JEZREEL (9Nrt+), what God planteth 7,1 'lePpa€X, 'Ieg-pahX, a.nd 'Icts'7')X ; yezrael), an ancient city of Canaan, situated on the western declivity of Mount Gilboa, overlooking the grcat plain to which it gave the name Esdraelon. On the northern side of the city, between the parallel ridges of Gilboa and Moreh (now called Yebel ed-Duhy; see MOREH), lies a rich valley, an offshoot of Esdraelon, running down eastward to the Jordan. This was called the Valley of Jezreel ;' and Bethshan, with the other towns in and around the valley, was originally in habited by a fierce and warlike race who had chariots of iron' (Josh. xvii. 16). The region fell to the lot of Issachar, but neither this tribe nor its more powerful neighbour Ephraim, was able to drive out the ancient people (xix. r8).
The valley of Jezreel ' became the scene of one of the most signal victories ever achieved by the Israelites, and of one of the most melancholy de feats ever they sustained. In the time of the Judges, the Midianites, Amalekites, and children of the East,' crossed the Jordan, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel,' almost covering its green pastures with their tents, flocks, and herds (Judg. vi. 33, seq.) Gideon hastily summoned the war riors of Israel round his standard, and took up a position on the lower slopes of Gilboa, close to the well of Harod' (vii. ; also called the fountain of Jezreel,' HARM)), about a mile east of the city. The story of Gideon's lamps and pitchers, his night attack, and the utter rout and terrible slaughter of the enemy, is well known.
Two centuries later the Philistines took up the identical position formerly occupied by the Midian ites and the Israelites under Saul pitched on Gideon's old camping-ground by the fountain of Jezreel' (t Sam. xxix. r-ir). The Israelites were defeated, and Saul and Jonathan, with the flower of their troops, fell on the heights of Gilboa (xxxi. r-6). The valley and the fountain of Jezreel were thus the scenes of stirring events in early Jewish history, but it is not till long aftenvarcis we find any direct reference made to the city, though it appears to have been head of a large province (2 Sam. ii. 9 ; iv. 4; Kings iv. 12). It was during the reign of Ahab, Jezreel became a place of note. He built a palace there, and made it one of the royal resi dences. After Elijah's sacrifice and the slaughter of Baal's prophets on Carmel, Ahab drove in his chariot across the plain to Jezreel, and Elijah, girding- up his loins,' ran befoi-e him like the groom of a modern eastern prince, a distance of some fifteen miles (I Kings xviii. 45, 46). In
Jezreel, Naboth was murdered by the infamous Je zebel, that she might get possession of his ancestral vineyard, which adjoined the royal palace (I Kings xxi. 1-16). Here, too, in fulfilment of prophecy (vers. 17-23), divine vermeance fell on the guilty house of Ahab. Joram 16tis son was slain and his body cast into the vineyard of poor Naboth (2 Kings ix. 23-26 ; Joseph—if/dig. ix. 6. 4). Here Jezebel was thrown out of a window and devoured by clogs in the streets (2 Kings ix. 30-37). Here, too the whole family of Ahab were murdered by (x. I) ; and these acts of horrid cruelty did not go unpunished, they were avenged by the utter extinction of the family of Jehu, and the final overthrow of the sinful kingdom of Israel.
The above facts and predictions help to illustrate the highly figurative references to Jezreel by the prophet Hosea. And the Lord said unto him, call his name Yezreel ; for yet a little while and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause the kingdom of the house of Israel to cease, and it shall come to pass in that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel' (i. 4, 5). The word yezreel sig nifies God will scatter,' from Int, to scatter,' and ` God ;' and this was the divinely appoint ed name of the prophet's son, to symbolize the ruin that was soon to fall on the house of Jehu and the whole kingdom of Israel. The Lord had pro mised that Jehu's descendants should occupy the throne tal the fourth generation (2 Kings x. 3o). Two of these bad passed when Hosea wrote, and consequently the time of their ruin was at hand. The valley of Jezreel' was the battle-field of Israel. In it the Israelites attempted to withstand the first attack of the Assyrians, and being over thrown, the whole kingdom fell, and the prophet's words were fulfilled, I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.' In Hos. i. there is another characteristic play upon the word Jezreel. The root Int signifies to plant,' or SOW,' as well as to scatter ;' hence, referring to the return of the Israelites from captivity, and their re-establishment in Palestine, he says, Great shall be the day of Yezree/,' that is, the dav of what Cod shall plant ;' namely, the Israelites in their own country. In the same sense the word is used in chap. ii. 22, And the earth shall respond to the corn, and the new wine, ana the oil ; and they shall respond to yezreel,' that is, to what God shall plant' (Gesenius, Thesaurus, s. v.; Henderson, ad loc. ; cf. Jer. xxxi. 27).