Jehoram
Jehoram, also known as Joram, was the son of Jehoshaphat and king of Judah.
Biography
Jehoram, also called Joram, was the fifth king of Judah and the son and successor of the righteous King Jehoshaphat. He reigned eight years in Jerusalem (2 Kings 8:17), but unlike his father, he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, heavily influenced by his marriage to Athaliah, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. He consolidated his rule by killing all six of his brothers and other Judahite princes (2 Chronicles 21:4). During his reign, Edom and Libnah revolted successfully against Judah, and the prophet Elijah sent him a letter of condemnation (2 Chronicles 21:12–15). He died of a severe intestinal disease, unlamented, and was refused burial in the royal tombs (2 Chronicles 21:20).
Significance
Jehoram's reign is a case study in the corrupting power of ungodly alliances, a danger Solomon's writings had warned against. His marriage into the house of Ahab brought Baal worship into Judah's royal household and would eventually threaten the Davidic line itself through Athaliah. Yet God's faithfulness to the Davidic covenant remained firm: even in judgment, God preserved a lamp for David's sake (2 Kings 8:19). Jehoram thus frames both the dangers of syncretism and the unconditional reliability of divine promise in the unfolding story of redemption.
Verse Appearances (1)
2Chr
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]