Jotham — Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

1. Youngest of Gideon’s 70 sons and the only survivor of Abimelech’s slaughter of Jotham’s brothers at Ophrah (Jgs 9:5). Upon learning of Abimelech’s intrigue with the Shechemites, which led to the death of his brothers, Jotham traveled to Shechem and addressed its people from atop nearby Mt Gerizim. Using a parable, he portrayed Abimelech’s rise as king and concluded his denunciation by issuing a curse on both his half brother (see 8:31) and the people of Shechem for their treachery (9:7). Jotham then fled to Beer for fear of a reprisal from Abimelech (v 21). Later, God fulfilled Jotham’s curse; the people of Shechem were killed in a revolt and Abimelech was struck down at the hands of a woman (v 57).

Show passage in OET: JDG 9:5

OET-RV JDG 9:5

5 Then they went to his father’s house at Ofrah, and he killed his seventy half-brothers (Gid’on’s sons) there on one stone. But Gid’on’s youngest son Yotam (Jotham) survived because he had hidden from them.

OET-LV JDG 9:5

5 And_he _went the _house _of his/its_father to_ˊOfrāh and_he _killed DOM brothers _of_his the _sons _of Jerub-Baˊal seventy man on stone one and_ Yōtām/(Jotham) the _son _of Jerub-Baˊal the_small(sg) _he _was _left if/because he _hid _himself.

Show passage in OET: JDG 8:31

OET-RV JDG 8:31

31 He also had a mistress in Shekem—she also bore him a son that he named Avimelek.

OET-LV JDG 8:31

31 And_concubine _of_his who was_in_Shəkem she _bore for_him/it also she a _son and_he/it _assigned DOM his/its_name ʼAⱱīmelek.

Show passage in OET: JDG 9:7

OET-RV JDG 9:7

7 When they told Yotam (Jotham), he went and stood on the top of Mt. Gerizim and shouted out to them all in a loud voice, “Listen to me, citizens of Shekem, so God will listen to all of you.

OET-LV JDG 9:7

7 And_people _told to_Yōtām and_he/it _went and_he _stood on_the _top _of the _mountain _of Gərizīm and_he _lifted _up voice _of_his and_he/it _called and_he/it _said to/for_them listen to_me Oh _citizens _of Shəkem so_that _he _may _listen to_you(pl) god.

Show passage in OET: JDG 9:21

OET-RV JDG 9:21

21 Then Yotam (Jotham) fled away and escaped and went to Be’er and settled there away from the presence of his half-brother Avimelek.

OET-LV JDG 9:21

21 And_ Yōtām/(Jotham) _he _fled and_he _ran _away and_he/it _went to_Bəʼēr and_he/it _sat _down//remained//lived there from_face/in _front _of ʼAⱱīmelek his/its_brother.

Show passage in OET: JDG 9:57

OET-RV JDG 9:57

57 and God caused all the evil done by Shekem’s men to return back onto their own heads, and the curse of Gid’on’s youngest son Yotam (Jotham), came true on them.

OET-LV JDG 9:57

57 And_DOM all _of the _evil _of the _men _of Shəkem god he _repaid on_head _of_their and_it _came to_them the _curse _of Yōtām/(Jotham) the _son _of Jerub-Baˊal.

Jump to OET JDG 9:5 section.

Jump to OET JDG 8:31 section.

Jump to OET JDG 9:7 section.

Jump to OET JDG 9:21 section.

Jump to OET JDG 9:57 section.

2. Eleventh king of Judah (750–735 BC). He was the son of King Azariah (Uzziah) of Judah and Jerusa, daughter of Zadok (2 Kgs 15:7; 2 Chr 26:21; 27:1), and the father of Ahaz. Jotham, at 25 years of age, ascended Judah’s throne in the second year of King Pekah of Israel (752–732 BC) and ruled for 16 years in Jerusalem. Initially he reigned as co-regent with Azariah, who was stricken with leprosy for tolerating pagan worship, until his father’s death (2 Kgs 15:5).

Show passage in OET: KI2 15:7

OET-RV KI2 15:7

7 Azaryah died and was buried in the ancestral tomb in the city of David, and his son Yotam replaced him as king.

OET-LV KI2 15:7

7 And_ ˊAzar^yāh _he _lay _down with ancestors _of_his and_people _buried DOM_him/it with ancestors _of_his in_the _city _of Dāvid and_ Yōtām his/its_son _he _became _king in_place _of _him.

Show passage in OET: CH2 26:21

OET-RV CH2 26:21

21 King Uziyah had leprosy until he died, so he had to live in an isolated residence and wasn’t allowed to approach the temple. His son Yotam (Jotham) stood in for him—supervising the palace and ruling Yehudah (Judah).

OET-LV CH2 26:21

21 And_he/it _was ˊUzziy^yāh the_king having _a _skin _disease until the _day _of his _death _of_his and_he/it _sat _down//remained//lived the _house _of the having _a _skin _disease if/because he _was _cut _off from_the _house _of YHWH and_Yōtām/(Jotham) his/its_son was_over the _house _of the_king he_was_judging DOM the _people _of the_earth/land.

Show passage in OET: CH2 27:1

OET-RV CH2 27:1

27 Yotam (Jotham) was twenty-five when he became king, and he reigned from Yerushalem (Jerusalem) for sixteen years. His mother was Yerusha, daughter of the priest Tsadok.

OET-LV CH2 27:1

27 Was_a _son _of twenty and_five year[s] Yōtām when_he_became _king and_six- teen year[s] he _reigned in_Yərūshālaim/(Jerusalem) and_name _of his/its_mother was_Yərūshāʼ/(Jerusha) the _daughter _of Tsādōq/(Zadok).

Show passage in OET: KI2 15:5

OET-RV KI2 15:5

5 Yahweh caused Azaryah to become a leper and he had to live separately from others for the rest of his life, so his son Yotam (Jotham) ran the palace and dealt with the people’s problems.

OET-LV KI2 15:5

5 And_ YHWH _he _struck DOM the_king and_he/it _was one _who_had _a _skin _disease until the _day _of his _death _of_his and_he/it _sat _down//remained//lived in_house _of (the)_separateness and_Yōtām/(Jotham) the _son _of the_king was_over the_house he_was_judging DOM the _people _of the_earth/land.

Jump to OET KI2 15:7 section.

Jump to OET CH2 26:21 section.

Jump to OET CH2 27:1 section.

Jump to OET KI2 15:5 section.

Jotham was considered a righteous king in the eyes of the Lord. However, he also failed to cleanse the temple of its pagan influences, and subsequently the people of Judah continued in their evil ways (2 Chr 27:2-6). His building projects included the Upper Gate of the temple, work on the wall of Ophel, and the fortification of numerous towns in Judah’s hill country (vv 3-4). Jotham also defeated the troublesome Ammonites in battle (v 5) and registered by genealogy the families of Gad living east of the Jordan (1 Chr 5:17). He was buried in Jerusalem after his death (2 Chr 27:9). The prophets Isaiah and Micah ministered to Judah, and Hosea to Israel, during his tenure as king. Jotham is listed as an ancestor of Jesus Christ in Matthew’s genealogy (Mt 1:9).

Show passage in OET: CH2 27:2–6

OET-RV CH2 27:2