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JEHOSHAPHAT

(Heb. yĕhôšāpāṭ)

1. The son of Ahilud, who served as mazkîr under David (2 Sam. 8:16; 20:24; 1 Chr. 18:15) and Solomon (1 Kgs. 4:3). The function of the mazkîr remains unknown, with suggestions ranging from recorder or archivist (cf. LXX, esp. 2 Sam. 8:16) to herald and secretary of state. Comparisons with the office of the Egyptian “speaker” (whmw) have led some to understand Jehoshaphat’s role to be that of reporting to the king and making the king’s decrees known to others.

2. The son of Paruah, who served as one of the 12 officials over Israel to furnish provisions for Solomon’s household, including feed for his horses (1 Kgs. 4:27-28[MT 5:7-8]). Each officer was responsible for one month of the year, and Jehoshaphat served in this capacity over the land of Issachar (1 Kgs. 4:17).

3. King of Judah, son of Asa and Azubah daughter of Shilhi. He came to the throne at age 35, reigned for 25 years (ca. 874-850 b.c.e.), and was succeeded by his son Jehoram. 1 Kgs. 22 indicates that (1) Jehoshaphat continued the religious policies of Asa and so was faithful to Yahweh, but he did not take the “high places” away; (2) he made peace with the rulers of Israel (v. 44[MT 45]); and (3) he had “ships of Tarshish” constructed for gold trade with Ophir, but the vessels were wrecked at Ezion-geber (vv. 48-49[49-50]). 2 Chr. 20:37 construes this last matter differently, condemning Jehoshaphat for collaborating with Ahaziah in the venture and noting that the ships were built in Ezion-geber and destroyed after the prophet Eliezer rebuked Jehoshaphat for entering into an agreement with the Israelite king.

The reports about Jehoshaphat’s military alliances with Ahab against the Syrians (1 Kgs. 22:1-36) and with Jehoram against Moab (2 Kgs. 3:4-27) depict the king of Judah as a godly man, who insisted on hearing the word of Yahweh’s prophet before going into battle. Both accounts are problematic, however, since in each instance it seems likely that another Judean king would have been involved. In the episode involving Moab, Jehoshaphat had died before Jehoram assumed the throne of Israel, and therefore the two could not have engaged in a joint military expedition. In the case of the battle against the Syrians at Ramoth-gilead, J. Maxwell Miller has made a convincing case for placing the event in the later part of Jehu’s dynasty, suggesting that originally the report did not refer to Jehoshaphat and Ahab but more vaguely to the king of Judah and the king of Israel.

Chronicles enlarges the Kings account of Jehoshephat dramatically and depicts the king more favorably, reporting that he fortified, provisioned, and garrisoned his territories against Israel and other foreign powers and that God blessed him with peace (2 Chr. 17:2, 10-19). After reproducing with few changes the Kings report about battle with Syria at Ramoth-gilead (2 Chr. 18:1-34), Chronicles notes that the seer Jehu, son of Hanani, rebuked Jehoshaphat for his alliance with Israel (19:1-3). In addition, 2 Chr. 20:1-30 describes Jehoshaphat’s successful defense of his territory against an alliance of Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites (or “inhabitants of Mt. Seir”; compare vv. 1, 23), a story with superficial parallels to 2 Kgs. 3:4-27. Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast, appealed to God for help, and under the guidance of the Levite Jahaziel led his people out for battle, where they found that their enemies had destroyed one another. Finally, Jehoshaphat is portrayed as a diligent ruler concerned with the religious observance of his people and the administration of justice in the land. He sent princes, Levites, and priests into the cities of Judah to teach the book of the law of God (2 Chr. 17:7-9) and appointed judges throughout his kingdom, establishing in Jerusalem Levites, priests, and heads of families to judge disputes brought to them (19:4-11). The extent to which Chronicles’ picture of Jehoshaphat’s reign is related to actual historical events is unclear.

4. The son of Nimshi and father of Jehu, king of Israel (2 Kgs. 9:2, 14).

Bibliography. W. F. Albright, “The Judicial Reform of Jehoshaphat,” in Alexander Marx Jubilee Volume, ed. S. Lieberman (New York, 1950), 61-82; G. N. Knoppers, “Reform and Regression: The Chronicler’s Presentation of Jehoshaphat,” Bibl 72 (1991): 500-24; J. M. Miller, “The Elisha Cycle and the Accounts of the Omride Wars,” JBL 85 (1966): 441-54; Miller and J. H. Hayes, A History of Ancient Israel and Judah (Philadelphia, 1986).

M. Patrick Graham

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

JEHOSHAPHAT

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)