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Jezebel: The Woman we Never Knew

Jezebel: The Woman we Never Knew

Last updated on: September 9, 2026 at 12:00 pm by Lee Ann B. Marino

Jezebel: The Woman we Never Knew 2026-08-20T02:04:54-04:00 Lee Ann B. Marino

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Jezebel. We hear so much of her, and yet know so little about her. Some mention her in terms of a “spirit of Jezebel,” often reiterating an idea of usurping power or control. Others refer to Jezebel as a temptress, sexual icon, or seductress. Down through the ages, we are still discussing Jezebel. Who was she? Why did she matter? Are we using her image correctly today? Perhaps most important, what can we learn from her?

In Season 1, Episode 2 of the Kingdom Now podcast, I explored the ins and outs of Jezebel with Apostle Yolanda Greggs of SALT Ministries. Expanding on that conversation, here are some important facts to know about Jezebel – especially when you hear her name thrown around today.

A woman dancing surrounded by women in white, in a religious rte

“Jezebel” by John Byam Shaw, 1896. Public domain.

Who was Jezebel?

Jezebel was an ancient queen of Israel. Her name means “Where is the Lord?” and is linked to ancient Ba’al worship. She was the daughter of King Ithoball I of Tyre (today, a city in modern Lebanon). King Ahab of Israel kept close ties with King Ithoball, resulting in the marriage of Jezebel and Ahab. From what we know of Scripture, Ahab deliberately married an idolater to serve as queen of Israel, due to his own spiritual rebellion.

Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him. He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him. (1 Kings 16:32-33, NIV)

Even though we don’t often hear much about Ahab in connection with Jezebel, we can’t honestly speak of her without discussing him. Ahab was king of Israel for 22 years, following his father, Omni. He was one of the wicked kings of Israel, pursuing idolatry through the worship of Ba’al. Ba’al is a term meaning “husband” or “lord” as found in the ancient Canaanite world, and was used to refer to various false deities (often associated with fertility and storms). As part of his alliance with Tyre, Jezebel was marched off to marry Ahab, beginning her life as a wicked queen of Israel. Both royal seals and records outside of Scripture confirm Jezebel did exist.

Was she a usurper?

It’s important to remember that the records we have of Ahab and Jezebel are extremely clear. At no point in time was any prophet ever called to speak to Jezebel. Ahab was clearly king. The prophets, therefore, were sent to address Ahab, not Jezebel.

Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: “Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. (1 Kings 21:17-18, NIV)

And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’ (2 Chronicles 18:19, NIV)

As much as Jezebel might seem front and center in many Old Testament narratives, there’s no evidence she “usurped” authority from Ahab. Anything she did, she did with his knowledge and/or approval. In one particular incident, Ahab brought his issues to Jezebel.

So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.

His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so sullen? Why won’t you eat?”

He answered her, “Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, ‘Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”

Jezebel his wife said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city with him. (1 Kings 21:4-8, NIV)

The takeaways

Jezebel didn’t lust for control; she had it. She and Ahab were perfectly united in their goals; she didn’t cause disunity. There’s no evidence she was sexually immoral. She was definitely not a follower of the true God, but that doesn’t mean she did the things modern Christians accuse her of doing.

Acting out of submission

In some ways, Jezebel embodies an unredeemed imagery of marital submission: it was both conditional and unconditional at the same time. She knew how to use it for her purposes. When needed, she was there to handle her husband’s business. Their dynamic was one we would classify as co-dependent: they both knew how to work one another for their own selfish ends. Rather than growing together in faith, Jezebel and Ahab enabled one another unto toxic behaviors. In other words, Jezebel knew when to submit herself to Ahab’s whims and needs, all for the sake of continuing their monarchy. Ahab knew when to whine, complain, or adjust his mood to make Jezebel respond in his favor. He responded to her exercise of power. She responded to his burdensome whims.

But the reality remains: Jezebel only had as much power as Ahab allowed her to have. It was not a situation where Jezebel acted freely, out of Ahab’s will. It took the two of them to create the spiritually toxic mire that became Israel during Ahab’s reign. As a result, her presence was noted throughout the spiritual realities of Israel, even if she wasn’t present for matters.

While Jezebel was killing off the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water. (1 Kings 18:4, NIV)

Major actions

Jezebel’s main standoff was with the prophets of God. In particular, she had issue with Elijah. However, a study on the story of Elijah reveals three facts:

Elijah was never sent to Jezebel; only to Ahab
His only direct interaction with her was through a messenger
She got her information through Ahab, not Elijah directly

Jezebel threatens Elijah’s life

Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:1-4,9 NIV)

Realizing that Jezebel had no direct power with Elijah – and that Ahab was her influence – makes God’s question to Elijah more relevant. While acknowledging Elijah’s feelings, he had nothing to fear from Jezebel’s threats.

Nabaoth’s vineyard

In the text mentioned above, Ahab pouts because Nabaoth refuses to sell him a piece of property. Recognizing his countenance, Jezebel resolves to solve the issue.

Jezebel his wife said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city with him. In those letters she wrote:

“Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them bring charges that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.”

So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them. They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people. Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death.”

As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead.” When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard. (1 Kings 21:7-16, NIV)

Prophesied death

Elijah prophesied Jezebel’s death. As he said, so it happened.

Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: “Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’”

Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy!”

“I have found you,” he answered, “because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord. He says, ‘I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free. I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have aroused my anger and have caused Israel to sin.’

“And also concerning Jezebel the Lord says: ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’

“Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country.”

(There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.) (1 Kings 21:17-26, NIV)

The “spirit of Jezebel”

Nowadays it’s not uncommon to hear people mention a “spirit of Jezebel.” Such is often cited as a usurping spirit, one that’s associated with a few different things:

The destruction or usurping of leadership (especially church leadership)
Sexual seduction (we will discuss more of this next)
Manipulation and control

Most cite Revelation 2 as evidence of such a spirit:

Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’ (Revelation 2:20-25, NIV)

A few things to point out

There’s no identity of Jezebel as a “spirit” in this passage.
Jezebel is identified as her name, which either was actually her name, or an illusion to something else (we will discuss next).
The central focus of this passage is the church at Thyatira, not the woman herself.

What’s really going on here?

The mention of a woman named Jezebel in this passage is likely a reference to a Greek sibyl. She was likely an idolater, following the pattern of Jezebel’s entry into Israel: someone sought her out, brought her into the church, and then followed her idolatrous influence. There’s no claim that she received some abstract, transferable spirit that does not exist. This is an example of the way many lack true Biblical understanding of spirits and Bible figures. Jezebel was a person, a queen, who lived a long time ago. She was not a spirit.

Historical use of the name

One of the reasons I caution believers in randomly using the term “Jezebel” to describe attributes they dislike is due to its historical use. During slavery, the term “Jezebel” was used against African and African-American women (as well as any woman with dark skin). Along with the stereotype came association of such women as sexually aggressive and indecent. The nature of slavery encouraged breeding, and women were often pushed into sexual relationships, forced into prostitution, or raped by white masters while perpetrating the message that these women were at fault.

The “Jezebel stereotype” is often played up in music culture and within social groups, to this very day. To label someone as “Jezebel” is both racist and sexist. Though it might be popular to do so, it the idea of a “spirit of Jezebel” is a slur that should not be perpetrated.

What can we learn from her?

Like her or not, Jezebel is still in Scripture. That means there’s something in her that can teach something in us. What can we learn?

Idolatry leads to spiritual rebellion: Ahab is probably the most underrated figure in the whole Jezebel story. We skip over him – and his role as king – in favor of defaming her. Jezebel would never have been in the picture if not for Ahab. When we adopt idolatry, we become rebellious spiritually. That leads to bad leadership.
Relationships aren’t always what they seem: Ahab and Jezebel had a reasonably strong marriage, by all definitions. They had common goals and worked as a team. They also manipulated each other and worked for evil ends. What appears on the surface isn’t always what’s real. It’s also not always pleasing before God.
Submission should never be manipulative, nor unconditional: Jezebel is an example of an unconditional submission to someone else. At the same time, she used that submission for her own ends. The Bible itself says we must obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29), because mere human submission can misdirect us from God.
How we read Scripture matters: A study on Jezebel reveals the way pop culture Christianity has maligned Scripture – and her image – for their own use. Whether to be sexist, trendy, or what have you, getting things wrong misleads others in Scripture’s message.
Be careful how you use Biblical characters: Mislabeling things as a “spirit of Jezebel” shows Biblical ignorance as well as racist and sexist overtones. Stop it!

What did you learn about Jezebel from this study? How will it transform your understanding of her in the future?

General Christian

Women in Religion

About Lee Ann B. Marino

Dr. Lee Ann B. Marino, Ph.D., D.Min., D.D. (”The Spitfire”) is “everyone’s favorite theologian” leading Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z as apostle of SAFE Ministries. Her work encompasses study and instruction on leadership training and development, typology, Pneumatology, conceptual theology, Ephesians 4:11 ministry, and apostolic theology. She is author of over thirty-five books, host of the top twenty percentile podcast Kingdom Now, and serves as founder and overseer of Sanctuary International Fellowship Tabernacle - SIFT and Chancellor of Apostolic Covenant Theological Seminary. Dr. Marino has over twenty-five years of experience in ministry, leadership, counseling, mentoring, education, and business. You can read more about the author here.

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