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1 Kings 21:23 — Word Study

Depth

WLCוְגַ֨ם־ לְאִיזֶ֔בֶל דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר הַכְּלָבִ֛ים יֹאכְל֥וּ אֶת־ אִיזֶ֖בֶל בְּחֵ֥ל יִזְרְעֶֽאל׃

BSAAnd the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] alsogam [even, too] speaksdâbar concerning JezebelʼÎyzebel [the wife of King Ahab, a queen of Israel] The dogskeleb [despised or lowly creatures] will devourʼâkal [eat, consume] JezebelʼÎyzebel by the wallchêyl [rampart, strong fortress] of JezreelYizrᵉʻêʼl [the city where God sows or nurtures growth]

Word
Listen & take away1 Kings 21
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 23 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (yiz.re.'El) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
1 Kings 21:23quick helps
In a sentenceThe LORD declares judgment on Jezebel, stating that dogs will consume her by the wall of Jezreel.
Who is speakingYahweh, the God of Israel, is delivering a message about Jezebel.
Where we areThis verse is part of a prophecy concerning the fate of Jezebel, following a declaration of judgment against Ahab's house.
The hard wordיֹאכְל֥וּ
Take awayThe prophecy emphasizes the disgraceful end that awaits Jezebel.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectיהוה verbדָבַר The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — 1 Kings 21:23

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Judgment on Ahab's Housegenerated

22I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked My anger and caused Israel to sin.’
23And the LORD also speaks concerning Jezebel: ‘The dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’
24Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs, and anyone who dies in the field will be eaten by the birds of the air.”
25(Surely there was never one like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, incited by his wife Jezebel.

1 Kings 21:23 is part of a larger narrative where the LORD pronounces judgment on King Ahab and his wife Jezebel for their wickedness. This specific verse highlights the fate of Jezebel, indicating that she will be devoured by dogs, a sign of dishonor and disgrace. This prophecy serves as a warning of the consequences of idolatry and immorality, as seen throughout the history of Israel.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
11 Kings 21:25(Surely there was never one like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, incited by his wife Jezebel.
22 Kings 9:10–30And on the plot of ground at Jezreel the dogs will devour Jezebel, and there will be no one to bury her.’” Then the young prophet opened the door and ran.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word יֹאכְל֥וּ, yo.khe.Lugenerated

The verb אָכַל (akal) means 'to eat' and is used here in the imperfect tense, indicating an action that will take place in the future. The form suggests that the dogs will actively consume Jezebel, emphasizing the certainty of the prophecy.

In this context, the use of יֹאכְל֥וּ indicates not just a physical act of eating, but a complete devouring, signifying the totality of her disgrace and the divine judgment against her.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

In this study, the verse is read in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the term devour for יֹאכְל֥וּ.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb of the verse is דִּבֶּ֥ר, he has spoken, which governs the entire sentence. It introduces the subject יְהוָ֖ה (Yahweh) and the content of His speech.

The structure includes a prepositional phrase that specifies the subject of the prophecy and the object being acted upon. The arrangement reflects the Hebrew tendency to place the verb early in the sentence, highlighting the action of speaking.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יֹאכְל֥וּ as καταφάγονται, which carries the same meaning of devouring. This choice reinforces the finality and severity of the judgment pronounced against Jezebel.

The use of καὶ for וְגַ֨ם־ indicates a connection to the previous statement, emphasizing that this judgment is part of a broader declaration from Yahweh.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

1 Kings 21:23 shows that the LORD speaks about Jezebel, saying that dogs will eat her by the wall of Jezreel. This prophecy highlights the dishonor that awaits her for her evil actions.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that dogs will devour Jezebel?

This signifies a disgraceful end for Jezebel, as being eaten by dogs was considered a dishonorable fate in ancient Israel.

Why is Jezebel's fate significant?

Jezebel is a symbol of idolatry and wickedness, and her prophesied end serves as a warning against turning away from God.

What does this verse reveal about God's judgment?

It shows that God's judgment is certain and that those who oppose Him will face serious consequences.

How does this verse connect to the broader narrative of Ahab's reign?

It highlights the culmination of Ahab and Jezebel's evil actions, reinforcing the theme of divine retribution present throughout their story.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What lessons can we learn from Jezebel's fate about the consequences of our actions?
  2. How can we ensure that we are living in a way that honors God, avoiding the pitfalls exemplified by Jezebel?
  3. In what ways can we recognize and resist the influences of idolatry in our own lives?
  4. How does understanding God's judgment help us in our daily decisions and moral choices?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 1 Kings 21:23 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And of Jezebel also spake the Lord,.... To Elijah, and by him: saying, the dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel or in the inheritance or portion of Jezreel, as the Targum; Jarchi interprets

Read John Gill on 1 Kings 21 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. No JFB commentary on these verses.

Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Kings 21 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Or, by the ditch, or fort; or, in the portion, as it is explained ; the Hebrew chel here being put for chelek, used there by an apocope of the last Hebrew letter, which is not unusual in the Hebrew tongue.

Read Matthew Poole on 1 Kings 21 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

1 Kings 21:23 And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.Ver. 23. The dogs shall eat Jezebel.] So the Donatists that threw the sacramental bread to dogs were themselves afterwards devoured of dogs.

Read John Trapp on 1 Kings 21 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(21-24) Behold, I will bring evil.—Distinct from that message of personal judgment is the doom of utter destruction pronounced on the dynasty of Omri—the same in substance, and almost in word, as that already pronounced in 1 Kings 14:10-11; 1 Kings 16:3-4. It is, indeed, called forth by the last sin of Ahab, but the ground assigned for it (1 Kings 21:22) extends to the whole course of idolatry and apostasy, “making Israel to sin.” It is only this more general sentence which is postponed by the repentance of Ahab (1 Kings 21:29).

Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Kings 21 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 23. The dogs shall eat Jezebel] This was most literally fulfilled; see 2Kg 9:36. The carcasses of poor Hindoos, and of persons who have received public punishment, are thrown into the rivers, and floating to the side, are devoured by dogs, vultures, and crows.

Read AdamClarke on 1 Kings 21 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

23. the dogs shall eat Jezebel] For the fulfilment, see 2 Kings 9:35-37. by the wall [R.V. rampart] of Jezreel] The Hebrew word which stands here in the text is found again 2 Samuel 20:15, where it is translated ‘trench’, with a margin in A.V. ‘outmost wall’. The R.V. gives there also ‘rampart’. In 2 Kings 9:10; 2 Kings 9:36-37, the body is said to have been devoured ‘in the portion of Jezreel’, and as the words ‘by the rampart’ αημ, want only an additional letter to turn them into ‘in the portion’ αημχ, it has been suggested that the latter ought to be the reading here. But there is no need for any change. Both expressions mean the same thing. The ‘portion’ is the land close to the walls…

Read Cambridge on 1 Kings 21 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And of Jezebel also spake the Lord, saying - These are not the words of Elijah, but of the writer, who notes a special prophecy against Jezebel, whose guilt was at least equal to her husband’s.

Read Albert Barnes on 1 Kings 21 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

And the LORD also speaks concerning Jezebel: ‘The dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Yahweh also spoke of Jezebel, saying, “The dogs will eat Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

And the LORD also speaks concerning Jezebel: ‘The dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’

NETBNew English Translation2006

The Lord says this about Jezebel, ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the outer wall of Jezreel.’

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

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

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And of Jezebel also spake Jehovah, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And of Jezebel also spoke the LORD, saying, the dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And also of Iezebel spake the Lord, saying, The dogs shall eate Iezebel, by the wall of Izreel.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And of Jezebel also spoke Jehovah saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the moat of Jizreel.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

'And also of Jezebel hath Jehovah spoken, saying, The dogs do eat Jezebel in the bulwark of Jezreel;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And YHWH has also spoken of Jezebel, saying, The dogs eat Jezebel in the bulwark of Jezreel;

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And also concerning Izebel hath the Lord spoken, saying, The dogs shall eat Izebel in the valley of Yizre'el.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Yahweh has also spoken concerning Jezebel, saying, 'The dogs will eat Jezebel beside the wall of Jezreel.'

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And of Jezabel also the Lord spoke, saying: The dogs shall eat Jezabel in the field of Jezrahel.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

And as far as Jezebel is concerned, the Lord says, ‘Dogs will eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And of Jezebel the Lord said, Jezebel will become food for dogs in the heritage of Jezreel.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

conjunction phraseוְandגַ֨םalsoclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְofאִיזֶ֔בֶלJezebelverbדִּבֶּ֥רhe.has.spokensubjectיְהוָ֖הYahwehprepositional phrase · prepositionalלֵ(cmp)clauseverbאמֹ֑רsayingclausenoun phrase · subjectהַtheכְּלָבִ֛יםdogsverbיֹאכְל֥וּthey.will.devournoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)אִיזֶ֖בֶלJezebelprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְּinnoun phraseחֵ֥לthe.rampartיִזְרְעֶֽאלof.Jezreel

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree on this verse, with 10 of the 11 words matching. The Septuagint's word order and articles differ, but the essential message remains consistent across both texts.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וְגַ֨ם־ לְאִיזֶ֔בֶל דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר הַכְּלָבִ֛ים יֹאכְל֥וּ אֶת־ אִיזֶ֖בֶל בְּחֵ֥ל יִזְרְעֶֽאל׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וְגַ֨ם־καὶלְאִיזֶ֔בֶלιεζαβελדִּבֶּ֥רἐλάλησενיְהוָ֖הκύριοςלֵאמֹ֑רλέγωνהַכְּלָבִ֛יםκύνεςיֹאכְל֥וּκαταφάγονταιאִיזֶ֖בֶלαὐτὴνבְּחֵ֥לἐνיִזְרְעֶֽאל׃ιεζραελ

10 of the 11 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

1 Kings 21:23גַּםand alsoand alsoגַּםאִיזֶבֶלof Jezebelof Jezebelאִיזֶבֶלדָבַרhe has spokhe has spokenדָבַריהוהYahwehYahwehיהוהאָמַרsayingsayingאָמַרכֶּ֫לֶבthe dogsthe dogsכֶּ֫לֶבאָכַלthey will dthey will devouאָכַלאֵתthe object the object markאֵתאִיזֶבֶלJezebelJezebelאִיזֶבֶלחֵלin [the] rain [the] ramparחֵליִזְרְעֶאלJezreelJezreelיִזְרְעֶאלאִיnotnotאִיהָיָהto beto beהָיָהאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתזָרַעto sowto sowזָרַעחַ֫יִלHelechHelechחַ֫יִלנָבוֹתNabothNabothנָבוֹתכֶּ֫לֶבdogdogכֶּ֫לֶבתְּמוֹלyesterdayyesterdayתְּמוֹלשִׁלְשֹׁםthree daysthree days agoשִׁלְשֹׁםמֹשֶׁהMosesMosesמֹשֶׁהלָשׁוֹןtonguetongueלָשׁוֹןנְאֻםutteranceutteranceנְאֻםצָבָאarmyarmyצָבָאכֹּהthusthusכֹּהיהוהYHWH/GodYHWH/Godיהוהלָקַקto lickto lickלָקַקאִיזֶבֶלJezebelJezebelאִיזֶבֶלשָׁתָהto drinkto drinkשָׁתָה
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in 1 Kings 21:23

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and also of Jezebel he has spoken Yahweh saying the dogs they will devour the object marker Jezebel in [the] rampart of Jezreel
וְגַ֨ם־ve.Gam- and also H1571 Conjunction · adverb
769× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Also means 'even' or 'too', used for emphasis or to connect ideas, like 'both...and' or 'neither...nor'. It can introduce a climax or show contrast.
Amplified meaning
even, too
Tyndale gloss
also
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גַּם (gam) is an adverb meaning 'also' or 'moreover,' indicating addition or emphasis. It can express various nuances, such as 'even,' 'indeed,' or 'but.' The term is often used in a correlational manner, as in 'both...and.' It appears in contexts that require clarification or reinforcement of a statement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גַּם 768 adv. denoting addition, also, moreover, yea

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1571 גַּם denoting addition, also, moreover, yea

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1571 gam gam

by contraction from an unused root meaning to gather;

properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea,

though; often repeated as correl. both...and:--again, alike,

also, (so much) as (soon), both (so)...and , but, either...or,

even, for all, (in) likewise (manner), moreover,

nay...neither, one, then(-refore), though, what, with, yea.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גַּם (gam) — also.

1) also, even, indeed, moreover, yea

1a) also, moreover (giving emphasis)

1b) neither, neither...nor (with negative)

1c) even (for stress)

1d) indeed, yea (introducing climax)

1e) also (of correspondence or retribution)

1f) but, yet, though (adversative)

1g) even, yea, yea though (with 'when' in hypothetical case)

2) (TWOT) again, alike

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | DirObjM — Conjunction · adverb
HC/D
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ol'-so: In the Greek kai, when it is equivalent to "also" or "even," is always placed before the word or phrase which it is intended to emphasize (e.g. Ac 12:3; 1 Joh 4:21). Mt 6:14 should therefore read, "Your heavenly Father will forgive you also"; Lu 6:13, "Whom also he named apostles"; Heb 8:6, "The mediator of a better covenant also"; and 1Th 4:14, `If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also (we believe that) those who are fallen asleep in Jesus, God will bring with Him.'

and also of Jezebel he has spoken Yahweh saying the dogs they will devour the object marker Jezebel in [the] rampart of Jezreel
לְאִיזֶ֔בֶלle.'i.Ze.vel of Jezebel H348 Preposition · noun proper feminine
22× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Jezebel was the wife of King Ahab, a queen of Israel, known for her evil deeds. She appears in 1 Kings 16:31, influencing Ahab to worship Baal and oppose God's prophets, like Elijah. Her story serves as a warning against idolatry and disobedience.
Amplified meaning
the wife of King Ahab, a queen of Israel
Tyndale gloss
Jezebel
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אִיזֶבֶל (i.ze.vel) refers to Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab of Israel, known for her influence during the Divided Monarchy. The name is derived from roots meaning 'Baal exalts' or 'Baal is husband to.' She is first mentioned in 1 Kings 16:31 and is the daughter of Ethbaal, king of Tyre.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִיזֶבֶל n.pr.f. queen of Ahab, daughter of Ethbaal, king of Tyre

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H348 אִיזֶבֶל

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

348 'Iyzebel ee-zeh'-bel

from 336 and 2083; Izebel, the wife of king Ahab:--Jezebel.

see HEBREW for 0336

see HEBREW for 02083

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִיזֶבֶל (i.ze.vel) — Jezebel.

A queen of the Kingdom of Israel, living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.16.31;

daughter of: Ethbaal (H0856); married to Ahab (H0256);

mother of: Ahaziah (H0274) and Joram (H3141H)

Also named: Iezabēl (Ἰεζαβήλ "Jezebel" G2403)

§ Jezebel = "Baal exalts" or "Baal is husband to" or "unchaste"

queen of Israel, wife of Ahab, daughter of Ethbaal

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun proper feminine
HR/Npf
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

jez'-e-bel 'izebhel, "unexalted," "unhusbanded" (?); Iezabel; see BDB; 1Ki 16:31; 18:4,13,19; 19:1,2; 21:5 ff; 2Ki 9:7 ff,30 ff; Re 2:20): Daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Zidonians, i.e. Phoenicians, and queen of Ahab, king of Northern Israel. Ahab (circa 874-853 BC) carried out a policy, which his father had perhaps started, of making alliances with other states. The alliance with the Phoenicians was cemented by his marriage with Jezebel, and he subsequently gave his daughter Athaliah in marriage to Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. His own union with Jezebel is regarded as a sin in 1Ki 16:31, where the Massoretic Text is difficult, being generally understood as…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Jezebel

Chaste, the daughter of Ethbaal, the king of the Zidonians, and the wife of Ahab, the king of Israel (1 Kings 16:31). This was the “first time that a king of Israel had allied himself by marriage with a heathen princess; and the alliance was in this case of a peculiarly disastrous kind. Jezebel has stamped her name on history as the representative of all that is designing, crafty, malicious, revengeful, and cruel. She is the first great instigator of persecution against the saints of God. Guided by no principle, restrained by no fear of either God or man, passionate in her attachment to her heathen worship, she spared no pains to maintain idolatry around her in all its splendour. Four hundred and fifty prophets ministered under her care to Baal, besides four hundred prophets of the groves [R.V., ’prophets of the Asherah’]…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(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. (1 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. (1 Kings 16:31,21; 18:19) The prophets of Jehovah were attacked by her orders and put to the sword. (1 Kings 18:13; 2 Kings 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…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Daughter of Ethbaal king of Tyre and Zidon, and wife of Ahab king of Israel, 1Ki 16:31. She spent herself in efforts to establish idolatry in Samaria, and exterminate the worship of God and the lives of his servants. Obadiah saved a hundred of them, at the risk of his own life. Jezebel herself maintained four hundred priests of Astarte. When the prophets of Baal perished at Carmel, at the word of Elijah, she sought to avenge herself on him. Afterwards, she secured the vineyard of Naboth for her husband by perjuries and murder; and her tragical death, the fitting close of a bloody life, took place, according to the prediction of Elijah, near the scene of this crime,

1Ki 19:1-21 21:1-29 2Ki 9:1-37. Her name has become a proverb…

and also of Jezebel he has spoken Yahweh saying the dogs they will devour the object marker Jezebel in [the] rampart of Jezreel
דִּבֶּ֥רdi.Ber he has spoken H1696 Verb · Piel · perfect third person masculine singular
1,142× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To speak or communicate, like God speaking to Moses in Exodus or a king commanding his people. It can also mean to promise or warn someone.
Tyndale gloss
to speak: speak
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָבַר (dabar) is a Hebrew verb primarily meaning 'to speak.' It encompasses a range of actions including declaring, commanding, and conversing. The root suggests a figurative use of words, with some entries noting a rare destructive sense of subduing. Various forms of the verb indicate different nuances, such as speaking with one another or making promises.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[דָבַר] 1142 vb. speak (original mng. dub.)

Qal speak

Niph. reciprocal sense, speak with one another, talk

Pi. speak

Pu. in the day when she may be spoken for

Hithp. speaking this word

Hiph. either leads subject, or puts to flight, fig. for subdues

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1696 דָבַר speak (original mng. dub.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1696 dabar daw-bar'

a primitive root; perhaps properly, to arrange; but used

figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive

sense) to subdue:--answer, appoint, bid, command, commune,

declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse,

say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think,

use (entreaties), utter, X well, X work.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָבַר (da.var) — to speak: speak.

: speak/tell/command

1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing

1a) (Qal) to speak

1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to speak

1c2) to promise

1d) (Pual) to be spoken

1e) (Hithpael) to speak

1f) (Hiphil) to lead away, put to flight

דָבַר (da.var) — to speak: subdue.

: subdue

1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing

1a) (Qal) to speak

1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to speak

1c2) to promise

1d) (Pual) to be spoken

1e) (Hithpael) to speak

1f) (Hiphil) to lead away, put to flight

דָבַר (da.var) — to speak: promise.

: promise/declare

1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing

1a) (Qal) to speak

1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to speak

1c2) to promise

1d) (Pual) to be spoken

1e) (Hithpael) to speak

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Piel-Perf-3ms — Verb · Piel · perfect third person masculine singular
HVpp3ms
and also of Jezebel he has spoken Yahweh saying the dogs they will devour the object marker Jezebel in [the] rampart of Jezreel
יְהוָ֖הYah.weh Yahweh H3068 Noun proper
6,528× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
Yehovah, The covenant Name of God
Tyndale gloss
The Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)

יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb

יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'

from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish

national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.

see HEBREW for 01961

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.

Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God

1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.

Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.

Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and also of Jezebel he has spoken Yahweh saying the dogs they will devour the object marker Jezebel in [the] rampart of Jezreel
לֵאמֹ֑רle.Mor saying H559 Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
5,309× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Tyndale gloss
to say
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say

Qal

Say

Say in the heart (= think)

Promise

Command (esp. late)

Niph. be said, told

Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

Hithp. act proudly, boast

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say

. Say in the heart (= think)

. Promise

. Command (esp. late)

. be said, told

. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

. act proudly, boast

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

559 'amar aw-mar'

a primitive root; to say (used with great

latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,

certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),

commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X

expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,

publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X

suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),

utter, X verily, X yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.

1) to say, speak, utter

1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend

1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called

1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly

1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch

Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Vqcc — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
HR/Vqcc
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and also of Jezebel he has spoken Yahweh saying the dogs they will devour the object marker Jezebel in [the] rampart of Jezreel
הַכְּלָבִ֛יםha.ke.la.Vim the dogs H3611 Particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
32× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means dog, but it can also refer to someone who is despised or considered lowly. It is sometimes used to describe a male prostitute in a pagan context. The word appears in various books, including Exodus and Deuteronomy.
Amplified meaning
despised or lowly creatures
Tyndale gloss
dog
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word כֶּ֫לֶב (*keleb*) means 'dog' and can refer to the animal literally or figuratively in contexts of contempt or abasement. It also denotes male cult prostitutes in a euphemistic sense. The term appears in various Old Testament verses, often associated with negative connotations, such as in 1 Samuel 17:43 and 2 Samuel 9:8.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֶּ֫לֶב n.m. I S 24:15 dog (NH id.; Ph. כלב; Aram. כֶּ֫לְבָּא, Syriac; Ar. Arabic; Eth. Ethiopic As. kalbu DI HWB 328)—abs. כ׳ Ju 7:5 + 16 t., כָּ֑לֶב ψ 59:7, 15; pl. כְּלָבִים 1 K 14:11 + 12 t.; cstr. כַּלְבֵי Jb 30:1; sf. כְּלָבֶיךָ ψ 68:24;—dog:

lit. 1 K 14:11 16:4 21:19, 19, 23, 24 22:38 2 K 9:10, 36 (all of fierce, hungry dogs, devouring dead bodies and licking blood); cf. Je 15:3 and (לְשׁוֹן כְּלָבֶיךָ) ψ 68:24; eating torn flesh, Ex 22:30 (E), כַּלְבֵי צֹאנִי = my sheep-dogs, only Jb 30:1 (in both these with implied inferiority); dog-sacrifice was a heathen rite Read the full entry →

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3611 כֶּ֫לֶב dog

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3611 keleb keh'-leb

from an unused root means. to yelp, or else to attack; a dog;

hence (by euphemism) a male prostitute:--dog.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֶּ֫לֶב (ke.lev) — dog.

1) dog

1a) dog (literal)

1b) contempt or abasement (fig.)

1c) of pagan sacrifice

1d) of male cult prostitute (fig.)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-mp — Particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
HTd/Ncmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Were held in great contempt by the Jews, but were worshipped, as well as cats, by the Egyptians. Among the Jews, to compare a person to a dog was the most degrading expression possible, 1Sa 17:43 24:14 2Sa 9:8. The state of dogs among the Jews was the same that now prevails in the East, where, having no owners, they run about the streets in troops, and are fed by charity or caprice, or live on such offal as they can pick up. As they are often on the point of starvation, they devour corpses, and in the night even attack living men, Ps 59:6,14,15 1Ki 14:11. In various places in Scripture the epithet "dogs" is given to certain classes of men, as expressing their insolent…

Thompson Chain Reference topics

(1) Animals. See

(2) A term of Reproach

Mt 7:6; 15:26; Php 3:2; Re 22:15

and also of Jezebel he has spoken Yahweh saying the dogs they will devour the object marker Jezebel in [the] rampart of Jezreel
יֹאכְל֥וּyo.khe.Lu they will devour H398 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine plural
810× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to eat or devour, and it's used in many stories, including when Jesus fed the 5000 with fish and bread in the book of Matthew. It's about taking in nourishment and being satisfied.
Amplified meaning
eat, consume
Tyndale gloss
to eat
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָכַל (akal) means 'to eat' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including literal consumption by humans and animals, as well as figurative uses like devouring by fire or destruction. It can describe actions such as feeding or causing to eat, and it also appears in contexts of oppression and destruction. The verb has various forms, indicating different subjects and nuances.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָכַל 806 vb. eat

Qal

eat, human subject

of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour

fig. of fire, devour, consume

of sword, devour, slay

in genl., devour, consume, destroy

fig. of oppression, devour the poor

Niph.

be eaten by man

be devoured by fire, consumed

be wasted, destroyed, of flesh

Pu. be consumed

Hiph.

cause to eat, feed with

cause to devoure, obj. sword

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H398 אָכַל eat .. eat, human subject

. of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour

. fig. of fire, devour, consume

. of sword, devour, slay

. in genl., devour, consume, destroy

. fig. of oppression, devour the poor

. . be eaten by man

. be devoured by fire, consumed

. be wasted, destroyed, of flesh

. be consumed

. . cause to eat, feed with

. cause to devoure, obj. sword

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

398 'akal aw-kal'

a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively):--X at

all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up),

feed (with), food, X freely, X in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay)

meat, X quite.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָכַל (a.khal) — to eat.

1) to eat, devour, burn up, feed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to eat (human subject)

1a2) to eat, devour (of beasts and birds)

1a3) to devour, consume (of fire)

1a4) to devour, slay (of sword)

1a5) to devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects - ie, pestilence, drought)

1a6) to devour (of oppression)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be eaten (by men)

1b2) to be devoured, consumed (of fire)

1b3) to be wasted, destroyed (of flesh)

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to cause to eat, feed with

1c2) to cause to devour

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to feed

1d2) to cause to eat

1e) (Piel)

1e1) consume

Aramaic equivalent: a.khal (אֲכַל "to devour" H0399)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine plural
HVqi3mp
and also of Jezebel he has spoken Yahweh saying the dogs they will devour the object marker Jezebel in [the] rampart of Jezreel
אֶת־'et- the object marker H853 Particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTo — Particle
HTo
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and also of Jezebel he has spoken Yahweh saying the dogs they will devour the object marker Jezebel in [the] rampart of Jezreel
אִיזֶ֖בֶל'i.Ze.vel Jezebel H348 Noun proper feminine
22× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Jezebel was the wife of King Ahab, a queen of Israel, known for her evil deeds. She appears in 1 Kings 16:31, influencing Ahab to worship Baal and oppose God's prophets, like Elijah. Her story serves as a warning against idolatry and disobedience.
Tyndale gloss
Jezebel
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אִיזֶבֶל (i.ze.vel) refers to Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab of Israel, known for her influence during the Divided Monarchy. The name is derived from roots meaning 'Baal exalts' or 'Baal is husband to.' She is first mentioned in 1 Kings 16:31 and is the daughter of Ethbaal, king of Tyre.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִיזֶבֶל n.pr.f. queen of Ahab, daughter of Ethbaal, king of Tyre

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H348 אִיזֶבֶל

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

348 'Iyzebel ee-zeh'-bel

from 336 and 2083; Izebel, the wife of king Ahab:--Jezebel.

see HEBREW for 0336

see HEBREW for 02083

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִיזֶבֶל (i.ze.vel) — Jezebel.

A queen of the Kingdom of Israel, living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.16.31;

daughter of: Ethbaal (H0856); married to Ahab (H0256);

mother of: Ahaziah (H0274) and Joram (H3141H)

Also named: Iezabēl (Ἰεζαβήλ "Jezebel" G2403)

§ Jezebel = "Baal exalts" or "Baal is husband to" or "unchaste"

queen of Israel, wife of Ahab, daughter of Ethbaal

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper feminine
HNpf
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

jez'-e-bel 'izebhel, "unexalted," "unhusbanded" (?); Iezabel; see BDB; 1Ki 16:31; 18:4,13,19; 19:1,2; 21:5 ff; 2Ki 9:7 ff,30 ff; Re 2:20): Daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Zidonians, i.e. Phoenicians, and queen of Ahab, king of Northern Israel. Ahab (circa 874-853 BC) carried out a policy, which his father had perhaps started, of making alliances with other states. The alliance with the Phoenicians was cemented by his marriage with Jezebel, and he subsequently gave his daughter Athaliah in marriage to Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. His own union with Jezebel is regarded as a sin in 1Ki 16:31, where the Massoretic Text is difficult, being generally understood as…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Jezebel

Chaste, the daughter of Ethbaal, the king of the Zidonians, and the wife of Ahab, the king of Israel (1 Kings 16:31). This was the “first time that a king of Israel had allied himself by marriage with a heathen princess; and the alliance was in this case of a peculiarly disastrous kind. Jezebel has stamped her name on history as the representative of all that is designing, crafty, malicious, revengeful, and cruel. She is the first great instigator of persecution against the saints of God. Guided by no principle, restrained by no fear of either God or man, passionate in her attachment to her heathen worship, she spared no pains to maintain idolatry around her in all its splendour. Four hundred and fifty prophets ministered under her care to Baal, besides four hundred prophets of the groves [R.V., ’prophets of the Asherah’]…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(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. (1 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. (1 Kings 16:31,21; 18:19) The prophets of Jehovah were attacked by her orders and put to the sword. (1 Kings 18:13; 2 Kings 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…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Daughter of Ethbaal king of Tyre and Zidon, and wife of Ahab king of Israel, 1Ki 16:31. She spent herself in efforts to establish idolatry in Samaria, and exterminate the worship of God and the lives of his servants. Obadiah saved a hundred of them, at the risk of his own life. Jezebel herself maintained four hundred priests of Astarte. When the prophets of Baal perished at Carmel, at the word of Elijah, she sought to avenge herself on him. Afterwards, she secured the vineyard of Naboth for her husband by perjuries and murder; and her tragical death, the fitting close of a bloody life, took place, according to the prediction of Elijah, near the scene of this crime,

1Ki 19:1-21 21:1-29 2Ki 9:1-37. Her name has become a proverb…

and also of Jezebel he has spoken Yahweh saying the dogs they will devour the object marker Jezebel in [the] rampart of Jezreel
בְּחֵ֥לbe.Chel in [the] rampart of H2426 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
7× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a strong wall or fortress that protects a city or a group of people. It is used in the Bible to talk about armies, walls, and other kinds of strong defenses, and is translated as 'army', 'rampart', or 'wall'.
Amplified meaning
rampart, strong fortress
Tyndale gloss
rampart
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֵל (cheyl) refers to a rampart or fortress, emphasizing its defensive qualities. It can also denote an army or a bulwark, indicating a broader military context. The word is built from a root that suggests fortification and protection, appearing in various forms in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֵל, חֵיל n.m. rampart, fortress

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2426 חֵל, חֵיל rampart, fortress

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2426 cheyl khale

or (shortened) chel {khale}; a collateral form of 2428; an

army; also (by analogy,) an intrenchment:--army, bulwark,

host, + poor, rampart, trench, wall.

see HEBREW for 02428

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֵל (chel) — rampart.

1) rampart, fortress, wall

1a) rampart

1b) fortress

Also means: che.lah (חֵילָה "bulwark" H2430)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HR/Ncmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and also of Jezebel he has spoken Yahweh saying the dogs they will devour the object marker Jezebel in [the] rampart of Jezreel
יִזְרְעֶֽאל׃yiz.re.'El Jezreel H3157 Noun proper
36× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Jezreel means God sows, the name of a city in Issachar and a place in Palestine where God sows or nurtures growth.
Amplified meaning
the city where God sows or nurtures growth
Tyndale gloss
(Valley of) Jezreel
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יִזְרְעֶאל (yizre'el) means "God sows" and refers to both a city in the Negev of Judah and another in Issachar, located on the northwest spur of Mount Gilboa. It is also the name of a man, specifically the first son of the prophet Hosea. The entries indicate its geographical and personal significance, but do not present any notable disagreements.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יִזְרְעֶאל

n.pr.loc. (God soweth)

city in the Negeb of Judah

city in Issachar

n.pr.m.

Hosea’s son

Judahite name

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3157 יִזְרְעֶאל, יִזְרְעֵאל

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3157 Yizr`e'l yiz-reh-ale'

from 2232 and 410; God will sow; Jizreel, the name of two

places in Palestine and of two Israelites:--Jezreel.

see HEBREW for 02232

see HEBREW for 0410

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יִזְרְעֶאל (yiz.re.el) — Jezreel.

Jezreel = "God sows"

a city in the Nekeb of Judah

Also named: yiz.re.e.li (יִזְרְעֵאלִי "Jezreel" H3158)

יִזְרְעֶאל (yiz.re.el) — Jezreel.

Jezreel = "God sows"

a city in Issachar on the northwest spur of Mount Gilboa

Also named: yiz.re.e.li (יִזְרְעֵאלִי "Jezreelite" H3158H)

יִזְרְעֶאל (yiz.re.el) — Jezreel.

§ Jezreel = "God sows"

a city in Issachar on the northwest spur of Mount Gilboa

יִזְרְעֶאל (yiz.re.el) — Jezreel.

A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.3;

son of: Hur (H2354);

brother of: Uri (H0221), Shobal (H7732H), Salma (H8007H), Hareph (H2780), Ishma (H3457), Idbash (H3031), Hazzelelponi (H6753), Penuel (H6439H) and Ezer (H5829)

§ Jezreel = "God sows"

1) a descendant of the father or founder of Etam of Judah

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

jez'-re-el, jez'-rel (yizre`e'l, "God soweth"):

(1) A city on the border of the territory of Issachar (Jos 19:18).

1. Territory:

It is named with Chesulloth and Shunem (modern Iksal and Solam). It remained loyal to the house of Saul, and is mentioned as part of the kingdom over which Abner set Ishbosheth (2Sa 2:9). From Jezreel came the tidings of Saul and Jonathan's death on Gilboa, which brought disaster to Mephibosheth (2Sa 4:4). The city plays no important part in the history till the time of Ahab. Attracted, doubtless, by the fine position and natural charms of the place, he made it one of his royal residences, building here a palace (1Ki 21:1). This was evidently on the…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Jezreel

God scatters. (1.) A town of Issachar (Josh. 19:18), where the kings of Israel often resided (1 Kings 18:45; 21:1; 2 Kings 9:30). Here Elijah met Ahab, Jehu, and Bidkar; and here Jehu executed his dreadful commission against the house of Ahab (2 Kings 9:14-37; 10:1-11). It has been identified with the modern Zerin, on the most western point of the range of Gilboa, reaching down into the great and fertile valley of Jezreel, to which it gave its name.

(2.) A town in Judah (Josh. 15:56), to the south-east of Hebron. Ahinoam, one of David’s wives, probably belonged to this place (

A city situated in the plain of the same name between Gilboa and Little Hermon, now generally called Esdraelon. [ESDRAELON] It appears in (Joshua 19:18) but its historical importance dates from the reign of Ahab, B.C. 918-897, who chose it for his chief residence. The situation of the modern village of Zerin still remains to show the fitness of his choice. Int he neighborhood, or within the town probably, were a temple and grove of Eastward, with an establishment of 400 priests supported by Jezebel. (1 Kings 16:33; 2 Kings 10:11) The palace of Ahab, (1 Kings 21:1; 18:46) probably containing his "ivory house," (1 Kings…

1. A celebrated city of Issachar, Jos 19:18, lying westward of Bethshean, 2Sa 4:4. Ahab had here a palace; and this city became famous on account of his seizure of Naboth’s vineyard, 1Ki 21:1-29; and the vengeance executed on Ahab, 2Ki 9:10,14-37 10:1-11. Jezreel was called Esdraela in the time of the Maccabees, and is now replaced by a small and ruinous Arab village, called Zerin, at the northwest point of mount Gilboa. Its elevated site gives one a fine view of the great plain of Esdraelon on the west, and the hills that border it; and towards the east it overhangs the wide and fertile "valley of Jezreel," Jos 17:16

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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