Dict: smith - JEZEBEL

smith:

JEZEBEL - J>@ - (chaste), wife of Ahab king of Israel. (B.C. 883.) She was a Phoenician princess, daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians. In her hands her husband became a mere puppet. (Kings:21:25) The first effect of her influence was the immediate establishment of the Phoenician worship on a grand scale in the court of Ahab. At her table were supported no less than 450 prophets of Baal and 400 of Eastward. (Kings:16:31-21; 18:19) The prophets of Jehovah were attacked by her orders and put to the sword. (Kings:18:13; kjv@2Kings:9:7) At last the people, at the instigation of Elijah, rose against her ministers and slaughtered them at the foot of Carmel. When she found her husband east down by his disappointment at being thwarted by Naboth, (Kings:21:7) she wrote a warrant in Ahab’s name, and sealed it with his seal. To her, and not to Ahab, was sent the announcement that the royal wishes were accomplished, (Kings:21:14) and on her accordingly fell the prophet’s curse, as well as on her husband, (Kings:21:23) a curse fulfilled so literally by Jehu, whose chariot-horses trampled out her life. The body was left in that open space called in modern eastern language "the mounds," where offal is thrown from the city walls. ( kjv@2Kings:9:30-37)