Meaning of the Name Joram
Joram is commonly understood as a shortened form of Jehoram. The name is usually explained as "Yahweh is exalted" or "Yahweh has exalted," with variation depending on how the rum root is taken. The use of both short and long forms creates a natural variation across the texts.
Origin
The name Joram is of Hebrew origin.
Who is Joram in the Bible?
The most prominent bearer of this name is Joram, son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. He ruled in Judah and was linked by marriage to the northern royal house; his story appears especially in 2 Kings 8 and 2 Chronicles 21. There was also another Joram who ruled in Israel.
The story of Joram in the Bible
Several men in the Bible bear the name Joram, and in the same era kings by this name ruled in both Judah and Israel. The best known is Joram son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. According to 2 Kings 8:16 he succeeded his father and reigned eight years. His marriage to a daughter of Ahab tied him to the northern dynasty, and the narrative says he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel rather than those of Judah. As 2 Chronicles 21:4 reports, once his throne was secure he put his own brothers to the sword, the darkest act of his reign. In his days Edom broke free from Judah's rule and set up its own king. Even so, the text stresses that God would not destroy Judah, for the sake of his promise to David. When Joram died, 2 Kings 8:24 records that he was buried with his fathers in the City of David, and his son Ahaziah became king. His story reads as a vivid example of the troubles the northern alliance brought upon Judah.
Is Joram mentioned in the Quran?
The name Joram does not appear in the Quran; in the Old Testament, in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, he is the king of Judah, son of Jehoshaphat.
Verses where Joram appears
- 2 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.
- 2 Chronicles 21:4 —
Now when Jehoram was risen up over the kingdom of his father, and had strengthened himself, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and various also of the princes of Israel.
- 2 Kings 8:24 —
Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.