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  • From: Leonard Jayawardena <leonardj AT live.com>
  • To: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] The meaning of "the blood of Jezreel" in Hosea 1:4
  • Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2008 11:20:02 +0600


In my last post I showed that "the blood of Jezreel" refers to the death or
destruction of Israel resulting from her idolatray--rather than Jehu's
massacre at Jezeeel--for which the royal house is held responsible because of
the part they played in the idolatry of the nation.

The fact that the juxtaposition of the predictions of punishment of the royal
house and of the nation for idolatry in Hosea 1:4-5 follows a pattern also
found in 1 Kings 14:14-16 and Amos 7:8-9, 11 favors an interpretation that
sees idolatry as the reason for both punishments in Hosea 1:4-5 and as well
as the particular construction I have placed on the phrase “the blood of
Jezreel.”

Note the following:

1. The fact that idolatry is indisputably the reason for the two punishments
in 1 Kings 14:14-16 and Amos 7:8-9, 11, and the punishment of the nation in
Hosea 1:4 gives rise to the strong presumption that the royal house is to be
punished for the same basic reason in Hosea 1:4, in which the punishment of
the royal family is coupled with the punishment of the nation as in the other
two passages. This presumption is strengthened by the preceding context of
Hosea 1:4, which is the idolatry of the nation.

2. Is idolatry the only connecting thread between the punishment of the royal
house and of the nation in these three passages or is there more to the
juxtaposition of these two punishments (or judgments)? Note that in all three
passages the eventual end of the northern kingdom is in view. In 1 Kings we
are plainly told that Jeroboam I is responsible for Israel’s apostasy and its
final consequence: exile, and, presumably, that is the ground for the future
punishment of the royal house itself. In Hosea we are told that “the blood of
Jezreel” is the ground for the punishment of the royal house. We have seen
that “the blood of Jezreel” can be interpreted to mean the “death of
Jezreel,” i.e., the destruction of the northern kingdom. Interpreted thus, we
have an exact parallel to 1 Kings 14:14-16 in Hosea 1:4, with the latter
passage being explicit as to the reason for the judgment of the royal house.

To those who are still not convinced that "the blood of Jezreel" does not
refer to Jehu's massacre at Jezreel, I offer the following very simple and
basic objection (and there are others). A list of all those of the house of
Ahab killed by Jehu according to 2 Kings 9-10 is given below:

1. King Joram, son of Ahab, who was killed near the property of Naboth in
Jezreel (2 Kings 9:21-26).

2. King Ahaziah of Judah, who was shot at the ascent of Gur and died in
Megiddo (2 Kings 9:27). Ahaziah was a nephew of king Joram (2 Kings 8:24-26).

3. Jezebel, wife of Ahab and mother of king Joram, who was killed in Jezreel
(2 Kings 9:30-37).

4. The seventy sons of Ahab, who were killed in Samaria and whose heads were
brought to Jehu in Jezreel (2 Kings 10:1-8).

5. All that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel," who were slain by Jehu
following d. above (2 Kings 10:11).

6. Forty-two relatives of king Ahaziah of Judah, who came down to visit the
royal family of Israel and were slaughtered in Beth-eked (2 Kings 10:12-14).

7. "All that remained to Ahab in Samaria," who were wiped out by Jehu
"according to the word of the Lord which he spoke to Elijah" (2 Kings 10:17).

If Hosea is pronouncing judgment upon the house of Jehu for any killings
carried out by him during his reign, then it is for destroying the house of
Ahab, to which 1.-7. above relate. The reader will note, however, that out of
the seven, only 1., 3., and 5. involve blood-spilling in Jezreel. The number
of Jehu's victims of the house of Ahab outside of Jezreel at least equals--in
fact probably exceeds--that in Jezreel. Therefore, it would be very
inaccurate to refer to the massacre of the house of Ahab by Jehu as "the
blood of Jezreel," wouldn't it? Why single out the blood spilt in Jezreel?
If Hosea was condemning the house of Jehu for the destruction of the house of
Ahab by Jehu, he could have simply had God say "I will punish the house of
Jehu for his destruction of the house of Ahab," which would have been far
more accurate. Indeed, "the house of X" is the usual expression used in the
Bible when referring to the destruction of the family and relatives of the
Hebrew kings (see, for example, 1 Kings 13:34; 15:29; 16:12; 2 Chronicles
21:7; 22:10). Alternatively, Hosea could have had God say "I will punish the
house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, the ascent of Gur, Samaria, and
Beth-eked"!


Leonard Jayawardena
Sri Lanka
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