Ahab and Jezebel

Biblical Account

Ahab, the son of Omri, reigned over the northern kingdom of Israel in Samaria for twenty-two years (1 Kings 16:29). He married Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians. He built a temple and an altar to Baal in Samaria and also made an Asherah pole (1 Kings 16:31–33). Jezebel put the prophets of the LORD to death (1 Kings 18:4).

During this period Elijah proclaimed a drought and confronted the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 17–18). Afterward, when Jezebel threatened to kill him, Elijah fled (1 Kings 19). When Ahab desired the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab's name and arranged for false witnesses, and Naboth was stoned to death. Elijah pronounced judgment for this deed. Because Ahab tore his clothes, fasted, and humbled himself, the disaster was postponed until the days of his son (1 Kings 21).

Ahab went to battle at Ramoth-gilead together with Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. Ignoring the warning of the prophet Micaiah, he was struck and killed by an arrow shot at random (1 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 18). Jezebel was later thrown from a window of the palace at Jezreel and killed during Jehu's revolt (2 Kings 9:30–37). Jehu then destroyed the house of Ahab (2 Kings 10).

Significance in Scripture

The books of Kings assess Ahab as a king who "did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him" (1 Kings 16:30). Micah 6:16 cites "all the works of the house of Ahab" as an example of disobedience.

The New Testament does not mention Ahab by name. However, Revelation 2:20 refers to a woman in the church at Thyatira who led believers astray as "that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess." The name is generally understood to be used there as a symbolic designation.

There are also records outside the Bible. An inscription of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III is known to mention "Ahab the Israelite" as a participant in the Battle of Qarqar.

Interpretation and Debated Issues

• Ahab's repentance: Interpreters differ on whether the repentance described in 1 Kings 21:29 was genuine. Some regard it as a temporary reaction of fear, while others read it as showing God's mercy, which responds even to a small act of humility.
• The lying spirit: The "lying spirit" in Micaiah's vision (1 Kings 22:22) is discussed as a text bearing on the relationship between God's sovereignty and evil.
• The "spirit of Jezebel": Some charismatic and New Apostolic Reformation circles use this name for a particular evil spirit said to manipulate the church. Critics argue that the idea has little basis in the biblical text and can be used to attack particular individuals, especially women.
• Cosmetics: The scene in which Jezebel painted her eyes and adorned her hair shortly before her death (2 Kings 9:30) was at times cited in the past as grounds for cautioning against the use of makeup. The text itself, however, does not define makeup as sin.

In the Korean Church

The account of Naboth's vineyard is frequently used as a sermon text warning against greed and the abuse of power. The confrontation on Mount Carmel is also commonly taught in Sunday schools, with a focus on the faith of Elijah, who stood against Ahab and Jezebel.