יְהוֹשָׁפָט
Jehoshaphat, the name of six Israelites; also of a valley near Jerusalem
Definition
The Hebrew name יְהוֹשָׁפָט (Jehoshaphat) primarily refers to a king of Judah who reigned from approximately 870–848 BC, known for his religious reforms and military victories (1 Kings 15:24, 2 Kings 3:1). It is also the name of five other minor biblical figures, including a son of David's priest (2 Samuel 8:16) and a recorder under David and Solomon (2 Samuel 20:24, 1 Kings 4:3). Additionally, 'the Valley of Jehoshaphat' is a prophetic location mentioned in Joel 3:2, 12, symbolizing the place where God will judge the nations.
Biblical Usage
The name appears 57 times in the Old Testament, predominantly in the historical books of 1 & 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, where it refers to King Jehoshaphat of Judah. It is used in contexts of royal succession (1 Kings 15:24), military alliances (2 Kings 3:7), and administrative roles (2 Samuel 8:16). The prophetic usage in Joel 3:2, 12 applies the name to a valley, shifting from a personal name to a symbolic location for divine judgment.
Etymology
The name is a compound of two Hebrew elements: יְהֹוָה (Yᵉhôvâh, H3068), the personal name of God, and שָׁפַט (shâphaṭ, H8199), meaning 'to judge.' Thus, יְהוֹשָׁפָט means 'Yahweh has judged' or 'Yahweh judges.' A shortened form, יוֹשָׁפָט (Yôwshâphâṭ, H3146), appears in 2 Samuel 2:10 and elsewhere, carrying the same meaning.
Semantic Range
The name Jehoshaphat embodies the biblical theme of God as the righteous judge of His people and the nations. King Jehoshaphat's reign highlights reliance on God's judgment and justice, notably when he sought God's guidance before battle (2 Chronicles 20:3-17). The prophetic 'Valley of Jehoshaphat' in Joel extends this concept, portraying Yahweh's ultimate eschatological judgment. Understanding the name's meaning ('Yahweh judges') enriches reading by connecting the king's narrative and the prophetic vision to God's character as the sovereign judge.
In ancient Israel, names often expressed theological truths or parental hopes. 'Jehoshaphat' reflects a culture that intimately associated identity with God's attributes. The prophetic reuse of the name for a valley (Joel 3) likely draws on its etymological meaning ('Yahweh judges') rather than a specific geographical site known to the original audience, using a known name to symbolize a future act of God.
יוֹשָׁפָט (Yôwshâphâṭ, H3146) — A shortened, variant form of the same name with identical meaning, used for the same king and other individuals.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
Full methodology & sources →