Jezebel had been the primary instigator of the persecutions in Israel, but she could not have carried them out alone. If Jezebel was guilty before God, those who worked with her and who were moved by the same spirit were also guilty.

This shows that more than the chosen prophets of God were involved in the general persecution conducted by the house of Ahab against the worshipers of the true God.

No one may shed innocent blood with impunity. The Lord watches over His own, and will avenge His elect in His own way and at the time that He deems best. Man, in the narrowness of his vision, may not always understand why the day of retribution is delayed. In his impatience he may think that the Lord has forgotten and that the doers of evil will be allowed to continue in their wicked ways with impunity.

Joram was the son of Ahab, as was also Ahaziah, who had preceded Joram on the throne. The house of Ahab was now to be wiped out because of its iniquity.