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Jezreel

Issachar (Jezreel Valley)

Valley in Issachar (Jezreel Valley) · today Tel Jezreel & the Jezreel Valley, Israel

Meaning: “God sows

The great fertile valley of Israel’s battles — Gideon’s camp against Midian and the city of Ahab and Jezebel.

Location

Overview

Jezreel names both a fertile valley cutting across northern Israel and a city on its edge. The broad plain was the nation's great battlefield; the city, a royal residence of the house of Ahab.

Gideon against Midian

The Midianites and Amalekites "pitched in the valley of Jezreel," and Gideon's tiny band camped by the well of Harod before God routed the vast host with trumpets and torches (Judges 6:33; 7:1).

The city of Ahab and Jezebel

Ahab had a palace at Jezreel, beside Naboth's vineyard. For seizing it through Jezebel's murder of Naboth, Elijah pronounced doom on the dynasty (1 Kings 21:1, 23).

The end of a dynasty

At Jezreel Jehu carried out the prophecy — Joram was slain in Naboth's field, and Jezebel was thrown from a window and "eaten by dogs by the wall of Jezreel" (2 Kings 9:30–37). The prophet Hosea later named a son Jezreel as a sign (Hosea 1:4–5).

Events Here

1191 BC

Gideon camps by the spring against Midian in the valley of Jezreel

Judges 7:1
841 BC

Jezebel is thrown down and dies at Jezreel

2 Kings 9:33

Scripture References

32 verses
Joshua3 verses

Joshua 15:56

And Jezreel, and Jokdeam, and Zanoah,

Joshua 17:16

And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Bethshean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel.

Joshua 19:18

And their border was toward Jezreel, and Chesulloth, and Shunem,

Judges1 verse

Judges 6:33

Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.

1 Samuel3 verses

1 Samuel 25:43

David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives.

1 Samuel 29:1

Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel.

1 Samuel 29:11

So David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

2 Samuel2 verses

2 Samuel 2:9

And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

2 Samuel 4:4

And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth: or, Meribbaal

1 Kings5 verses

1 Kings 4:12

Baana the son of Ahilud; to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo, and all Bethshean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Bethshean to Abelmeholah, even unto the place that is beyond Jokneam:

1 Kings 18:45

And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.

1 Kings 18:46

And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. to the: Heb. till thou come to Jezreel

1 Kings 21:1

And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.

1 Kings 21:23

And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. wall: or, ditch

2 Kings12 verses

2 Kings 8:29

And king Joram went back to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick. which: Heb. wherewith the Syrians had wounded Ramah: called Ramoth sick: Heb. wounded

2 Kings 9:10

And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her. And he opened the door, and fled.

2 Kings 9:15

But king Joram was returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria.) And Jehu said, If it be your minds, then let none go forth nor escape out of the city to go to tell it in Jezreel. Joram: Heb. Jehoram but not in verse sixteen had given: Heb. smote let none: Heb. let no escaper go, etc.

2 Kings 9:16

So Jehu rode in a chariot, and went to Jezreel; for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah was come down to see Joram.

2 Kings 9:17

And there stood a watchman on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take an horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace?

2 Kings 9:30

And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window. painted: Heb. put her eyes in painting

2 Kings 9:36

Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel: by: Heb. by the hand of

2 Kings 9:37

And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel; so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel.

2 Kings 10:1

And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to them that brought up Ahab's children, saying, them: Heb. nourishers

2 Kings 10:6

Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye be mine, and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye the heads of the men your master's sons, and come to me to Jezreel by to morrow this time. Now the king's sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, which brought them up. mine: Heb. for me

2 Kings 10:7

And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to Jezreel.

2 Kings 10:11

So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his priests, until he left him none remaining. kinsfolks: or, acquaintance

1 Chronicles1 verse

1 Chronicles 4:3

And these were of the father of Etam; Jezreel, and Ishma, and Idbash: and the name of their sister was Hazelelponi:

2 Chronicles1 verse

2 Chronicles 22:6

And he returned to be healed in Jezreel because of the wounds which were given him at Ramah, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria. And Azariah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab at Jezreel, because he was sick. which: Heb. wherewith they wounded him Azariah: also called, Ahaziah, ver.I. or, Jehoahaz, ver.21.17.

Hosea4 verses

Hosea 1:4

And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. avenge: Heb. visit

Hosea 1:5

And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

Hosea 1:11

Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

Hosea 2:22

And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel.

Archaeology & History

The Jezreel Valley (the plain of Esdraelon) is the largest valley in Israel, a fertile corridor between Galilee and Samaria crossed by major trade and army routes — which is why so many battles, from Deborah and Gideon to later ages, were fought there. Tel Jezreel preserves the royal city of the Omride kings.

People who appear here

Ahab7×
Jehu7×
Jezebel5×
Hazael3×
David2×
Elijah2×
Saul1×
Jonathan1×
Mephibosheth1×
Naboth1×

Frequently asked about Jezreel

Where is Jezreel today?

Today, Jezreel corresponds to Tel Jezreel & the Jezreel Valley, Israel.

What does the name Jezreel mean?

The name Jezreel means “God sows”.

What happened at Jezreel in the Bible?

Key biblical events at Jezreel include gideon camps by the spring against midian in the valley of jezreel; jezebel is thrown down and dies at jezreel.

Where is Jezreel first mentioned in the Bible?

Jezreel is first mentioned in Joshua 15:56.

How often is Jezreel mentioned in the Bible?

Jezreel is mentioned in 32 verses across 9 books: Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Hosea.

What is the Jezreel Valley known for?

It was the great battlefield of northern Israel — the site of Gideon’s victory over Midian and many later battles — and home to the city of Jezreel, the royal residence of Ahab and Jezebel.

What happened to Jezebel at Jezreel?

Fulfilling Elijah’s prophecy, Jehu had her thrown from a window at Jezreel, where she died and was eaten by dogs, ending Ahab’s dynasty.