Jotham יוֹתָם
Youngest son of Gideon who escaped Abimelech's massacre
Who is Jotham in the Bible?
Jotham was the youngest son of Gideon who alone escaped the massacre orchestrated by his half-brother Abimelech (Judges 9:5). After Abimelech murdered their seventy brothers to seize power, Jotham fled to Mount Gerizim and delivered a powerful parable to the men of Shechem, warning them of the consequences of supporting a tyrant (Judges 9:7-21). In his parable, he compared Abimelech to a useless bramble that would only bring destruction, contrasting him with the worthy trees that had refused kingship (Judges 9:8-15). Jotham's warning proved prophetic, as God eventually turned Abimelech and Shechem against one another, vindicating Jotham's judgment and demonstrating God's justice against those who embrace tyranny and murder.
Biography
Jotham was the youngest of Gideon's seventy sons (Jdg.9.5). After Gideon's death, Abimelech, another of Gideon's sons, conspired to become king and killed his seventy brothers on one stone (Jdg.9.5). However, Jotham escaped by hiding (Jdg.9.5).
Jotham went to Mount Gerizim and delivered a parable to the men of Shechem, warning them of the consequences of their actions in supporting Abimelech (Jdg.9.7-21). In the parable, the trees sought to anoint a king over them, but the worthy trees (olive, fig, and vine) refused, while the bramble accepted and threatened to devour the cedars of Lebanon (Jdg.9.8-15). Jotham then fled to Beer and remained there, fearing Abimelech (Jdg.9.21).
Later, God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem, causing them to turn against each other (Jdg.9.22-25). This ultimately led to Abimelech's downfall and death, which was seen as a fulfillment of Jotham's curse (Jdg.9.57).
Family
In Scripture
1 biblical bookJudges 4 verses
- Judges 9:5
"He went to his father’s house in Ophrah, and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived, because he hid himself."
- Judges 9:7
"When this was reported to Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim, raised his voice, and cried out: “Listen to me, O leaders of Shechem, and may God listen to you."
- Judges 9:21
"Then Jotham ran away, escaping to Beer, and he lived there for fear of his brother Abimelech."
- Judges 9:57
"And God also brought all the wickedness of the men of Shechem back upon their own heads. So the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came upon them."
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | יוֹתָם |