68 JEREMOTH, JERIMOTH [Je e muth, Jer' i math]-ELEVATION of HEIGHTS. 1. A son of the Benjamite Beriah (I Chron. 8:14). 2. One who married a foreign wife (Ezra 10:26). 3. Another who did the same (Ezra 10:27). 4. Another who did the same (Ezra 10:36). 5. A Levite (I Chron. 25:22). Called Jerimoth in I Chronicles 24:30. 6. A Naphtalite (I Chron. 27:19). See Jerimoth. JERIAH, JERIJAH [Je ri ah]-JEHOVAH HATH FOUNDED. A descendant of Hezron, grandson of Levi and the chief of one of the Levitical courses in David's time (I Chron. 23:19; 24:23). JERIBAI [Jer' i bai]-JEHOVAH CONTENDS or CONTENTIOUS. A son of Elnaam and one of David's mighty men (I Chron. 11:46). JERIEL [Je' ri el] -FOUNDED or FOUNDATION OF GOD. A son of To la, son of Issachar (I Chron. 7:2). JERIMOTH [Jer' i moth]-HEIGHTS. 1. A son of Bela, son of Benjamin (I Chron. 7:7). 2. A son of Becher, son of Benjamin (I Chron. 7:8). 3. A valiant man who joined David at Ziklag (I Chron. 12:5). 4. A son of Mushi, grandson of Levi (I Chron. 23:23; 24:30). 5. A son of Heman, who assisted in the service of song (I Chron. 25:4). See Jeremoth, I Chronicles 25:22. 6. A ruler in Naphtali in David's time (I Chron. 27:19). 7. A son o f David and father of Rehoboam's wife (H Chron. 11:18). Not mentioned elsewhere. JEROBOAM [Jer o bo' am]-ENLARGES, STRUGGLER FOR THE PEOPLE or THE PEOPLE HAVE BECOME NUMEROUS. 1. The son of Nebat from Zereda in Manasseh, who became the first king of the ten tribes of Israel. This Ephraimite, Jeroboam 1, reigned for twenty-two years. His mother's name was Zeruah, who was widowed at the time of his birth. This is the Jeroboam who rebuked the unnamed prophet (I Kings 11:26-40; 12-46). The Man Who Made Israel Sin The dreadful description of Jeroboam tied to his name like a label, is that "he made Israel to sin." His sin - the root and fruit of it - are the chief things the Bible records of this widow's son. We are familiar with the incident of Ahijah taking Jeroboam's new garment and tearing it into twelve pieces, giving Jeroboam ten pieces and prophesying the rending of Solomon's kingdom, and the government of ten tribes of that kingdom passing into Jeroboam's hands. No wonder Solomon sought to kill him. But after the king's death and the refusal of Rehoboam to follow good advice, the kingdom split and ten tribes went with Jeroboam. Solomon had lost his kingdom by idolatry and Jeroboam proposed to keep his ten-tribe kingdom by idolatry. So, abandoning the commandment and promise of God, Jeroboam set up golden bulls, one in Bethel and the other in Dan. People must have religion of some sort, Jeroboam reasoned, as he made the worship of the calves a part of the constitution of his kingdom. How sad it is to read that the Lord gave Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboaml The consequences of national idolatry continued, for eighteen kings sat upon the throne of Judah after his death, but not one of them gave up the golden calves. Of fifteen of them it is said that they departed not from the sin of Jeroboam. As with the kings, so with the people who continued to walk in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did (11 Kings 17:22, 23). There is no need to linger over what befell Jeroboam himself. He was warned by the man of God from Judah, but without avail. His son fell sick and died, and Jeroboam shortly after was defeated by his enemies. Then the Lord struck him and he died. Yet his name lives on with the terrible mark against it. "He made Israel to sin." 2. A son of Joash or Jehoash the grandfather of Jehu, who succeeded Joash as king over the ten tribes, and who reigned for fortyone years (11 Kings 13:13; 14:16-29; 15:1, 8; 1 Chron. 5:17; Amos 1:1; 7:9-11). Both Hosea (Hos. 1:1) and Amos describe the temporary prosperity of Israel with the accompaniment of social and moral degeneracy during the reign of Jeroboam H. Under him, Israel regained the territory it lost to its hereditary enemy, Syria. The aspect of commanding interest in Jeroboam's age when materialism was in the saddle was the appearance of a man with a message. Amid the shallow optimism possessing king and people alike was the voice of Amos, the herdsman of Tekoa, saying in effect: "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand forever." Israel's prosperity ended with the death of this Jeroboam. A period of anarchy followed. Then he was succeeded by his son Zachariah, who after a reign of only six months, was murdered by Shallum who, in turn, was assassinated one month later. Think of it, three kings sat on Israel's throne in seven months! Four out of six kings succeeding Jeroboam died violent deaths. In less than fifteen years four of Israel's kings were murdered. JEROHAM [Jer' O ham]-LOVED or HE FINDETH MERCY. 1. The father of Elkanah, and grandfather of Samuel (I Sam. 1:1; I Chron. 6:27, 34). 2. The head of a Benjamite family dwelling in Jerusalem (I Chron. 8:27). 3. A Benjumite and father of Ibneiah. Perhaps the same as No. 2 (I Chron. 9:8). 4. A priest, whose son, Adaiah, lived in Jerusalem after the exile, and who was of the house of Malchijah (I Chron. 9:12; Neh. 14:12). 5. A Benjamite of Gedor whose two sons joined David at Ziklag (I Chron. 12:7). 6. The father of Azareel, prince of Dan in the reign of David (I Chron. 27:22). 7. The father of Azariah who aided Jehoiada in putting Joash on the throne (II Chron. 23:1). JERUBBAAL [Je rub' ba al]-BAAL STRIVES, LET BAAL DEFEND HIS CAUSE Or CONTENDER WITH BAAL. The name given to Gideon by his father Joash (Judg. 6:32). See Gideon and next name. JERUBBESHETH [Je rub' be sheh]-CONTENDER WITH IDOL Or LET THE IDOL OF CONFUSION DEFEND ITSELF. Another name given to Gideon by those who wished to avoid pronouncing the name of Baal in the former name (II Sam. 11:21). JESAIAH, JESHAIAH [Je sa' iah, Je sha' Iah]-JEHOVAH IS OPULENT Or HATH SAVED. 1. A son of Hananiah and grandson of Zerubbabel (I Chron. 3:21). 69 2. A son of Jeduthun and a musician in David's time (I Chron. 25:3, 15). 3. A Levite, son of Rehabiah and grandson of Eliezer, son of Moses (I Chron. 26:25). 4. A son of Athaliah and head of his father's house at Elam, who with seventy males returned from Babylon with Ezra (Ezra 8:7). 5. A Merarite included in the above seventy (Ezra 8:19). 6. A son of Benjamin, the father of Ithiel whose descendants dwelt in Jerusalem (Neh. 11:7). JESHARELAH [Je shar a lah]-UPRIGHT TOWARDS GOD. A Levite who presided over the service of song (I Chron. 25:14). See Asharelah. JESHEBEAB [Je sheb e ab]-SEAT Or DWELLING OF FATHER. A descendant of Aaron and head of the fourteenth course of priests in sanctuary service (I Chron. 24:43). JESHER [Je'shur] -UPRIGHTNESS. A son of Caleb, son of Hezron (I Chron. 2:18). JESHISHAI [Je shish' a i]-JEHOVAH IS ANCIENT. A Gadite and a descendant of Buz (I Chron. 5:14). JESHOHAIAH [Jeh o ha' Iah]-HUMBLED BY JEHOVAH. A Simeonite prince (I Chron. 4:36). JESHUA, JESHUAH [Jeh' u a, Jesh' u ah]-JEHOVAH IS SALVATION or HELP. 1. A descendant of Aaron and priest of the sanctuary (1 Chron. 24:11; Ezra 2:36; Neh. 7:39). 2. A Levite in Hezekiah's time who had to do with the receipt and distribution of Temple offerings (II Chron. 31:15; Ezra 2:40; Neh. 7:43). 3. A high priest who returned with Zerubbabel, and the son of Jozadak, who built an altar and is also called Joshua (Ezra 2:2; 3:2-9; 4:3; 5:2; 10:18; Neh. 7:7; Zech. 3; 6:11-13). 4. The father of Jozabad, the Levite who was responsible for the sanctuary vessels (Ezra 8:33). 5. A son of Pahath-moab, whose descendants returned from exile with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:6; Neh. 7:11). 6. The father of Ezer who helped to repair the wall (Neh. 3:19). 7. A Levite who helped Ezra read and explain the Law to the people (Neh. 8:7; 9:4, 5; 12:8, 24). 8. The name given to Joshua the son of Nun (Neh. 8:17). 9 The son of Azariah, a Levite, who with the others sealed the covenant (Neh. 10:9). Also the name of a city of Benjamin (Neh. 11:26). JESIAH [Je si ah]-JEHOVAH EXISTS. 1. One who joined David at Ziklag (I Chron. 12:6). 2. A Kohathite, descendant of Uzziel (I Chron. 23:20). Called also Isshiah. JESIMIEL [Je sim i el]-GOD SETTETH UP. A prince of the tribe of Simeon (I Chron. 4:36). JESSE [Jes' se] -JEHOVAH EXISTS Or FIRM. The son of Obed and father of David, and grandson of Boaz and Ruth, and an ancestor of Christ (Ruth 4:17, 22).