מלכים ב, פרק ט׳, פסוק ל״א

As Jehu enters the city, he is met with a deeply loaded historical reference from Jezebel. She addresses him by comparing him to Zimri, an infamous army captain from the past who betrayed and assassinated his ruler, King Elah son of Baasha. She questions whether Jehu comes in peace, essentially asking if he intends to establish peaceful relations with her [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. By directly calling him the killer of his master, she draws a clear parallel between Jehu's recent actions and the historical assassination, as both men murdered the kings they served.

The underlying motive behind this historical comparison can be understood in two contrasting ways. On one hand, the greeting may have been a calculated attempt at flattery and appeasement. By bringing up Zimri, Jezebel sought to minimize the severity of Jehu's treason, reassuring him that assassinating a king was not an unprecedented act [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. Conversely, her words can be viewed as a sharp insult coupled with a severe threat. Rather than comforting him, she intended to humiliate Jehu by branding him a lowly traitor. Furthermore, the historical reference served as a dark warning about his future. Since the original Zimri was killed just one week after his rebellion, Jezebel was hinting that Jehu would soon meet a similarly bitter and abrupt end [ביאור שטיינזלץ].