Lexical Summary
Yehoram: Jehoram
Original Word: יְהוֹרָם
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Yhowram
Pronunciation: yeh-ho-RAHM
Phonetic Spelling: (yeh-ho-rawm')
KJV: Jehoram, Joram
NASB: Jehoram, Joram
Word Origin: [from H3068 (יְהוֹוָה - LORD) and H7311 (רוּם - exalted)]
1. Jehovah-raised
2. Jehoram, the name of a Syrian and of three Israelites
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Jehoram, Joram
From Yhovah and ruwm; Jehovah-raised; Jehoram, the name of a Syrian and of three Israelites -- Jehoram, Joram. Compare Yowram.
see HEBREW Yhovah
see HEBREW ruwm
see HEBREW Yowram
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
Yhvh and
rumDefinition"the LORD is exalted," the name of several Isr., also a king of H amath
NASB TranslationJehoram (22), Joram (7).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
, ,
( is exalted; compare ; further, Phoenician , ; Sabean DHMZMG 1876, 686) —
( ) king of Judah, son of Jehoshaphat 1 Kings 22:51; 2 Kings 1:17; 2 Kings 8:16,25,29; 2 Kings 12:19; 2Chronicles 21:1,3,4,5,9,16; 22:1,6,11; = 2 Kings 8:21,23,24; 2 Kings 11:2; 1 Chronicles 3:11.
( ) king of Israel son of Ahab 2 Kings 1:17; 2 Kings 3:1,6; 2 Kings 9:15,17,21 (twice in verse); 2 Kings 9:22,23; 2Chronicles 22:5,6,7; = 2 Kings 8:16,25,28 (twice in verse); 2 Kings 8:29 (twice in verse); 2 Kings 9:14 (twice in verse); 2 Kings 9:16 (twice in verse); 2 Kings 9:29; 2Chronicles 22:5,7.
priest in time of Jehoshaphat 2 Chronicles 17:8 ( , ).
son of Tou, king of Hamath 2 Samuel 8:10 ( ) probably error for "" 1 Chronicles 18:10.
a Levite 1 Chronicles 26:25 ( ).
Topical Lexicon
Occurrences in Scripture The designation יְהוֹרָם appears roughly twenty-nine times, applied to two principal monarchs—one in Israel and one in Judah—and to several lesser-known figures (for example, 1 Chronicles 26:25; 2 Chronicles 17:8). The name is sometimes shortened to “Joram,” yet the narrative contexts clarify which person is in view.
Jehoram, King of Israel (Northern Kingdom)
• Accession and Background – The son of Ahab and brother of Ahaziah, he came to the throne of Israel in Samaria during the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat of Judah (2 Kings 3:1).
• Religious Policy – “He did evil in the sight of the LORD, yet not like his father and mother, for he removed the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless, he clung to the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit” (2 Kings 3:2-3). Reform was only partial; the golden-calf cult stayed intact.
• Campaign against Moab – In league with Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom (2 Kings 3). The LORD supplied water through Elisha’s word, but the coalition gained no lasting victory.
• Elisha’s Miracles and Counsel – Jehoram’s reign frames many of Elisha’s acts (2 Kings 4–8), highlighting divine mercy toward Israel despite royal apostasy. Notably, the siege of Samaria by Ben-hadad ends with the sudden retreat of the Arameans, fulfilling Elisha’s promise of abundant food (2 Kings 7).
• Death – Wounded at Ramoth-gilead in battle with Hazael, he returned to Jezreel to recover. Jehu, anointed by Elisha’s envoy, executed him: “Then Jehu drew his bow with all his strength and shot Jehoram between the shoulders, and the arrow pierced his heart, and he slumped down in his chariot” (2 Kings 9:24). His body was cast into Naboth’s field, vindicating Elijah’s earlier prophecy (1 Kings 21:19; 2 Kings 9:25-26).
Jehoram, King of Judah (Southern Kingdom)
• Accession and Co-Regency – First styled co-regent in the fifth year of his northern namesake (2 Kings 8:16). He was the eldest son of the godly Jehoshaphat but married Athaliah, daughter of Ahab, tightening the Israel-Judah alliance.
• Fratricide and Apostasy – “When Jehoram had established himself over his father’s kingdom, he strengthened himself and put to the sword all his brothers” (2 Chronicles 21:4). He erected high places, led Judah into Baal worship, and earned prophetic rebuke.
• Elijah’s Letter – Unique in that Elijah addresses a king of Judah after being taken up: “Because you have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel… the LORD will strike your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a severe plague” (2 Chronicles 21:12-14).
• Judgment – Edom and Libnah revolted (2 Kings 8:20-22); Philistines and Arabs plundered Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 21:16-17). He suffered an incurable intestinal disease and died “to no one’s regret” (2 Chronicles 21:18-20). He received neither the customary burning of spices nor burial in the tombs of the kings.
• Legacy – His eight-year reign nearly extinguished the Davidic line, yet the LORD “was not willing to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that He had made with David” (2 Chronicles 21:7). Divine faithfulness preserved messianic promises despite royal unfaithfulness.
Jehoram among Jehoshaphat’s Teachers
During Jehoshaphat’s educational reforms, a Levite named Jehoram assisted in circulating the Book of the Law throughout Judah (2 Chronicles 17:8-9). His inclusion underscores the broader, largely anonymous workforce God employs in covenant instruction.
Additional Bearers of the Name
• A descendant of Merari who supervised temple treasuries (1 Chronicles 26:25).
• A Benjaminite in the line of Becher (1 Chronicles 7:8, variant reading).
• A leader who joined David at Ziklag (1 Chronicles 12:7, some manuscripts).
Though minor, these occurrences remind readers that covenant history is populated by countless faithful and unfaithful individuals alike.
Prophetic and Redemptive Themes
1. Divine Patience – The northern Jehoram benefits repeatedly from Elisha’s ministry; God’s grace restrains judgment to preserve a remnant.
2. Covenant Accountability – The southern Jehoram illustrates that Davidic kings are not immune to discipline; the covenant carries both promise and penalty.
3. Typological Justice – Jehu’s arrow in Naboth’s field and Jehoram’s disgraceful burial showcase retributive symmetry, reinforcing that “whatever a man sows, he will reap” (Galatians 6:7).
4. Messianic Preservation – Despite Athaliah’s later purge, the line of David survives (2 Chronicles 22–23), anticipating the true King whose reign cannot be thwarted.
Chronological Harmony
The nearly synchronous reigns of the two monarchs named Jehoram create apparent complexities. Kings and Chronicles locate their accessions by cross-dating: Israel’s Jehoram begins in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat, while Judah’s Jehoram begins in the fifth year of Israel’s Jehoram. Careful comparison confirms the integrity of the records and demonstrates that occasional coregencies account for the numbers.
Practical Lessons
• Shared names do not guarantee shared character; two kings named Jehoram both chose compromise and idolatry despite vastly different upbringings.
• Alliances that disregard spiritual fidelity (such as Jehoshaphat’s marital diplomacy) often bear bitter fruit in subsequent generations.
• God’s prophetic word—delivered through Elijah, Elisha, and recorded Scripture—stands immutable; those who heed it live, those who reject it fall.
Forms and Transliterations
וִֽיהוֹרָ֖ם וִיהוֹרָ֣ם וִיהוֹרָם֩ ויהורם יְהוֹרָ֖ם יְהוֹרָ֗ם יְהוֹרָ֛ם יְהוֹרָ֜ם יְהוֹרָ֡ם יְהוֹרָ֣ם יְהוֹרָ֥ם יְהוֹרָ֧ם יְהוֹרָ֨ם יְהוֹרָם֙ יהורם לִֽיהוֹרָ֖ם לִיהוֹרָ֥ם ליהורם lî·hō·w·rām lihoRam lîhōwrām vihoRam wî·hō·w·rām wîhōwrām yə·hō·w·rām yehoRam yəhōwrām
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