יוֹרָם (yo.ram)
yo.ram
Joram
N:N-M-PQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 16 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N-M-P
Word Overview
The name Yoram means "Jehovah is exalted," a title that carries heavy irony in its biblical usage. It appears sixteen times in the Hebrew Scriptures, primarily in the historical books of Kings and Chronicles, where it identifies two distinct kings who ruled during the divided monarchy period.
One Yoram was king of Judah, son of Jehoshaphat. His reign is marked by a return to idolatry, largely influenced by his wife Athaliah, which led to national decline before he was killed in battle. The other Yoram ruled the northern kingdom of Israel as the son of Ahab and Jezebel. His death on the very field where Naboth’s vineyard once stood fulfilled Elijah’s prophecy, illustrating how divine justice operated through historical events.
Because these two rulers shared the same name, biblical writers sometimes used the full form Yeho-ram or added a geographic qualifier to distinguish them. This linguistic precision helps readers track the parallel histories of Judah and Israel, showing how both kingdoms faced similar spiritual challenges despite their separate political paths.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Joram means "Jehovah is exalted," yet its biblical record often highlights the distance between a title and a life. Two kings bore this name, both ruling during turbulent times when Israel and Judah faced spiritual decline. Their stories show that holding a high office or sharing a holy name does not guarantee faithfulness to God.
These accounts remind us that leadership carries heavy responsibility. When rulers turned away from covenant loyalty, the consequences affected entire nations. The text records their failures without softening the truth, showing that even those in positions of honor can stumble when they ignore divine instruction.
Yet history also reveals God’s patience and justice working through time. Even in periods of national failure, God preserved a remnant, as seen when Jehosheba hid the young Joash from Athaliah. This preservation points to a larger story where God remains faithful to His promises despite human unfaithfulness.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 16 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Joram15×
- of/ Joram3×
- and/ Joram2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- יוֹרָֽם\׃3×
- יוֹרָם֙2×
- יוֹרָ֖ם2×
- יוֹרָ֑ם2×
- לְ/יוֹרָ֥ם1×
- לְ/יוֹרָ֤ם1×
- לְ/יוֹרָ֖ם1×
- יוֹרָ֨ם1×
- יוֹרָ֧ם1×
- יוֹרָ֥ם1×
- יוֹרָ֣ם1×
- יֽוֹרָם\־1×
Key Verses
-
II Kings 8:16
In the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being king of Judah then, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.
This verse establishes the complex timeline by distinguishing between Joram of Israel and Jehoram of Judah, showing how biblical writers used precise dating to track parallel reigns.
-
II Kings 9:14
So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram was defending Ramoth Gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Syria;
Here we see the violent end of Joram’s rule as Jehu conspires against him, illustrating the fulfillment of prophetic judgment against Ahab’s house.
-
II Chronicles 22:7
Now the destruction of Ahaziah was of God, in that he went to Joram; for when he had come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom Yahweh had anointed to cut off Ahab’s house.
The Chronicler explicitly attributes Ahaziah’s destruction to his alliance with Joram, highlighting how political alliances can lead to spiritual downfall.
-
II Kings 11:2
But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were slain, even him and his nurse, and put them in the bedroom; and they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not slain.
This passage shows God’s providential preservation of the Davidic line through Jehosheba’s brave act of hiding Joash, ensuring the royal lineage survived Athaliah’s purge.