Who was King Ahab?
Quick answer
Ahab was the most wicked king of the northern kingdom of Israel (around 874–853 BC), husband to Jezebel, builder of Baal worship, and the king who opposed the prophet Elijah at Mount Carmel.
"Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him" (1 Kings 16:33).
His sin was not merely personal but national — he led Israel into open idolatry with his Phoenician queen.
Yet when Elijah confronted him after Naboth’s murder, Ahab tore his clothes and humbled himself, and God delayed judgment. Even a wicked man’s repentance gets God’s notice.
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Original BibleDawn answer · reviewed 2026-06. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.