Jezreel

Biblical Locations

• The city: In Joshua 19:18, Jezreel appears in the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar, and Shunem is listed alongside it. King Ahab of the northern kingdom of Israel kept a palace here in addition to his capital at Samaria. After the contest on Mount Carmel, Elijah ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel (1 Kings 18:46). Jezebel's seizure of Naboth's vineyard, which lay near the palace, also took place here (1 Kings 21:1).
• Jehu's revolt: At Jezreel, Jehu killed King Joram and had his body thrown into the field of Naboth (2 Kings 9:24–26). Jezebel was thrown down from a window, and dogs devoured her body; Scripture records this as the fulfillment of Elijah's prophecy (2 Kings 9:30–37). Jehu also killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel (2 Kings 10:11). For Ahab and Jezebel, see Ahab and Jezebel.
• The valley: The Midianite coalition encamped in the Valley of Jezreel, and Gideon rose up to oppose them (Judges 6:33). Before Saul's final battle, the army of Israel encamped by the fountain in Jezreel (1 Samuel 29:1).
• Other uses: A town of the same name existed in the hill country of Judah (Joshua 15:56). Some identify it as the hometown of Ahinoam, the wife of David (1 Samuel 25:43). As a personal name, Jezreel refers to the firstborn son of the prophet Hosea (Hosea 1:4) and to a descendant of Judah (1 Chronicles 4:3).

Background

The name is understood as a compound of the Hebrew verb meaning "to sow" and El, a designation for God. The valley stretches between the Mount Carmel range and Mount Gilboa and continues into the Jordan Valley. Because its soil is fertile and it forms a corridor linking the coast with the interior, it has long served both as farmland and as a battlefield. Megiddo lies at the southwestern end of the valley. In Greek the valley is also called Esdraelon. The site of the city is widely identified with modern Tel Jezreel, where archaeological excavations have been conducted.

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

In the book of Hosea, Jezreel is a name that carries both judgment and restoration. God has Hosea name his son Jezreel and declares, "I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu" (Hosea 1:4–5). The same book then says, "great shall be the day of Jezreel" (Hosea 1:11), and turns the meaning of the name into a promise of restoration, with God's word that he will "sow" his people again in the land (Hosea 2:22–23). The promise of Hosea 2:23, "I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people," is taken up in the New Testament. Romans 9:25–26 and 1 Peter 2:10 quote this passage and apply it to the calling of the church, including Gentiles, as the people of God.

Interpretation and Points of Debate

• The assessment of Jehu: 2 Kings 10:30 records that God approved Jehu's action in striking down the house of Ahab. Yet Hosea 1:4 says that God will avenge that very "blood of Jezreel" upon the house of Jehu. Interpreters explain this tension in different ways. Some hold that Jehu shed blood excessively or acted to secure his own power; others point to Jehu's failure to depart from the sins of Jeroboam (2 Kings 10:31). Still others read it as a judgment on the whole history of dynastic violence associated with Jezreel.
• Connection with Armageddon: "Armageddon" in Revelation 16:16 is commonly interpreted as "the mountain of Megiddo." Because Megiddo lies in this valley, those who read the text literally, such as dispensationalists, regard the Valley of Jezreel as the site of the final battle. Others read it as a symbol of the ultimate confrontation between God and the forces of evil. The name Jezreel does not appear in the text of Revelation itself.