gates of Jerusalem, exposed to the sun’s heat by day and the frost by night. Just in what way Jehoiakim was ‘given into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar’ (Dan. 1:2) is not revealed. It may have been in the sense of his dying under siege and of his son’s thereafter having to go out into captivity, so that Jehoiakim’s line suffered the loss of the kingship at Nebuchadnezzar’s hands. There is no way to confirm the Jewish tradition (recorded by Josephus) that Nebuchadnezzar killed Jehoiakim and commanded that his dead body be thrown outside Jerusalem’s walls. (Antiquities of the Jews, Book X, chap. VI, par. 3) By whatever means Jehoiakim’s death came, it appears that the copper fetters Nebuchadnezzar had brought along to bind Jehoiakim were not used as planned.—2 Chron. 36:6.

Following the siege of Jerusalem during Jehoiakim’s “third year” (as vassal king), Daniel and other Judeans, including nobles and members of the royal family, were taken as exiles to Babylon. There being no record of an earlier Babylonian exile, this appears to place the event in the short reign of Jehoiachin, Jehoiakim’s successor.—2 Ki. 24:12-16; Jer. 52:28.

After Jehoiakim’s son Jehoiachin surrendered, Nebuchadnezzar elevated Jehoiachin’s uncle Zedekiah to the throne of Judah. (2 Chron. 36:9, 10) This fulfilled Jeremiah’s prophecy that Jehoiakim would have no one sitting on the throne of David. (Jer. 36:30) Jehoiakim’s son Jehoiachin ruled a mere three months and ten days. (2 Chron. 36:9) This short period is hardly to be taken into account.

JEHOIARIB

(Je·hoiʹa·rib) [Jehovah pleads or contends].

The priest whose paternal house was selected by lot as first of the twenty-four priestly divisions organized during David’s rule. (1 Chron. 24:1-3, 5-7) Some of the postexilic descendants of this paternal house, or another priest with the same name, lived in Jerusalem. (1 Chron. 9:3, 10) The name is spelled Joiarib in the parallel list at Nehemiah 11:10.

JEHONADAB

(Je·honʹa·dab), Jonadab (Jonʹadab) [Jehovah is liberal, noble, or has impelled].

In the Hebrew text and many English translations, both spellings are used interchangeably for each of the two persons bearing the name.

1. David’s nephew; son of his brother Shimeah. Jehonadab was a “very wise man” but crafty and shrewd. After inducing David’s son Amnon to disclose to him his passion for his half-sister Tamar, Jehonadab proposed the scheme by which Amnon violated her. After her full brother Absalom had Amnon killed in revenge, the report came to David that Absalom had killed all the king’s sons, but Jehonadab was on hand to give assurance that Amnon alone was dead. (2 Sam. 13:3-5, 14, 22, 28-33) He is possibly the “Jonathan” at 2 Samuel 21:21 and 1 Chronicles 20:7.

2. Son of Rechab; companion of King Jehu. His encounter with Jehu was not accidental, for on Jehonadab’s own initiative he was “coming to meet him,” and, in turn, received Jehu’s blessing. The subsequent events showed that Jehonadab was in complete agreement with Jehu’s determination to annihilate Baal worship out of Israel. At each proposal made by Jehu, Jehonadab quickly responded in the affirmative. “Is your heart upright with me?” Jehu asked. He answered, “It is.” “Do give me your hand,” Jehu said; and Jehonadab gave him his hand. Now in Jehu’s chariot, Jehonadab was told, “Do go along with me and look upon my toleration of no rivalry toward Jehovah,” and again he manifested willingness. Finally, when they got to Samaria, and all the worshipers of Baal were assembled, Jehonadab did not turn back, but accompanied Jehu into the house of Baal and remained by his side during the slaughter that followed. At the same time Jehu demonstrated his complete trust and confidence in Jehonadab.—2 Ki. 10:15-28.

Nearly three hundred years later, Jehonadab’s descendants, the Rechabites, were used by Jeremiah at Jehovah’s direction as an example of faithfulness to their forefather’s commands, in contrast with the disobedience to God displayed by the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Jehonadab had instructed the Rechabites to live in tents, sow no seed, plant no vineyards and take no wine. When Jeremiah offered them wine, they refused, referring back to the commandment of their ancestor Jehonadab. For such faithfulness Jehovah promised: “There will not be cut off from Jonadab the son of Rechab a man to stand before me always.”—Jer. 35:1-19.

JEHONATHAN

(Je·honʹa·than) (Jehovah has given].

In Hebrew this name is often used interchangeably with Jonathan. Listed below are only those occurrences where it is rendered Jehonathan in the New World Translation. For those occurrences where the shorter form appears, see JONATHAN.

1. One of the Levites sent by Jehoshaphat in the third year of his reign to teach Jehovah’s law to the people of Judah.—2 Chron. 17:5, 7-9.

2. A secretary whose house was converted into a prison, where Jeremiah was kept in detention. (Jer. 37:15, 20; 33:26) The house likely had subterranean quarters suitable for imprisonment.

3. Postexilic head of a paternal house of priests in the days of Jeshua’s successor Joiakim.—Neh. 12:10, 12, 18.

JEHORAM

(Je·hoʹram) [Jehovah is high, exalted].

A shortened form of the name is Joram.

1. One of two priests whom Jehoshaphat selected in 934/933 B.C.E., the third year of his reign, along with leading princes and Levites, to be traveling teachers of the “book of Jehovah’s law.”—2 Chron. 17:7-9.

2. Son of Ahab and Jezebel, who succeeded his older brother Ahaziah as the tenth king of the northern kingdom of Israel in about 917 B.C.E. He reigned twelve years, until about 905 B.C.E. (2 Ki. 1:17, 18; 3:1; 9:22) This king of Israel should not be confused with the king of Judah by the same name, who was his brother-in-law. (See No. 3 below.) Though Jehoram removed the sacred pillar of Baal erected by his father, he continued to do “what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes,” clinging to calf worship instituted by Jeroboam.—1 Ki. 12:26-29; 16:33; 2 Ki. 3:2, 3.

King Jehoshaphat of Judah and the king of Edom joined Jehoram in an attack on Moab that proved successful because Jehovah deceived the enemy with an optical illusion. God’s prophet Elisha instructed those of the camp of Israel to dig ditches in which to catch much-needed and divinely provided water. The next morning the reflection of the sunlight upon this water caused the Moabites to think the water was blood. Thinking the confederate camp of the three kings had killed off one another, the Moabites moved in to take the spoil, only to be slaughtered in great numbers.—2 Ki. 3:4-27.

Naaman, the army chief of Syria, came to Jehoram to be cured of leprosy, bearing a letter to that effect from the king of Syria. Jehoram, thinking the Syrian ruler was picking a quarrel, exclaimed, ‘Am I God who can put to death and preserve alive and cure leprosy?’ Elisha, however, requested that Jehoram send Naaman to him, so that the Syrian army chief might know that the true God did have a prophet in the land, one capable of performing such cures. (2 Ki. 5:1-8) In advance, Jehovah’s prophet Elisha also informed Jehoram of Syrian military maneuvers. (2 Ki. 6:8-12) Certain Syrian assaults against Israel were divinely foiled during Jehoram’s reign.—2 Ki. 6:13–7:20.

But despite such manifestations of God’s loving-kindness, Jehoram, down to the day of his death, did not repent and turn to Jehovah with all his heart. Death came suddenly and in an unexpected way. Jehoram was at Jezreel recuperating from wounds received in battle with the Syrians. In time, he went out to meet Jehu, asking, “Is there peace, Jehu?” The negative answer made Jehoram turn to flee, but Jehu shot an arrow through his heart. Thus “this son of a murderer” (2 Ki. 6:32) was executed, his dead body being pitched into the field of Naboth.—2 Ki. 9:14-26.

3. The firstborn son of Jehoshaphat who, at the age of thirty-two, became king of Judah. (2 Chron. 21:1-3, 5, 20) It appears that for some five years prior to this Jehoram may have been co-ruler with his father. (2 Ki. 1:17; 8:16) As sole ruler of Judah he reigned eight years from 913 to 905 B.C.E. (2 Ki. 8:17) So during these years both the northern and southern kingdoms had rulers with the same name. They were also brothers-in-law due to the fact that Jehoram of Judah married Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel and sister of Jehoram of Israel.—2 Ki. 8:18, 25, 26; see No. 2 above.

At least partially due to the bad influence of his wife Athaliah, Jehoram did not pursue the righteous ways of his father Jehoshaphat. (2 Ki. 8:18) Jehoram not only murdered his six brothers and some of the princes of Judah, but also turned his subjects away from Jehovah to false gods. (2 Chron. 21:1-6, 11-14) His whole reign was marred by both internal trouble and external strife. First, Edom rebelled; then Libnah revolted against Judah. (2 Ki. 8:20-22) In a letter to Jehoram, the prophet Elijah warned: “Look! Jehovah is dealing a great blow to your people and to your sons and to your wives and to all your goods.” Moreover, you, King Jehoram, “will be with many sicknesses, with a malady of your intestines, until your intestines have come out because of the sickness day by day.”—2 Chron. 21:12-15.

It all occurred just that way. Jehovah allowed Arabs and Philistines to overrun the land and take Jehoram’s wives and sons captive. God permitted only Jehoram’s youngest son, Jehoahaz (also called Ahaziah), to escape, a concession made, however, only for the sake of the kingdom covenant made with David. “After all this Jehovah plagued [Jehoram] in his intestines with a sickness for which there was no healing.” Two years later “his intestines came out” and he gradually died. So ended the life of this wicked man, who “went away without being desired.” He was buried in the city of David, “but not in the burial places of the kings.” Ahaziah his son became king in his stead.—2 Chron. 21:7, 16-20; 22:1; 1 Chron. 3:10, 11.

JEHOSHABEATH

(Je·ho·shabʹe·ath) [Jehovah is an oath].

Daughter of King Jehoram and wife of High Priest Jehoiada. She is also called Jehosheba.—2 Chron. 22:10-12; 2 Ki. 11:1-3; see JEHOSHEBA.

JEHOSHAPHAT

(Je·hoshʹa·phat) [Jehovah is Judge].

1. Son of Ahilud serving as recorder during the reigns of David and Solomon.—2 Sam. 8:16; 20:24; 1 Ki. 4:3; 1 Chron. 18:15.

2. One of King Solomon’s twelve deputies. For a month each year this “son of Paruah” supplied the food for the king and his household from the territory of Issachar.—1 Ki. 4:7, 17.

3. Son of Judean King Asa by Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. At the age of thrity-five Jehoshaphat succeeded his father to the throne and ruled for twenty-five years (936-911 B.C.E.). (1 Ki. 22:42; 2 Chron. 20:31) His good reign was contemporaneous with that of Israelite Kings Ahab, Ahaziah and Jehoram. (1 Ki. 22:41, 51; 2 Ki. 3:1, 2; 2 Chron. 17:3, 4) It was marked by stability, prosperity, glory and relative peace with neighboring lands. Jehoshaphat received presents from his subjects and tribute from the Philistines and Arabs.—2 Chron. 17:5, 10, 11.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

This Judean king strengthened his position by putting military forces in Judah’s fortified cities, and garrisons both in the land of Judah and in Israelite territory captured by his father Asa. At Jerusalem a large body of valiant warriors served the royal interests, and in Judah fortified places and storage cities were built.—2 Chron. 17:1, 2, 12-19.

Unlike the Israelite kings of the northern kingdom, Jehoshaphat manifested great concern for true worship. (2 Chron. 17:4) He commissioned certain princes, Levites and priests to teach Jehovah’s law in the cities of Judah. (2 Chron. 17:7-9) Jehoshaphat also sanctified holy offerings (2 Ki. 12:18) and personally traveled throughout his realm, directing his subjects to return to Jehovah in faithfulness. (2 Chron. 19:4) Courageously Jehoshaphat continued the campaign against idolatry started by Asa, and high places, sacred poles and the remaining male temple prostitutes began to disappear from Judah. (1 Ki. 22:46; 2 Chron. 17:6) But improper worship at high places was so entrenched among the Israelites that Jehoshaphat’s efforts did not completely and permanently eradicate it.—1 Ki. 22:43; 2 Chron. 20:33.

Jehoshaphat’s reign also witnessed the institution of a better judicial system. The king himself impressed upon the judges the importance of being impartial and free from bribery, since they were judging, not for man, but for Jehovah.—2 Chron. 19:5-11.

Jehoshaphat proved himself to be a king who relied fully on Jehovah. When Judah was threatened by the combined forces of Ammon, Moab and the mountainous region of Seir, he humbly acknowledged the nation’s weakness in the face of this danger and prayed to Jehovah for help. Thereafter Jehovah fought for Judah by striking confusion into the ranks of the enemy so that they slaughtered one another. Consequently the surrounding nations became fearful and Judah continued to enjoy peace.—2 Chron. 20:1-30.

RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TEN-TRIBE KINGDOM

Jehoshaphat maintained peace with the northern kingdom and formed a marriage alliance with Ahab. (1 Ki. 22:44; 2 Chron. 18:1) For this reason on several occasions he was drawn into other alliances with the kingdom of Israel.

During a visit in the northern kingdom sometime after the marriage of Ahab’s daughter Athaliah to his firstborn Jehoram, Jehoshaphat agreed to accompany King Ahab in a military venture to recover Ramoth-gilead from the Syrians. However, before actually starting out, Jehoshaphat requested that Ahab inquire of Jehovah. Four hundred prophets assured Ahab of success. But Jehovah’s true prophet Micaiah, hated by Ahab but called at Jehoshaphat’s insistence, foretold certain defeat. Nevertheless, Jehoshaphat, perhaps so as not to go back on his original promise to accompany Ahab, went into battle dressed in his royal garments. Since Ahab had taken the precaution to disguise himself, the Syrians mistakenly concluded that Jehoshaphat was Israel’s king and therefore subjected him to the heaviest attack. Jehoshaphat barely escaped with his life, and Ahab, despite the disguise, was mortally wounded. (1 Ki. 22:2-37; 2 Chron. chap. 18) Upon returning to Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat was censured for unwisely allying himself with wicked Ahab, the visionary Jehu saying to him: “Is it to the wicked that help is to be given, and is it for those hating Jehovah that you should have love? And for this there is indignation against you from the person of Jehovah.”—2 Chron. 19:2.

Later, Jehoshaphat became partner to King Ahaziah, Ahab’s successor, in a shipbuilding enterprise at Ezion-geber on the Gulf of Aqabah. But Jehovah disapproved of this maritime alliance with wicked Ahaziah. Therefore, in fulfillment of prophecy, the ships were wrecked.—1 Ki. 22:48, 49; 2 Chron. 20:35-37; see AHAZIAH No. 1.

Sometime after this Jehoshaphat joined Ahaziah’s successor to the throne, Jehoram, and the king of Edom in a military offensive to put down Moabite King Mesha’s revolt against the ten-tribe kingdom.