Albert Barnes Commentary Revelation 2:20

"But I have [this] against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols." — Revelation 2:20 (ASV)

Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee. See Barnes on Revelation 2:4.

Because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel. You tolerate, or countenance her. See Barnes on Revelation 2:14.

Who the individual here referred to by the name Jezebel was, is not known. It is by no means probable that this was her real name, but it seems to have been given to her as expressive of her character and influence. Jezebel was the wife of Ahab, a woman of vast influence over her husband—an influence that was uniformly exerted for evil.

She was a daughter of Ethbaal, king of Tyre and Sidon, and lived about 918 BC. She was an idolater and induced her weak husband not only to connive at her introducing the worship of her native idols but also to become an idolater himself and to use all the means in his power to establish the worship of idols instead of the worship of the true God.

She was highly gifted, persuasive, and artful; was resolute in the accomplishment of her purposes; ambitious of extending and perpetuating her power; and unscrupulous in the means she employed to execute her designs. See 1 Kings 16:31. The kind of character, therefore, that would be designated by the term as used here, would be that of a woman who was artful and persuasive in her manner; who was capable of exerting a wide influence over others; who had talents of a high order; who was a thorough advocate of error; who was unscrupulous in the means she employed for accomplishing her ends; and the tendency of whose influence was to lead the people into the abominable practices of idolatry.

The opinions she held, and the practices into which she led others, appear to have been the same as those referred to in Revelation 2:6 and Revelation 2:14-15. The difference was that the teacher in this case was a woman—a circumstance that by no means lessened the enormity of the offense. For, besides the fact that it was contrary to the whole genius of Christianity for a woman to be a public teacher, there was a special incongruity in her being an advocate of such abominable opinions and practices.

Every sentiment of our nature makes us feel that it is right to expect that if a woman teaches at all in a public manner, she should inculcate only that which is true and holy—she should be an advocate of a pure life. We are shocked; we feel that there is a violation of every principle of our nature, and an insult done to our common humanity, if it is otherwise. We have, in a way, become accustomed to the fact that a man may be a teacher of pollution and error, so that we do not shrink from it with horror; we can never be reconciled to the fact that a woman should.

Which calleth herself a prophetess. Many people claimed to be prophets in the times when the gospel was first preached, and it is not improbable that many women would lay claim to such a character, after the example of Miriam, Deborah, Huldah, etc.

To teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication. Compare Revelation 2:14. Whether she herself practiced what she taught is not expressly affirmed, but it seems to be implied in Revelation 2:22. It is not often that people teach these doctrines without practicing what they teach; and the fact that they desire and design to live in this manner will commonly account for the fact that they inculcate such views.

And to eat things sacrificed unto idols. See Barnes on Revelation 2:14.

The custom of attending the festivals of idols commonly led to licentiousness, and those who were gross and sensual in their lives were fit subjects to be persuaded to attend idol feasts—for nowhere else would they find more unlimited toleration for the indulgence of their passions.