Meaning of JEZREEL

"God sows, or scatters."
(a) Name of a fortified city (1 Kings 21:23), with a tower and gate (2 Kings 9:17; 10:7, 8) and of the plain where this city was located.

Jezreel was in Issachar (Josh. 19:16-18), not far from Mount Gilboa (1 Sam. 31:1-5; cf. 1 Sam. 29:1 and 2 Sam. 4:4). After several historical incidents, this city became one of the capitals of Ahab (1 Kings 18:45) and of Jehoram his son (2 Kings 8:29).

Naboth was from Jezreel, and was stoned outside its walls (1 Kings 21:1, 13). It is there where Jezebel died violently (see JEZEBEL, JEHU). Jehu gave the order to pile up the heads of Ahab's seventy sons at the entrance to the gate of Jezreel (2 Kings 10:1-11).

The prophet Hosea denounced this gruesome slaughter and announced that the Lord would avenge this bloodshed (Hosea 1:4). The crusaders were not wrong to identify Jezreel with the "Parvum Gerinum."

Today it is a town called Zer'în, 32° 34' N, 35° 19' E. Although it is located at the end of a plain, its position as a fortified city was undoubtedly excellent, being at the top of an elevation about 30 m. high, facing northeast. It has an abundant supply of water.

(b) City in the hill country of Judah (Josh. 15:56). One of David's wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite, surely came from there (1 Sam. 25:43; 27:3). She has not been identified.

(c) A man of Judah, descended from Hur (1 Chron. 4:3).

(d) One of the sons of the prophet Hosea. The boy received this name because the Lord wanted to remind the people that the house of Jehu would receive punishment for the massacre at Jezreel (Hosea 1:4).