How Jezebel Got Bad Press: The Real Story Behind the Bible’s “Bad Girl”.
If na Bible you read well, you go know say Jezebel no be anybody’s girlfriend or harlot. She no even try seduce person. The woman was a queen — sharp, stylish, and politically strong. But history twist her name so till today, call a woman “Jezebel” and everybody begin imagine red lipstick and trouble. So how we reach here? Grab your zobo, make I yarn you.
The Original Jezebel: Queen, Not Seductress. For the book of Kings inside Bible, Jezebel na Queen of Israel, married to King Ahab. Her wahala be say she promote her own gods (Baal and Asherah) and challenge the prophets of Israel. She get mouth, power, and one or two palace plots. But abeg, no single verse talk say she use body take confuse man. Her “crime” na politics, not prostitution.
When Religion Enter the Remix Later, for the book of Revelation, Apostle John call one false prophetess “Jezebel,” this time mixing idolatry with sexual immorality. That’s how the name start to carry “seductive sin” flavour. From there, the gist just run wild — like WhatsApp broadcast without fact-check.
Enter Hollywood: Lights, Camera, Misrepresentation. Fast-forward to 1938. Hollywood drop film Jezebel starring Bette Davis. E no even get anything to do with Bible o — dem just use the name for a proud, independent woman who men no fit control. From that day, “Jezebel” officially move from queen ➡️ “bad girl with attitude.”
Church Wahala and the “Spirit of Jezebel”: If you don grow inside Pentecostal circles, you go don hear am before:
“That sister get the spirit of Jezebel!”
Meaning: she talk too much, wear makeup, or question authority. 😂
Pastors turn Jezebel into symbol of rebellion and seduction, forgetting say the woman’s real sin was simply refusing to shrink for men’s comfort.
Pop Culture Finish Work: Now music and street slang don carry the name join their own remix.
Afrobeats go sing, “She a Jezebel, bad gyal energy.”
Hip-hop go say, “She got that Jezebel vibe.”
Na the same recycled myth — the beautiful woman wey na trouble.
The Racial Twist: When History Became Weapon. During slavery and colonial times, white masters label African women “Jezebels” — to justify their own wickedness. Dem claim the women “seduced” them, turning victims into villains. That racist tag still dey echo small-small anytime society over-police Black women’s beauty or boldness.
The Glow-Up: Reclaiming the Queen
But guess what? Modern women don dey flip the script. Scholars and writers now dey say,
“Wait o! Jezebel no be harlot — she just get confidence.”
New essays dey call her “the Painted Queen” and “the First Feminist of the Bible.” After all, if kings wey kill prophets still get statue, why Jezebel no fit get her own PR correction?
So next time person drop “Jezebel” as insult, tell am say the original babe was a queen who refused to bow — not some Instagram temptress. History just do her dirty.
Moral of the story?
Sometimes, na society fear strong women — then call them names to make themselves feel holy.
An Investment in Education 