The dogs ate her body

The ten most evil women of the Bible were Tamar (Gen 38), Potiphar’s wife (Gen 39), Rahab (Joshua 2), Jael (Judges 4), Delilah (Judges 16), Jezebel (II Kings 9), Athaliah (II Kings 11), Herodias (Matt 14), Samaritan woman (John 4), and Sapphira (Acts 5). We would like to cover them all, but space doesn’t permit. For this column, we’ll concentrate on Jezebel, who was the evilest of the group.

Jezebel was the wife of King Ahab who ruled the northern kingdom of Israel (Kings I and II). She opposed the worship of Yahweh (Hebrew God) and challenged the prophets Elijah and Elisha. Jezebel was constantly causing internal strife that plagued Israel for decades. 

When Jezebel married King Ahab, she influenced him to worship the nature god Baal. She continually pursued power and sought to destroy all who questioned her. The prophets of Yahweh were murdered at her request. Her evil actions prompted retaliation from Elijah. The prophet Elijah ordered the killing of the priests of Baal after they were unsuccessful in summoning Baal to send fire to the altar. When Jezebel learned of the slaughter of Baal priests, she vowed to have Elijah killed. This forced Elijah to flee for his life (I Kings 18:19–19:3).

Another cruel act credited to Jezebel is recorded in I Kings 21:5–16. Next to the palace of King Ahab was a vineyard, which the king desired. This vineyard was owned by Naboth of Jezreel. When Naboth refused to part with his vineyard, Jezebel falsely accused him of cursing God and the king. Jezreel instigated the stoning to death of Naboth. Afterwards, when Elijah encountered King Ahab in Naboth’s vineyard, he prophesied that Ahab and his successors would be slain, and that dogs would eat Jezebel’s body.

Years later, King Ahab suffered death during a battle with the Syrians. Then, the son of King Ahab and Jezebel, named Jehoram, replaced his father as King of Israel. It turned out that Jehu, a commander under Ahab, killed Jehoram. Later, Jehu became king and sought to overthrow Jezebel. In anticipation of Jehu’s arrival at the palace, Jezebel painted her face and dressed in fancy clothes. Looking down from the palace window, Jezebel mocked Jehu as he approached by chariot. Jehu commanded the palace officials to throw Jezebel out of the window, and they did. After her fall, Jehu drove his chariot over Jezebel’s smashed body. Then the dogs ate Jezebel’s remains. After Jehu had a meal inside the palace, he ordered that queen Jezebel be buried. However, they found only a skull, feet, and hands. Thereafter, Jezebel became the symbol of a wicked woman. Rev. 2: 20 “warned the church at Thyatira, Italy, not to tolerate the woman, Jezebel.”

When the Savior died on the cross, He paid the ultimate penalty for the collective sins of humanity. It is through the vile sins of Jezebel that we can see the significance and meaning of Jesus’ undeserving suffering on the cross. He who lived a sinless life paid the ultimate price for our transgressions: “God made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” 2 Corinthians 5:21

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