Joram

Two men named Joram appear in the UPDV historical books: a son of Toi king of Hamath who is sent on a diplomatic embassy to David, and a son of Ahab who reigns as king of Israel during the ministry of the prophet Elisha and dies at the hand of Jehu. The second is also called Jehoram. The narrative traces him from accession in Samaria, through repeated entanglement with Elisha and with Hazael of Syria, to his fall in the field of Naboth the Jezreelite.

Joram Son of Toi

When David strikes the host of Hadadezer, news reaches Hamath. "And when Toi king of Hamath heard that David had struck all the host of Hadadezer, then Toi sent Joram his son to King David, to greet him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and struck him: for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. And [Joram] brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of bronze" (2Sa 8:9-10).

The Chronicler records the same embassy with a variant name: "he sent Hadoram his son to King David, to greet him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadarezer and struck him (for Hadarezer had wars with Tou); and [he had with him] all manner of vessels of gold and silver and bronze" (1Ch 18:10). Joram and Hadoram are the same person under two spellings.

Accession of Joram of Israel

The second Joram, son of Ahab, comes to the throne of Israel after the death of his brother Ahaziah. "So he died according to the word of Yahweh which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram began to reign in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son" (2Ki 1:17). The synchronism is fixed in the next book-internal notice: "Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years" (2Ki 3:1). His reign spans twelve years and runs alongside Jehoshaphat of Judah and his son.

The King of Israel and the Prophet

Joram's reign is repeatedly bound up with Elisha. When the king of Syria sends his commander Naaman to be cured of leprosy, the letter is delivered to the king of Israel — Joram — who reads it as a provocation: "And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, And now when this letter has come to you, look, I have sent Naaman my slave to you, that you may recover him of his leprosy" (2Ki 5:6).

In a later Syrian raid, the prophet leads a band of blinded enemy soldiers into Samaria and presents them to the king. Joram's first impulse is summary execution: "And the king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I strike them? Shall I strike them?" (2Ki 6:21). The prophet refuses the request, and the soldiers are fed and released.

When Samaria is later besieged and the famine drives a mother to eat her own son, the king's grief breaks out unexpectedly: "And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes (now he was passing by on the wall); and the people looked and saw that he had sackcloth inside on his flesh" (2Ki 6:30). The siege ends as Elisha had said: a captain on whose hand the king leans dismisses the prophet's word and is trampled in the gate. "And the king appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trod on him in the gate, and he died as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him" (2Ki 7:17).

Inquiry About Elisha's Deeds

After these episodes the king himself turns to Elisha's attendant for an account of what the prophet has done. "Now the king was talking with Gehazi the attendant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray you, all the great things that Elisha has done. And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored to life him who was dead, that, look, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life" (2Ki 8:4-5).

War with Hazael at Ramoth-gilead

Joram joins Ahaziah of Judah against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead and is wounded there. "And he went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead: and the Syrians wounded Joram. And King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick" (2Ki 8:28-29).

The Chronicler records the same campaign and the same Jezreel convalescence. "He also walked after their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead: and the Syrians wounded Joram" (2Ch 22:5). "And he returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which they had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Azariah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick" (2Ch 22:6).

Killed by Jehu in Naboth's Field

While Joram is recovering in Jezreel, Jehu — anointed by one of Elisha's prophets — leads a conspiracy out of Ramoth-gilead. The encounter is staged in detail.

"So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram was keeping Ramoth-gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Syria; but King Joram had returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria.) And Jehu said, If it is in your⁺ soul, then let none escape and go forth out of the city, to go to tell it in Jezreel. So Jehu rode in a chariot, and went to Jezreel; for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah came down to see Joram. Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take a horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace? So one went on horseback to meet him, and said, Thus says the king, Is it peace? And Jehu said, What have you to do with peace? Turn behind me. And the watchman told, saying, The messenger came to them, but he didn't come back. Then he sent out a second on horseback, who came to them, and said, Thus says the king, Is it peace? And Jehu answered, What have you to do with peace? Turn behind me. And the watchman told, saying, He came even to them, and didn't come back: and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi; for he drives furiously. And Joram said, Get ready. And they got his chariot ready. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out to meet Jehu, and found him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite. And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoring of your mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many? And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah. And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength, and struck Joram between his arms; and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot" (2Ki 9:14-24).

The site of the killing is immediately tied to an earlier word of Yahweh against the house of Ahab. "Then [Jehu] said to Bidkar his captain, Take up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite; for remember how that, when I and you rode together after Ahab his father, Yahweh laid this burden on him: Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, says Yahweh; and I will repay you in this plot [of ground], says Yahweh. Now therefore take and cast him into the plot, according to the word of Yahweh" (2Ki 9:25-26).