Jezebel

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Daughter of Ethbaal, king of Sidon and the Phoenicians; the wife of King Ahab of Israel and mother of his two sons, Ahaziah and Jehoram, who reigned after him. Jezebel's name contains the Canaanite element ZBL, which means "prince, master" and is often used as an attribute of the gods, especially Baal. The first element might have been tendentiously distorted by Hebrew tradition.

Ahab's marriage with Jezebel was very advantageous to him, politically as well as economically. It also paved the way for a growing Tyrian cultural-religious influence in his realm. Jezebel is depicted as patroness of the Phoenician Baal and Asherah cults, their priests and prophets, and an adversary of God's cult and prophets (I Kgs 16:31; 18:4; II Kgs 9:7, 22). Her influence was great: the Elijah and Elisha narratives blame her, more than Ahab, for the persecution of God's true prophets and the formal institution of Canaanite religious practices in Israel.

Jezebel's royal origin and education, together with her patronage of the Baal cult, must have been the base for her enormous political power during the reigns of her husband and her sons. She acted as reigning queen, although the Bible is careful not to refer to her by that title. She was the one who conceived and carried out the killing of Naboth, so that Ahab could have the latter's land (I Kgs chap. 21). Her planning of the affair shows legal knowledge, manipulative skill and determination.

Jezebel's political power did not come to an end with her husband's death. She carried the Hebrew title Gevira - "lady" (II Kgs 10:13). Her daughter, Athaliah, who became queen of Judah, was also regarded as having continued her mother's influence (II Kgs 8:18), and Jezebel probably acted as regent when her second reigning son Jehoram was killed by the rebel Jehu (II Kgs 9:14-28). Jehu himself was powerless to uproot the Baal cult from Samaria (II Kgs 10:18-28) until after he had killed Jezebel and safely buried her remains. Even in her death she remained the ruthless but royal woman. She "put paint on her eyes and adorned her head", defying Jehu with a powerful insult (II Kgs 9:30-37). Jezebel is depicted by biblical authors as ruthless, morally corrupt and sinful. Later tradition made her name a byword for a wicked woman. Elijah told Ahab that her influence was the chief reason for the fall of the dynasty of Omri (I Kgs 21:17ff; II Kgs 9:36-37).

In Revelation 2:20, her name is used symbolically for a false prophetess who bewitches Christians into idolatrous practices.

Concordance
I Kgs 16:31; 18:4, 13, 19; 19:1-2; 21:5,7, 11, 14-15,23, 25. II Kgs 9:7, 10, 22,30, 36-37. Rev 2:20

In the Old Testament, an immoral, cruel queen of Israel who attempted to kill Elijah and other prophets of God.

Look up jezebel in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Jezebel may refer to:

• Jezebel (Bible), wife of King Ahab
• Jezebel (film)
• Jezebel (website), a blog aimed at women
• Common Jezebel, a species of butterfly
• Jezebel Baley, the wife of the character Elijah Baley in Isaac Asimov's Robot novels
• Jezebel Disraeli, a character in Kaori Yuki's manga series Godchild
• Jezebel, a historic fire engine maintained by the RCS Motor Club

Songs

• "Jezebel" (song), by Frankie Laine
• "Jezebel", a song by 10,000 Maniacs on the album Our Time in Eden
• "Jezebel", a song by Acid Bath on the album When the Kite String Pops
• "Jezebel", a song by Andrea Revel on the album Citysong
• "Jezebel", a song by Boyz II Men on the album II
• "Jezebel", a song by Depeche Mode on the album Sounds of the Universe
• "Jezebel", a song by Dizzee Rascal on the album Boy in Da Corner
• "Jezebel", a song by The Drones on the album Gala Mill
• "Jezebel", a song by Herman's Hermits on the album There's a Kind of Hush All Over the World
• "Jezebel", a song by Iron & Wine on the album Woman King
• "Jezebel", a song by Joan Jett on the album Bad Reputation
• "Jezebel", a song by Ky-Mani Marley on the album Radio
• "Jezabel", a song by Ricky Martin on the album Sound Loaded
• "Jezebel", a song by Recoil on the album Liquid
• "Jezebel", a song by The Reverend Horton Heat on the album Liquor in the Front
• "Jezebel", a song by Sade on the album Promise
• "Jezebel", a song by Son Of Dave on the album O2
• "Jezebel", a song by The Specials on the album Skinhead Girl
• "Jezebel", a song by Two Hours Traffic on the album Isolator
• "Jezebel", a song by Chely Wright on the album Never Love You Enough
• "Jezebel", a song interpreted by Lucy McGillicuddy Ricardo on an episode of I Love Lucy

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