Who Was Jezebel in the Bible — In Biblical Context
Jezebel was the wicked Phoenician queen of Israel who married King Ahab, promoted Baal worship, and persecuted the prophets of God.
Jezebel was the wicked Phoenician queen of Israel who married King Ahab, promoted Baal worship, and persecuted the prophets of God.
"He took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him." — 1 Kings 16:31 (KJV)
The Biblical Context
Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, and became the wife of Ahab, king of Israel, around 874 BC. She was a fierce devotee of Baal and Asherah and used her royal authority to plant idolatry deep in Israel. She slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, supported 450 prophets of Baal at her own table, and sought to kill Elijah after his triumph on Mount Carmel. Her most infamous crime was the murder of Naboth so Ahab could seize his vineyard (1 Kings 21). For this God pronounced doom on her house. Years later, Jehu carried out the judgment: Jezebel was thrown from a window and trampled, and dogs ate her flesh, just as Elijah had prophesied (2 Kings 9). Her name has become a byword for seductive evil and unrepentant rebellion against God.
Where It Sits in Scripture
The core passage for this question, 1 Kings 16:31, sits inside 1 Kings 16. To grasp the full meaning, read the surrounding paragraph — the verses before set up the thought, the verses after carry it forward.
"He took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him."
Supporting Passages
"But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up."
"And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot."
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