יוֹתָם
Jotham, the name of three Israelites
Definition
The Hebrew proper noun יוֹתָם (Yôwthâm) refers to three distinct individuals in the Old Testament. The most prominent is Jotham, the son of Uzziah (Azariah) and king of Judah, who reigned as a godly ruler and oversaw significant building projects (2 Kings 15:32-38, 2 Chronicles 27). Another is Jotham, the youngest son of Gideon, who survived the massacre of his brothers and delivered a powerful fable of judgment against the men of Shechem and his brother Abimelech (Judges 9:5-21). A third, less prominent Jotham is mentioned as a descendant of Judah (1 Chronicles 2:47).
Biblical Usage
The name is used 24 times across the historical books of Judges, 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and 1 Chronicles. In Judges 9, it is used in the context of a political parable and a curse following familial betrayal. In 2 Kings 15 and 2 Chronicles 27, it describes the reign of a king of Judah, focusing on his faithfulness, military actions, and construction works. The usage pattern shows the name associated with both righteous leadership and prophetic pronouncement.
Etymology
Derived from the combination of יְהֹוָה (YHWH, H3068), the personal name of God, and תָּם (tām, H8535), meaning 'complete, perfect, or blameless.' Thus, the name means 'Yahweh is perfect' or 'Yahweh is complete,' reflecting a theological statement about God's character.
Semantic Range
The name itself is a confession of God's perfect nature. The two primary biblical figures bearing this name embody aspects of this confession. King Jotham of Judah walked faithfully before God, and his reign prospered (2 Chronicles 27:6), demonstrating the blessing associated with integrity. Jotham, son of Gideon, acted as a truth-teller and prophet of consequences, declaring God's judgment on evil leadership through his fable (Judges 9:7-20). Understanding the name's meaning ('Yahweh is perfect') adds depth to the narratives of these individuals.
In ancient Israelite culture, names were often meaningful declarations about God or circumstances surrounding a child's birth. A name meaning 'Yahweh is perfect' would express the parents' faith and hope for their child's character and destiny. The use of the divine name (Yahweh) in a personal name was a common practice, identifying the individual and family with the God of Israel.
Other Hebrew proper names with theophoric (God-containing) elements: יְהוֹנָתָן (Yᵊhônāṯān, H3083) — 'Yahweh has given'; חִזְקִיָּהוּ (Ḥizqîyâhû, H2396) — 'Yahweh strengthens'; יְהוֹשָׁפָט (Yᵊhôšāp̄āṭ, H3092) — 'Yahweh has judged.'
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.
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