Scripture References--1 Kings 16:31; 18:4-19; 19:1, 2; 21:5-25; 2 Kings 9
Name Meaning—This heartless woman with a bloody history belied the name she bore, for Jezebel means, “chaste, free from carnal connection”; but by nature she was a most licentious woman. She was a voluptuary, with all the tawdry arts of a wanton woman. Thus no name could have been more inappropriate for such a despised female.
Family Connections—She was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Zidonians, and both king and priest of Baal worshipers. The Phoenicians were a remarkable race, and outstanding as the great maritime peoples of the ancient world, but they were idolaters who regarded Jehovah as only a local deity, “the god of the land.” Their gods were Baal and Ashtaroth or Astarte, with their innumerable number of priests, 450 of whom Ahab installed in the magnificent temple to the Sun-god he had built in Samaria. Another 400 priests were housed in a sanctuary Jezebel erected for them, and which she fed at her own table. Cruel and licentious rites were associated with the worship of Baal. Jezebel sprang from an idolatrous stock.
It was this heathen woman who married Ahab, king of Northern Israel, and who in so doing was guilty of a rash and impious act which resulted in evil consequences. As a Jew, Ahab sinned against his Hebrew faith in taking as his wife the daughter of a man whose very name, Ethbaal, meant, “A Man of Baal.” How or where the strong-minded idolatrous woman and the weak and spineless king met we are not told. Doubtless seeing her, Ahab was fascinated by her beauty and forcefulness of character and fell for her, and Jezebel, ambitious and proud, eagerly seized the opportunity of sharing the throne of a king.
Ahab, captivated by Jezebel, “took her to wife, and went and served Baal and worshipped him.” All the other sins of Ahab were light compared with his marriage with Jezebel and the serving of Baal that followed (1 Kings 16:31, see Micah 6:16). For over 60 years idolatry had made terrible inroads upon the life and ways of the Hebrews and meant more to them than the breaking of the first two commandments of the law; it produced spiritual and moral disintegration which was accentuated by Jezebel’s determined effort to destroy the worship of Jehovah.
"Women In the Bible.Net" lists Jezebel as one of the Bible's Top Ten Bad Women and breaks her the story into these three episodes:
1 The conflict between worshippers of Yahweh and Baal (at 1 Kings 16:29-34, 18:17-40, 19:1-3) The story of Jezebel, a Phoenician princess married to Ahab, king of the northern kingdom of Israel, is set in the turbulent period of the divided kingdoms, when various dynasties struggled for political power in Israel and Judah. There was open conflict between the followers of Yahweh and Baal. Jezebel supported the agricultural gods Baal and Anat. Elijah supported Yahweh. Jezebel's husband Ahab tried to steer a middle course, encouraging tolerance between the two belief systems.
2 The episode of Naboth’s vineyard (at 1 Kings 21:1-16) Ahab, Jezebel’s husband, wanted to own a vineyard near his villa at Jezreel. The owner, Naboth, would not sell. Jezebel arranged the death of Naboth, so that ownership of the vineyard passed to Ahab.
3 The death of Jezebel and her family (at 1 Kings 22:29-40, 2 Kings 9:21-28, 9:30-37) Jezebel and all the members of her family were killed during a palace coup d’etat led by Jehu. She was thrown down from a palace balcony and eaten by dogs. Nevertheless she died with courage, dressed royally as a queen and a priestess of Baal.
We have a lot to learn about Jezebel. Please read:
- 1 Kings 21:1-25 and 2 Kings 9:30-37
- Chapter 8 (pages 169 - 188) in your book
- Discussion question # 8 on page 243
- Questions and Scriptures on pages 257 - 259.