’s) god Yahweh lives, the one who I serve, there won’t be any rain or even dew these next years unless I give the command.”

OET-LV KI1 17:1

17 And_ ʼĒliy^yāh the_Tishbiy one_of _the _resident _aliens _of Gilˊād _he/it _said to ʼAḩʼāⱱ by_the _life of_YHWH the _god _of Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) whom I _stand before_him if it _will _be the_years the_these dew and_rain if/because (if) to_the _mouth _of my _message _of_my.

Show passage in OET: KI1 18:1

OET-RV KI1 18:1

18 In the third year of drought, Yahweh told Eliyah (Elijah) to go and show himself to King Ahav and tell him that it would soon rain,

OET-LV KI1 18:1

18 And_ days _he/it _was many and_the _message _of YHWH it _came to ʼĒliy^yāh in_year (the)_third to_say go present _yourself to ʼAḩʼāⱱ and_I _will _give rain on the _surface _of the_soil.

Jump to OET KI1 18:4 section.

Jump to OET KI1 18:19 section.

Jump to OET KI1 17:1 section.

Jump to OET KI1 18:1 section.

Elijah’s confrontation with Jezebel and Ahab culminated on Mt Carmel, where Elijah demanded that the prophets of Baal meet him (1 Kgs 18:19-40). As they and the people of Israel gathered, Elijah issued the challenge to Israel to follow the true God. To demonstrate who was the true God, Baal’s prophets and Elijah each took a bull for sacrifice. The prophets of Baal then prepared the sacrifice and called on their god to send fire to consume it. But no answer came. Elijah prepared his sacrifice and had it drenched in water. After his prayer, God sent fire that consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones of the altar, the dust, and the water in the trench. Following this, the Israelites fell down in tribute to God. Then Elijah directed the people to take the prophets of Baal to the brook Kishon, and he slaughtered all of them. When Jezebel heard of this, she flew into a rage and threatened Elijah with the same fate. In fear, Elijah fled for his life to the wilderness.

Jezebel’s unscrupulous nature is revealed in the account of Ahab’s desire for Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kgs 21:1-16). Although Ahab desired the vineyard, he recognized Naboth’s right to retain the family property. Jezebel recognized no such right in view of a monarch’s wishes. She arranged to have Naboth falsely accused of blaspheming God and consequently executed, leaving the vineyard for Ahab to seize. For this heinous crime, Elijah pronounced a violent death for Ahab and Jezebel (21:20-24), a prophecy which was ultimately fulfilled (1 Kgs 22:29-40; 2 Kgs 9:1-37).

Show passage in OET: KI1 21:20–24

OET-RV KI1 21:20

20 When Eliyah arrived, Ahav asked him, “Ah, my enemy. Have you found me?”
¶ “Yes, I’ve found you,” Eliyah replied. “It seems you’ve sold your soul by doing what Yahweh’s finds to be evil.

OET-RV KI1 21:21

21 Yahweh says that he’s about to send disaster on you to destroy you and every male in your household—whether they’re slaves or free.

OET-RV KI1 21:22

22 Your entire family will be eliminated like the families of Nevat’s son Yarov’am (Jeroboam) and Ahiyah’s son Baesha because you’ve provoked Yahweh’s anger and made Yisrael sin.

OET-RV KI1 21:23

23 Also concerning Izevel, Yahweh says that the dogs will eat her body by Yizre’el’s (Jezreel’s) city wall.

OET-RV KI1 21:24

24 The bodies of any of your family who die in the city will be eaten by dogs, and any who die in the countryside will be eaten by birds.”

OET-LV KI1 21:20

20 And_ ʼAḩʼāⱱ _he/it _said to ʼĒliy^yāh have_you_found _me my _enemy _of_my and_he/it _said I _have _found_you because you_have _sold _yourself for_doing the_evil in/on_both _eyes _of YHWH.

OET-LV KI1 21:21

21 HERE_I am_about _to _bring to_you evil and_I _will _sweep _away after_you and_I _will _cut _off to_ʼAḩʼāⱱ one _who_urinates on_a _wall and_shut _up and_freed in_Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel).

OET-LV KI1 21:22

22 And_I _will _make DOM house _of_your like_the _house _of Yāroⱱˊām/(Jeroboam) the _son _of Neⱱaţ and_like_the _house _of Baˊshāʼ the _son _of ʼAḩiy^yāh because _of the_provocation which you _have _provoked _to _anger and_you _have _caused _to _sin DOM Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel).

OET-LV KI1 21:23

23 And_also of_ʼĪzeⱱel/(Jezebel) YHWH he _has _spoken to_say the_dogs they _will _devour DOM ʼĪzeⱱel in_the _rampart _of Yizrəˊ^ʼēl/(Jezreel).

OET-LV KI1 21:24

24 The_one_who_dies of_ʼAḩʼāⱱ in_city the_dogs they _will _devour and_the_one_who_dies in _the_field the _bird[s]_of the_heavens they _will _devour.

Show passage in OET: KI1 22:29–40

OET-RV KI1 22:29

29 So Yisrael’s (Israel’s) King Ahav and Yehudah’s (Judah’s) King Yehoshafat (Jehoshaphat) left to go and attack Ramot -Gilead,

OET-RV KI1 22:30

30 and Ahav told Yehoshafat, “I’ll go into the battle incognito, but you can wear your royal robes.” So Yisrael’s king changed into ordinary clothes before heading into the battle.

OET-RV KI1 22:31

31 Meanwhile, Aram’s (Syria’s) king had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Don’t fight with the rank and file—only attack Yisrael’s king.”

OET-RV KI1 22:32

32 As soon as the chariot commanders saw Yehudah’s King Yehoshafat, they thought to themselves, “Surely that’s Yisrael’s king.” So then they came over to attack him, but Yehoshafat yelled out,

OET-RV KI1 22:33

33 and as soon as they realised that he wasn’t the king of Yisrael, they stopped chasing him.

OET-RV KI1 22:34

34 But one man casually shot an arrow with his and it struck Yisrael’s king between the plates of his body armour, and he called to his chariot driver, “Turn around and get me out of the battle because I’ve been wounded.”

OET-RV KI1 22:35

35 The battle carried on all that day and King Ahav was propped up in his chariot opposite Aram, however he died that evening and the blood from his wound pooled into the bottom of his the chariot.

OET-RV KI1 22:36

36 Then the call went through the battle lines just as the sun was going down, “Every man should abandon the battlefield and return to his home”

OET-RV KI1 22:37

37 So King Ahav died and was taken back to Shomron (Samaria) where he was buried.

OET-RV KI1 22:38

38 They washed out the chariot beside the pool in Shomron (where the prostitutes bathed themselves), and dogs licked up the blood, just as Yahweh had said would happen.

OET-RV KI1 22:39

39 Everything else about Ahav and everything that he did, including the ivory palace and all the cities that he had built, is written in the book of the events of the kings of Yisrael.

OET-RV KI1 22:40

40 Now that Ahav was dead, his son Ahazyah replaced him as king.

OET-LV KI1 22:29

29 And_he/it _ascended the _king _of Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) and_Yəhōshāfāţ/(Jehoshaphat) the _king _of Yəhūdāh/(Judah) Rāmot Gilˊād.

OET-LV KI1 22:30

30 And_ the _king _of Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) _he/it _said to Yəhōshāfāţ I _will _disguise _myself and_I _will _go in_battle and_you(ms) wear clothes _of_your _own and_ the _king _of Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) _he _disguised _himself and_he _went in_battle.

OET-LV KI1 22:31

31 And_the _king _of ʼArām he _had _commanded DOM the _commanders _of the _chariotry which to_him/it thirty and_two to_say not you(pl)_must _do _battle with the_small and_DOM the_great if/because (if) with the _king _of Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) for_him/it_being _alone.

OET-LV KI1 22:32

32 And_he/it _was just_ the _commanders _of the _chariotry _as _saw DOM Yəhōshāfāţ and_they they _said surely is_the _king _of Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) it and_they _turned _aside on/upon/above_him/it to_do _battle and_ Yəhōshāfāţ _he _cried _out.

OET-LV KI1 22:33

33 And_he/it _was just_ the _commanders _of the _chariotry _as _saw if/because _that not was_the _king _of Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) it and_they _turned _back from_after_him.

OET-LV KI1 22:34

34 And_someone he _drew on_bow to_innocence _of_his and_he _struck DOM the _king _of Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) between the_scales and_between the _body_armour and_he/it _said to_charioteer _of_his turn _around hand _of_your and_take_me _out from the_camp if/because I _have _been _wounded.

OET-LV KI1 22:35

35 And_ the_battle _it _went _up in _the_day (the)_that and_the_king he _was placed in_chariot opposite _to ʼArām and_he/it _died in_evening and_ the _blood _of the _wound _it _flowed into the _bottom _of the _chariot.

OET-LV KI1 22:36

36 And_ the_cry _he/it _passed _through in_camp just_ the_sun _as _went to_say everyone to city _of_his and_everyone to land _of_his.

OET-LV KI1 22:37

37 And_ the_king _he/it _died and_he _came Shomrōn and_people _buried DOM the_king in_Shomrōn.

OET-LV KI1 22:38

38 And_someone _washed _off DOM the_chariot at the _pool _of Shomrōn and_ the_dogs _they _lapped _up DOM blood _of_his and_the_prostitutes they _bathed according_to _the _message _of YHWH which he _had _spoken.

OET-LV KI1 22:39

39 And_the _rest _of the _matters _of ʼAḩʼāⱱ and_all that he _did and_the _house _of (the)_ivory which he _built and_all the_cities which he _built am_not are_they written on the _scroll _of the _matters _of the_days of_the _kings _of of _Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel).

OET-LV KI1 22:40

40 And_ ʼAḩʼāⱱ _he _lay _down with ancestors _of_his and_ ʼAḩaz^yāh son _of_his _he _became _king in_place _of _him.

Jump to OET KI1 21:20–24 section.

Jump to OET KI1 22:29–40 section.

The corrupt influence of Jezebel spread to the southern kingdom of Judah through her daughter Athaliah, who married Jehoram, king of Judah. Thus the idolatry of Phoenicia infected both kingdoms of the Hebrews through this evil Sidonian princess.

In Revelation 2:20 the name of Jezebel is used (probably symbolically) to refer to a prophetess who seduced the Christians of Thyatira to fornication and to eating things sacrificed to idols.