OT Characters: Ahab & Jezebel

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' website.

Hebrew words:

• 'Akh'av (Ahab)-- father's brother or "The Father is my brother" (a claim to be close to God?), 84x in the OT.
• 'Izevel (Jezebel) -- may mean "chaste" (ironic, if so), or (more likely?) refers to the pagan (Canaanite and Phoenician) god Baal (Babylonian Bel). This may even be a wordplay on the word for dung, zebul (see 1 Kings 14:10), which sounds like the word for prince. 23x in the OT.

Further study:

• Ahab: 1 Kings 16-22; 2 Kings 9.
• Jezebel: 1 Kings 16, 18, 19, 21; 2 Kings 9; Revelation 2:20.

Some things we learn about God:

• God’s world is moral. Immoral choices lead to harmful consequences.
• Punishes those who disrespect his word.
• Responds favorably to repentance even on the part of the most hardened sinner.

For kids:

• Why not act out the colorful story of Ahab, Jezebel, and Naboth’s vineyard? You might also want to dramatize the end of Ahab and Jezebel.
  • Characters required: Naboth, Ahab, Jezebel, falsewitnesses.
  • Scenes: Naboth's refusal, Ahab's pouting, Jezebel's scheme, Naboth's wrongly execution, Ahab's death (shot with an arrow), Jezebel's death (thrown out a window).
  • The lesson: If we disobey God's word, sooner or later we will be called to judgment.

Key verses:

• 1 Kings 16:31 – Ahab marries the pagan Jezebel, leading Israel into even greater depravity.
• 1 Kings 18:17 – Ahab doesn’t like the prophet Elijah.
• 1 Kings 21:13 – Ahab and Jezebel murder Naboth (and his sons) to seize his property.
• 1 Kings 21:27 – Ahab responds humbly to Elijah’s words.
• 1 Kings 22:35 – Ahab dies as a result of ignoring the prophet Micaiah’s warning.
• 2 Kings 9:33 – Jezebel is defenestrated.