the Week of Proper 25 / Ordinary 30
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Bible Dictionaries
Jezebel
Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary
or The wife of Ahab, king of Israel. (1 Kings 16:31) Her ame is very singular, meaning an island of the habitation—from Ai, island; and Zebal, habitation. The horrid character of this woman is strongly marked in the Scriptures, from (1 Kings 15:1 - 1 Kings 22:53; 2 Kings 1:1 - 2 Kings 9:37). Indeed, the very name in the church, hath been always considered odious. Hence our Lord, in his message to the churches, calls some worthless person by the name. (See Revelation 2:20) The awful termination of her life is strongly given. (2 Kings 9:33) And the events which followed her being eaten by dogs, which the prophet had foretold in the same chapter, 2 Kings 9:10 were literally fulfilled.
It may appear somewhat marvellous, that such a circumstance should take place as that of dogs being allowed to eat human flesh, and in the very open streets of the city. But modern historians confirm the fact, and speak of it as no uncommon thing. They say that at Gordar, it is usual to hew in pieces the unhappy prisoners, which fall into their hands; and that when this is done, their scattered fragments are suffered to lie in the streets, being denied burial. And the stench would be intolerable, did not the beasts of prey in the neighbouring mountains visit the streets by night, and carry off as carrion the bodies of those so murdered. None of the inhabitants on account of these beasts, ever venture out of their houses after it is dark, without a guard and fire-arms. And this may serve to explain also that passage in the prophet: "I will appoint over them four kinds, saith the Lord, the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beast of the earth, to devour and destroy." (Jeremiah 15:3)
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Hawker, Robert D.D. Entry for 'Jezebel'. Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance and Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/pmd/j/jezebel.html. London. 1828.
