A town in the territory of Issachar.
About Jezreel (of Issachar)
A was a town first built by the tribe of Issachar. It was located just south of Shunem (Joshua 19:18). People had lived in the area earlier, but they left during the el-Amarna period. The town became important in Israel’s history. Many key events in the Bible took place in or near Jezreel.
Jezreel became more important after the town of Beth-shan declined during the Iron Age. King Saul made Jezreel the center of one of his districts (2 Samuel 2:9). A spring near the town became a meeting place for Saul’s army before they fought the Philistines at Mount Gilboa (1 Samuel 29:1).
After Saule died, the town was part of the kingdom of Ishbosheth for a short time (2 Samuel 2:8–11). During King Solomon’s rule, Jezreel was part of a district in the tribe of Issachar. It was not part of the main Jezreel Valley. Jehoshaphat, son of Paruah, was the leader of this district (1 Kings 4:17).
Omri was king of Israel from 885 to 874 BC. During this time, Omri chose Jezreel to be the winter capital of Israel. Four kings from his family lived there, including King Joram (who ruled from 852 to 841 BC). Joram later went to Jezreel to recover from battle wounds (2 Kings 8:29).
Jezreel had a city wall, a main gate, and a tower for watching the land around it (9:17). A council of elders and nobles administered it (10:1). The royal palace was next to a vineyard owned by Naboth, a man from Jezreel. King Ahab took this land in an unjust way (1 Kings 21). Because of this, God judged Ahab’s family severely.
Jezebel, the Phoenician wife of Ahab, died in Jezreel. She was thrown out of a window and eaten by dogs when Jehu took power. Jehu also killed King Joram and his officials and threw Joram’s body into Naboth’s field (2 Kings 9:24–26). Jehu then killed the rest of Ahab’s family (10:1–11).
After the destruction of the dynasty of Omri, the town became less important. Writers in the Christian era called it a village. For example, Eusebius (who lived AD 260–340) refers to it as a village between Scythopolis (Beth-shan) and Legio (Onomasticon 108:13ff.). The Crusaders called it “le Petit Gerim” to tell it apart from a larger town called “le Grand Gerim.”
Today, the site of Jezreel is called Zer'in. It is the location of an Israeli shared farming community (called a kibbutz) about 88.5 kilometers ( 55 miles) north of Jerusalem. Archaeologists have found remains there from the Iron Age and the time of the Roman Empire.
Key References
Now the Philistines brought all their forces together at Aphek, while Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.
So King Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds that the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab, because Joram had been wounded.
and made him king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin—over all Israel.
All Scripture References (39)
Joshua (1)
Their territory included Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem,
1 Samuel (4)
David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal.
Now the Philistines brought all their forces together at Aphek, while Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.
So David and his men got up early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
David’s two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel, had been taken captive.
2 Samuel (4)
So David went there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.
and made him king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin—over all Israel.
And sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam of Jezreel;
And Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the report about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she was hurrying to escape, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.
1 Kings (11)
Baana son of Ahilud in Taanach, in Megiddo, and in all of Beth-shean next to Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah and on past Jokmeam;
Meanwhile, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and a heavy rain began to fall. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.
And the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah, and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
Some time after these events, Naboth the Jezreelite owned a vineyard in Jezreel next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
So Ahab went to his palace, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had told him, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He lay down on his bed, turned his face away, and refused to eat.
Ahab answered, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and told him, ‘Give me your vineyard for silver, or if you wish, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ And he replied, ‘I will not give you my vineyard!’”
But his wife Jezebel said to him, “Do you not reign over Israel? Get up, eat some food, and be cheerful, for I will get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, who refused to give it to you for silver. For Naboth is no longer alive, but dead.”
And when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
“Get up and go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria. See, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession of it.
And the LORD also speaks concerning Jezebel: ‘The dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’
2 Kings (14)
So King Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds that the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab, because Joram had been wounded.
And 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.
but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he had suffered at the hands of the Arameans in the battle against Hazael their king.) So Jehu said, “If you commanders wish to make me king, then do not let anyone escape from the city to go and tell it in Jezreel.”
Then Jehu got into his chariot and went to Jezreel, because Joram was laid up there. And Ahaziah king of Judah had gone down to see him.
Now the watchman standing on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu’s troops approaching, and he called out, “I see a company of troops!” “Choose a rider,” Joram commanded. “Send him out to meet them and ask, ‘Have you come in peace?’”
“Harness!” Joram shouted, and they harnessed his chariot. Then Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah set out, each in his own chariot, and met Jehu on the property of Naboth the Jezreelite.
And Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Pick him up and throw him into the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember that when you and I were riding together behind his father Ahab, the LORD lifted up this burden against him:
Now when Jehu arrived in Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. So she painted her eyes, adorned her head, and looked down from a window.
So they went back and told Jehu, who replied, “This is the word of the LORD, which He spoke through His servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘On the plot of ground at Jezreel the dogs will devour the flesh of Jezebel.
And Jezebel’s body will lie like dung in the field on the plot of ground at Jezreel, so that no one can say: This is Jezebel.’”
Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the officials of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying:
Then Jehu wrote them a second letter and said: “If you are on my side, and if you will obey me, then bring the heads of your master’s sons to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow.” Now the sons of the king, seventy in all, were being brought up by the leading men of the city.
And when the letter arrived, they took the sons of the king and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.
So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his great men and close friends and priests, leaving him without a single survivor.
1 Chronicles (1)
These were the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: The firstborn was Amnon by Ahinoam of Jezreel; the second was Daniel by Abigail of Carmel;
2 Chronicles (1)
So he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds they had inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab, because Joram had been wounded.
Hosea (3)
Then the LORD said to Hosea, “Name him Jezreel, for soon I will bring the bloodshed of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel.
Rebuke your mother, rebuke her, for she is not My wife, and I am not her husband. Let her remove the adultery from her face and the unfaithfulness from between her breasts.