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.​—2Ki 10:15-28.

Nearly 300 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.

(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. 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.​—2Ch 17:5, 7-9.

2. A secretary whose house was converted into a prison, where Jeremiah was kept in detention. (Jer 37:15, 20; 38:26) 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.​—Ne 12:10, 12, 18.

(Je·hoʹram) [Jehovah Is High (Exalted)].

A shortened form of the name is Joram.

1. One of two priests whom Jehoshaphat selected in 934 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.”​—2Ch 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 12 years. (2Ki 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.) 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.​—1Ki 12:26-29; 16:33; 2Ki 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.​—2Ki 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.​—2Ki 5:1-8.

In advance, Jehovah’s prophet Elisha also informed Jehoram of Syrian military maneuvers. (2Ki 6:8-12) Certain Syrian assaults against Israel were divinely foiled during Jehoram’s reign.​—2Ki 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” (2Ki 6:32) was executed, his dead body being pitched into the field of Naboth.​—2Ki 9:14-26.

3. The firstborn son of Jehoshaphat who, at the age of 32, became king of Judah. (2Ch 21:1-3, 5, 20) It appears that for a number of years Jehoram was in some way associated with his father