Topical Encyclopedia
In the biblical context, the term "queen" refers to a female monarch or the wife of a king. The role and influence of queens in the Bible vary significantly, with some being portrayed as virtuous and others as wicked. The Bible provides several examples of queens, each with distinct narratives and contributions to biblical history.
Queen of ShebaOne of the most notable queens mentioned in the Bible is the Queen of Sheba. Her account is found in
1 Kings 10:1-13 and
2 Chronicles 9:1-12. The Queen of Sheba visited King Solomon to test his wisdom with hard questions. Impressed by Solomon's wisdom and the prosperity of his kingdom, she praised the God of Israel: "Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel" (
1 Kings 10:9). Her visit highlights the far-reaching reputation of Solomon's wisdom and the splendor of his reign.
Queen EstherEsther, a Jewish queen of Persia, is another prominent figure. Her account is detailed in the Book of Esther. Esther became queen after being chosen by King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) to replace Queen Vashti. Her courage and faith are evident when she risks her life to save her people from a plot to annihilate the Jews, orchestrated by Haman, the king's advisor. Esther's famous declaration, "If I perish, I perish" (
Esther 4:16), underscores her bravery and commitment to her people. Her actions led to the Jewish festival of Purim, celebrating their deliverance.
Queen JezebelIn contrast, Queen Jezebel is depicted as a negative figure. She was the wife of King Ahab of Israel and is known for her idolatry and persecution of the prophets of Yahweh. Jezebel promoted the worship of Baal and Asherah, leading Israel into sin. Her account is recounted in
1 Kings 16:31-33 and
2 Kings 9:30-37. Jezebel's influence over Ahab and her opposition to the prophet Elijah highlight the dangers of idolatry and moral corruption.
Queen AthaliahAthaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, became queen of Judah through marriage to King Jehoram. After the death of her son, King Ahaziah, she seized the throne and attempted to exterminate the royal line of David. Her reign is marked by violence and idolatry, as described in
2 Kings 11:1-3. Athaliah's rule ended when she was overthrown and executed, allowing the rightful heir, Joash, to become king.
Queen VashtiQueen Vashti, the predecessor of Esther, is mentioned in the Book of Esther. She was deposed by King Ahasuerus for refusing to appear before him and his guests during a banquet (
Esther 1:10-12). Vashti's refusal is often interpreted as an act of dignity and self-respect, though it led to her removal as queen.
Role and InfluenceQueens in the Bible often wielded significant influence, whether for good or ill. Their accounts reflect the complexities of power, faith, and morality. While some queens, like Esther, are celebrated for their faithfulness and courage, others, like Jezebel, serve as warnings against idolatry and moral decay. The narratives of these queens provide valuable insights into the cultural and spiritual dynamics of their times, illustrating the impact of female leadership in biblical history.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
QueenThis title is properly applied to the queen-mother, since in an Oriental household it is not the wife but the mother of the master who exercises the highest authority. Strange as such an arrangement at sight appears, it is one of the inevitable results of polygamy. An illustration of the queen-mother's influence is given in (1 Kings 2:19) ff. The term is applied to Maachah, (1 Kings 15:13;2 Chronicles 16:16) and to Jezetiel, (2 Kings 10:13) and to the mother of Jehoiachin or Jeconiah, (Jeremiah 13:18) compare 2Kin 24:12; Jere 29:2
Easton's Bible Dictionary
No explicit mention of queens is made till we read of the "queen of Sheba." The wives of the kings of Israel are not so designated. In
Psalm 45:9, the Hebrew for "queen" is not malkah, one actually ruling like the Queen of Sheba, but shegal, which simply means the king's wife. In
1 Kings 11:19, Pharaoh's wife is called "the queen," but the Hebrew word so rendered (g'birah) is simply a title of honour, denoting a royal lady, used sometimes for "queen-mother" (
1 Kings 15:13;
2 Chronicles 15:16). In Cant. 6:8, 9, the king's wives are styled "queens" (Hebrews melakhoth).
In the New Testament we read of the "queen of the south", i.e., Southern Arabia, Sheba (Matthew 12:42;Luke 11:31) and the "queen of the Ethiopians" (Acts 8:27), Candace.
Queen of heaven
(Jeremiah 7:18;44:17, 25), the moon, worshipped by the Assyrians as the receptive power in nature.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) The wife of a king.
2. (n.) A woman who is the sovereign of a kingdom; a female monarch; as, Elizabeth, queen of England; Mary, queen of Scots.
3. (n.) A woman eminent in power or attractions; the highest of her kind; as, a queen in society; -- also used figuratively of cities, countries, etc.
4. (n.) The fertile, or fully developed, female of social bees, ants, and termites.
5. (n.) The most powerful, and except the king the most important, piece in a set of chessmen.
6. (n.) A playing card bearing the picture of a queen; as, the queen of spades.
7. (n.) A male homosexual, esp. one who is effeminate or dresses in women's clothing.
8. (v. i.) To act the part of a queen.
9. (v. i.) To make a queen (or other piece, at the player's discretion) of by moving it to the eighth row; as, to queen a pawn.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
QUEENkwen: The Bible applies this term:
(1) To the wife of a king ("queen consort") (malkah). In the Book of Esther it is the title given to Vashti (1:9) and Esther (2:22); compareSongs 6:8 f. Another Hebrew word for queen consort is gebhirah, literally "mistress" (compare1 Kings 11:19, the wife of Pharaoh;2 Kings 10:13, "the children of the king and the children of the queen"). InNehemiah 2:6 andPsalm 45:9 we find the expression sheghal, which some trace back to shaghal, "to ravish," a rather doubtful derivation. Still another term is sarah, literally, "princess" (Isaiah 49:23). The Septuagint sometimes uses the word basilissa; comparePsalm 45:9.
(2) To a female ruler or sovereign ("queen regnant"). The only instances are those of the queen (malkah) of Sheba (1 Kings 10:1-13; compare2 Chronicles 9:1-12) and of Candace, the queen (basilissa) of the Ethiopians (Acts 8:27). InMatthew 12:42 (compareLuke 11:31) Christ refers to the queen of the south (basilissa notou), meaning, of course, the queen of Sheba.
(3) To a heathen deity, melekheth ha-shamayim, "the queen of heaven" (Jeremiah 7:18;Jeremiah 44:17).
SeeQUEEN OF HEAVEN.
(4) Metaphorically, to the city of Babylon (Rome) (Revelation 18:7): an expression denoting sovereign contempt and imaginary dignity and power.
William Baur
QUEEN MOTHER
(gebhirah, literally, "mistress," then a female ruler, and sometimes simply the wife of a king ("queen,"1 Kings 11:19); inDaniel 5:10 the term malketha' "queen," really means the mother of the king): It stands to reason that among a people whose rulers are polygamists the mother of the new king or chief at once becomes a person of great consequence. The records of the Books of Kings prove it. The gebhirah, or queen mother, occupied a position of high social and political importance; she took rank almost with the king. When Bath-sheba, the mother of Solomon, desired "to speak unto him for Adonijah," her son "rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a throne to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand" (1 Kings 2:19). And again, in2 Kings 24:15, it is expressly stated that Nebuchadnezzar carried away the king's mother into captivity; Jeremiah calls her gebhirah (29:2). The king was Jehoiachin (Jeconiah,Jeremiah 29:2), and his mother's name was Nehushta (2 Kings 24:8). This was the royal pair whose impending doom the prophet was told to forecast (Jeremiah 13:18). Here again the queen mother is mentioned with the king, thus emphasizing her exalted position. Now we understand why Asa removed Maacah his (grand?)mother from being queen (queen mother), as we are told in1 Kings 15:13 (compare2 Chronicles 15:16). She had used her powerful influence to further the cause of idolatry. In this connection Athaliah's coup d'etat may be briefly mentioned. After the violent death of her son Ahaziah (2 Kings 9:27), she usurped the royal power and reigned for some time in her own name (2 Kings 11:3; compare2 Chronicles 22:12). This was, of course, a revolutionary undertaking, being a radical departure from the usual traditions.
And finally, the political importance of the gebhirah is illustrated by the fact that in the Books of Kings, with two exceptions, the names of the Jewish kings are recorded together with those of their respective mothers; they are as follows: Naamah, the Ammonitess, the mother of Rehoboam (1 Kings 14:21; compare 14:31, and2 Chronicles 12:13); Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom (1 Kings 15:2) or Absalom (2 Chronicles 11:20) the mother of Abijah; Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom, the mother (grandmother?) of Asa (1 Kings 15:10; compare2 Chronicles 15:16); Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi, the mother of Jehoshaphat (1 Kings 22:42; compare2 Chronicles 20:31); Athaliah, the grand-daughter of Omri, the mother of Ahaziah (2 Kings 8:26; compare2 Chronicles 22:2); Zibiah of Beersheba, the mother of Jehoash (2 Kings 12:1; compare2 Chronicles 24:1); Jehoaddin (Jehoaddan,2 Chronicles 25:1) of Jerusalem, the mother of Amaziah (2 Kings 14:2); Jecoliah (Jechiliah,2 Chronicles 26:3) of Jerusalem, the mother of Azariah (2 Kings 15:2) or Uzziah (2 Kings 15:13, 30, etc.; compare2 Chronicles 26:3); Jerusha (Jerushah,2 Chronicles 27:1), the daughter of Zadok, the mother of Jotham (2 Kings 15:33); Abi (Abijah,2 Chronicles 29:1), the daughter of Zechariah, the mother of Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:2); Hephzibah, the mother of Manasseh (2 Kings 21:1); Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah, the mother of Amon (2 Kings 21:19); Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath, the mother of Josiah (2 Kings 22:1); Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah, the mother of Jehoahaz (2 Kings 23:31); Zebidah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah, the mother of Jehoiakim (2 Kings 23:36); Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem, the mother of Jehoiachin (2 Kings 24:8); Hamutal (Hamital), the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah, the mother Of Zedekiah (2 Kings 24:18). The exceptions are Jehoram and Ahaz.
William Baur
QUEEN OF HEAVEN
(melekheth ha-shamayim, although there is another reading, mele'kheth, "worship" or "goddess"): Occurs only in two passages:Jeremiah 7:18;Jeremiah 44:17-19, 25, where the prophet denounces the wrath of God upon the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem who have given themselves up to the worship of the host of heaven. This is no doubt a part of the astral worship which is found largely developed among the Jews in the later period of their history in Canaan. It is first mentioned in2 Kings 17:16 as practiced by the men of the Northern Kingdom when Samaria had fallen and the ten tribes were being carried away into captivity. Moses is represented as warning the Israelites against the worship of the sun and moon and stars and all the host of heaven, practiced by the people of Canaan (Deuteronomy 4:19;Deuteronomy 17:3) and the existence of such worship among the Canaanites and neighboring nations is attested from an early period (compareJob 31:26-28). The worship of the heavenly bodies was widely spread in the East and in Arabia; and the Babylonian pantheon was full of astral deities, where each divinity corresponded either to an astral phenomenon or to some circumstance or occurrence in Nature which is connected with the course of the stars (Jeremias, The Old Testament in the Light of the Ancient East, I, 100). From the prophets we gather that before the exile the worship of the host of heaven had become established among all classes and in all the towns of Israel (Jeremiah ubi supra;Ezekiel 8:16). In that worship the queen of heaven had a conspicuous place; and if, as seems probable from the cakes which were offered, she is to be identified with the Assyrian Ishtar and the Canaanite Astarte, the worship itself was of a grossly immoral and debasing character. That this Ishtar cult was of great antiquity and widely spread in ancient Babylonia may be seen from the symbols of it found in recent excavations (see Nippur, II, 236). How far the astral theorists like Winckler and Jeremias are entitled to link up with this worship the mourning for Josiah, the lamentations over Tammuz, the story of Jephthah's daughter, and even-the narrative of the misfortunes and the exaltation of Joseph, is questionable. But that the people of Judah in the days before the exile had given themselves over to the worst and vilest forms of heathen worship and incurred the grievous displeasure of Yahweh is made clear by the denunciation of the worship of the queen of heaven by Jeremiah.
T. Nicol.
QUEEN OF SHEBA
she'-ba (1 Kings 10:1-132 Chronicles 9:1-12, called in Matthew 12:42; Luke 11:31, "the queen of the south" (basilissa notou)):
1. Old Testament Accounts:
The two Old Testament accounts of the coming of the queen of Sheba (see SHEBA) to Solomon differ slightly from one another, and, of the two, that in 1 Kings is the older. (1) The words "concerning the name of Yahweh" (1 Kings 10:1) are lacking in 2 Chronicles; while the Septuagint in 1 Kings has "and the name of Yahweh," apparently a correction of the Massoretic Text. (2) For1 Kings 10:9, "because Yahweh loved Israel for ever,"2 Chronicles 9:8 has "because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever"; the Septuagint in 1 Kings has "because Yahweh loved Israel, to establish it forever." (3) In the last verse of each account we find another difference:2 Chronicles 9:12 says that Solomon gave to the queen all her desire, "besides that which she had brought unto the king." i.e. according to some, besides the equivalent of what she had brought to him;1 Kings 10:13 margin has" besides that which he gave her according to the hand of king Solomon," i.e. besides gifts commensurate with his own wealth and power (SBOT), or be sides gifts which he gave her qua king.
2. The Narrative:
The narrative tells of the queen of Sheba, on hearing of Solomon's great wisdom, coming to test him with perplexing questions or riddles (compareJudges 14:12). She brought presents to the king, and interviewed him: "And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built" (i.e. the palace, not the temple) as well as its arrangements, "and his burnt-offering which he offered in the house of Yahweh (so read and translate with the Revised Version margin in1 Kings 10:5, and also in2 Chronicles 9:4); there was no more spirit in her": the half of Solomon's wisdom had not been told her. "Happy," she said to him, "are thy wives (so read with Septuagint, Syriac and Old Latin versions), happy are these thy servants." She then exchanged gifts with him and returned to her own land.
The narrative is a complement of that in1 Kings 3:16-28, where the king's justice is exemplified; here his wisdom.
3. Employed by Jesus:
The narrative is referred to by Jesus inMatthew 12:42Luke 11:31, where He refuses to accede to the request of the scribes and Pharisees for a sign from Him. He tells them that no sign will be given them except that of Jonah, whose sign was his preaching, one that proved sufficient to the Ninevites; and `behold something greater than Jonah is here.' The men of Nineveh will be a living condemnation of them "in the judgment" (compareLuke 16:31); and so will the "queen of the south" who came from the ends of the earth after hearing of Solomon's wisdom, `and behold something greater than Solomon is here.' The only sign to be given is that of the wisdom of Jesus, a wisdom far greater than that of Solomon (see D. Smith, Days of His Flesh, 176;).
4. Eastern Literature:
Eastern literature has much to say about the queen of Sheba. The Arabs called her Bilqis. Abyssinian legend declares that she came from Ethiopia, her name being Maqeda, and that she had a son by Solomon. See Delitzsch, Iris, 116-27; ZDMG, X, 19 f; J Pr T, VI, 524; -1880. Gressmann (in Schriften des Altes Testament, II, 1,203) has further references to Wilhelm Hertz, Gesammelte Abhandlungen, 1905, 413;; Bezold, Kebra Nagast, 1905, and also ZDMG, 60,666;. For the Mohammedan story, see Koran xxvii, with notes in Sale's translation.
David Francis Roberts
SOUTH, QUEEN OF THE
(Matthew 12:42).
SeeQUEEN OF SHEBA.
SHEBA, QUEEN OF
SeeQUEEN OF SHEBA.
Greek
938. basilissa -- aqueen... a
queen. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: basilissa Phonetic Spelling:
(bas-il'-is-sah) Short Definition: a
queen Definition: a
queen.
...2582. Kandake -- Candace, aqueen of Ethiopia
... Candace, aqueen of Ethiopia. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: Kandake
Phonetic Spelling: (kan-dak'-ay) Short Definition: Candace Definition...
2403. Iezabel -- Jezebel, the symbolic name of a false prophetess
... Short Definition: Jezebel Definition: Jezebel, name given to a false prophetess
of Thyatira, possibly borrowed from the name of Ahab's wife,queen of Israel....
Strong's Hebrew
4436. malkah --queen... 4435, 4436. malkah. 4437 .
queen. Transliteration: malkah Phonetic Spelling:
(mal-kaw') Short Definition:
Queen. Word Origin fem.
...7694. shegal -- (queen) consort
... 7693, 7694. shegal. 7695 . (queen) consort. Transliteration: shegal Phonetic
Spelling: (shay-gawl') Short Definition:queen. Word...
4446. meleketh --queen
... 4445b, 4446. meleketh. 4447 .queen. Transliteration: meleketh Phonetic
Spelling: (mel-eh'-keth) Short Definition:queen. Word Origin...
4433. malka --queen
malka or malkah. 4432, 4433. malka or malkah. 4434 .queen. Transliteration:
malka or malkah Phonetic Spelling: (mal-kaw') Short Definition:queen....
1377. gebirah -- lady,queen
... 1376, 1377. gebirah. 1378 . lady,queen. Transliteration: gebirah Phonetic
Spelling: (gheb-ee-raw') Short Definition: mother. Word Origin fem....
4427a. malak -- to be or become king orqueen, to reign
... 4427, 4427a. malak. 4427b . to be or become king orqueen, to reign.
Transliteration: malak Short Definition: king. Word Origin...
2060. Vashti --queen of Pers.
... 2059, 2060. Vashti. 2061 .queen of Pers.... Word Origin of foreign origin
Definitionqueen of Pers. NASB Word Usage Vashti (10). Vashti....
4427. malak -- to be or become king orqueen, to reign
... 4426, 4427. malak. 4427a . to be or become king orqueen, to reign.
Transliteration: malak Phonetic Spelling: (maw-lak') Short Definition: consult....
1404. gebereth -- lady,queen, mistress
... 1403, 1404. gebereth. 1405 . lady,queen, mistress. Transliteration: gebereth
Phonetic Spelling: (gheb-eh'-reth) Short Definition: mistress....
8472. Tachpenes -- an Eg.queen
... Tachpenes. 8473 . an Eg.queen. Transliteration: Tachpenes Phonetic Spelling:
(takh-pen-ace') Short Definition: Tahpenes....queen NASB Word Usage Tahpenes (3)....
Library
To GiovannaQueen of Naples
... LETTERS TO GIOVANNAQUEEN OF NAPLES. Giovanna of Naples was one of the most depraved,
as well as one of the most romantic, figures of her time....
Esther, theQueen.
... THE OLD TESTAMENT CHAPTER XXXIV. ESTHER, THEQUEEN.... In another part of the
palace Vashti, thequeen, also made a feast for the women....
How Helena theQueen of Adiabene and Her Son Izates, Embraced the...
... CHAPTER 2. How Helena TheQueen Of Adiabene And Her Son Izates, Embraced The Jewish
Religion; And How Helena Supplied The Poor With Corn, When There Was A...
Hail,Queen of Heaven
... No. 84 Hail,Queen of heaven. THE BLESSED VIRGIN Hail,Queen of heaven Ave, Regina
coelorum. Rev. Dr. Lingard Traditional Melody. Moderato....
Wesley and MaryQueen of Scots
... Chapter 14. Justice for Methodists; Methodist Character; Instructions to Parents;
Wesley's Opinion of MaryQueen of Scots Wesley and MaryQueen of Scots....
Epistle xxxviii. ToQueen Theodelinda.
... Great. Epistle XXXVIII. ToQueen Theodelinda. ToQueen Theodelinda. Gregory
to Theodelinda,Queen of the Lombards [1563] . It has...
Epistle L. ToQueen Brunichild.
... Register of the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great. Epistle L. ToQueen Brunichild.
ToQueen Brunichild. Gregory to Brunichild,Queen of the Franks....
Epistle v. ToQueen Brunichild.
... Register of the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great. Epistle V. ToQueen Brunichild.
ToQueen Brunichild. Gregory to Brunichild,Queen of the Franks [1631] ....
Epistle iv. ToQueen Theodelinda.
... the Great. Epistle IV. ToQueen Theodelinda. ToQueen Theodelinda. Gregory
to Theodelinda,Queen of the Lombards [1526] . It has...
Of Mavia,Queen of the Saracens, and the Ordination of Moses the...
... Book IV. Chapter XX."Of Mavia,Queen of the Saracens, and the ordination
of Moses the monk. At this time [761] the Ishmaelites...
Thesaurus
Queen (59 Occurrences)... Easton's Bible Dictionary No explicit mention of queens is made till we read of
the "
queen of Sheba." The wives of the kings of Israel are not so designated.
...Queen's (3 Occurrences)
...Queen's (3 Occurrences).... Esther 1:18 Today, the princesses of Persia and Media who
have heard of thequeen's deed will tell all the king's princes....
Queen-mother (2 Occurrences)
Queen-mother. Queenly,Queen-mother. Queens . Multi-Version
ConcordanceQueen-mother (2 Occurrences). Jeremiah 13:18...
Vashti (10 Occurrences)
... Beautiful, thequeen of Ahasuerus, who was deposed from her royal dignity because
she refused to obey the king when he desired her to appear in the banqueting...
Mother (2641 Occurrences)
... Thequeen-dowager occupied a very important position at the court of the kings of
Israel, eg Bathsheba (1 Kings 2:19); Maacah (1 Kings 15:13); Athaliah (2...
Ahasu-e'rus (30 Occurrences)
... RSV). Esther 1:9 Also Vashti thequeen made a feast for the women in the
royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus. (See RSV)....
Ahasuerus (28 Occurrences)
... It was after his return from this invasion that Esther was chosen as his
queen. Multi-Version Concordance Ahasuerus (28 Occurrences)....
Xerxes (24 Occurrences)
... NIV). Esther 1:9 Also Vashti thequeen made a feast for the women in the
royal house which belonged to King Ahasuerus. (See NIV)....
Candace (1 Occurrence)
... Thequeen of the Ethiopians whose "eunuch" or chamberlain was converted to Christianity
by the instrumentality of Philip the evangelist (Acts 8:27)....
Libations (29 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 7:18 The sons are gathering wood, And the fathers are causing the fire
to burn, And the women are kneading dough, To make cakes to thequeen of the...
Resources
What is the Queen James Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWho is the Queen of Heaven? | GotQuestions.orgWho was the Queen of Sheba? | GotQuestions.orgQueen: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
Bible Dictionary •
Bible Encyclopedia •
Topical Bible •
Bible Thesuarus
