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" (1 Sam. 27:3). "(3.) A symbolical name given by Hosea to his oldest son (Hos. "1:4), in token of a great slaughter predicted by him, like that" which had formerly taken place in the plain of Esdraelon (comp. "Hos. 1:4, 5)."

The murder perpetrated here by Ahab and Jehu (Hos. 1:4; comp. 1 Kings 18:4; 2 Kings 9:6-10).

The time predicted for the execution of vengeance for the deeds of blood committed there (Hos. 1:5).

"(1 Kings 21:23; comp. 13), the fortification surrounding the" "city, outside of which Naboth was executed."

Where Saul encamped before the battle of Gilboa (1 Sam. 29:1). "In the valley under Zerin there are two considerable springs," "one of which, perhaps that here referred to, "flows from under a" sort of cavern in the wall of conglomerate rock which here forms the base of Gilboa. The water is excellent; and issuing from "crevices in the rocks, it spreads out at once into a fine limpid" "pool forty or fifty feet in diameter, full of fish" (Robinson)." "This may be identical with the "well of Harod" (Judg. 7:1; comp." "2 Sam. 23:25), probably the `Ain Jalud, i.e., the "spring of" "Goliath."

"The field adjoining the city (2 Kings 9:10, 21, 36, 37). Here" Naboth was stoned to death (1 Kings 21:13).

One of the turrets which guarded the entrance to the city (2 Kings 9:17).

"Lying on the northern side of the city, between the ridges of" "Gilboa and Moreh, an offshoot of Esdraelon, running east to the" Jordan (Josh. 17:16; Judg. 6:33; Hos. 1:5). It was the scene of the signal victory gained by the Israelites under Gideon over "the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the "children of the east" (Judg. 6:3). Two centuries after this the Israelites were here "defeated by the Philistines, and Saul and Jonathan, with the" "flower of the army of Israel, fell (1 Sam. 31:1-6)." "This name was in after ages extended to the whole of the plain of Esdraelon (q.v.). It was only this plain of Jezreel and that north of Lake Huleh that were then accessible to the chariots of the Canaanites (comp. 2 Kings 9:21; 10:15).

Related Bible Dictionary Terms:
Jezreel Blood of    Jezreel Day of    Jezreel Ditch of    Jezreel Fountain of    Jezreel Portion of    Jezreel Tower of    Jezreel Valley of