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Jennifer Knust, an American Biblical scholar out of Duke, posits Esther and Jezebel as two archetypal female figures—models of the feminine—in her writings on female figures in the Bible.
In the Bible, Esther and Jezebel were both queens. Esther was a Jewish woman who married the Persian King Ahasuerus and convinced the king to not kill all the Jews living in his empire. Jezebel, meanwhile, was the daughter of a Phoenician king who married King Ahab of Israel. She convinced King Ahab to worship the Tyrian god Baal-Nelkart (meaning “King of the City”) and brought about the killing of many of Yahweh’s (the national god of the Israelite kingdoms) prophets.
Esther is portrayed as a model of feminine virtue—she’s courageous and wise in saving her people via negotiation and careful maneuvering, all the while adhering to social norms of modesty and obedience. Knust posits Esther’s story as shaping Bible-induced feminine ideals stressing submission, patience, and moral integrity as virtuous and a pathway to success.
Conversely, Jezebel is depicted as a model of feminine sin; a corrupting symbol of immorality and defiance against God. She’s associated with idolatry and sexual excess and plays an active part in political decisions—for these reasons she’s framed as a dangerous female-power-gone-wrong story. Knust to this note makes the point that Jezebel’s story serves as a cautionary tale for women against transgressing social, religious, and patriarchal boundaries.
Knust notes that both figures do wield power—however, Esther’s power is indirect and achieved through moral righteousness and adherence to social norms. Jezebel’s power, meanwhile, is direct, but framed as illegitimate because it defies societal and divine norms and order.
She concludes that these stories reinforce narratives of “good” or moral women wielding power in ways that don’t threaten existing hierarchies, while “bad” or amoral women seek power for themselves in defiance of authority and norms.
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