{
  "id": "dict_003032",
  "term": "Jotham",
  "slug": "jotham",
  "letter": "J",
  "entry_type": "biblical_name",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "A biblical personal name borne by more than one individual, especially Jotham king of Judah and Jotham son of Gideon.",
  "simple_one_line": "Jotham is a biblical name with multiple referents, most notably a king of Judah and Gideon's son.",
  "tooltip_text": "A biblical proper name. In Scripture, Jotham most often refers to the king of Judah or to Gideon's son who spoke the parable of the trees.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Gideon",
    "Abimelech",
    "Judges 9",
    "Kings of Judah",
    "2 Kings 15",
    "2 Chronicles 27",
    "Uzziah"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Jotham son of Gideon",
    "Jotham king of Judah",
    "Abimelech",
    "Gideon",
    "Judah"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Jotham is a biblical personal name used for more than one individual. The best-known referents are Jotham king of Judah and Jotham the son of Gideon (Jerubbaal).",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "Biblical proper name; not a theological concept in itself.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Refers to more than one biblical person",
    "Most notable: Jotham king of Judah",
    "Also: Jotham son of Gideon in Judges 9",
    "Best treated as a disambiguation/name entry"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Jotham is a biblical personal name applied to more than one individual, especially Jotham king of Judah and Jotham son of Gideon. Because it is a proper name rather than a theological doctrine or technical concept, it is best handled as a name entry with disambiguation.",
  "description_academic_full": "Jotham is a biblical personal name borne by more than one individual. The two best-known are Jotham son of Gideon (Jerubbaal), who spoke the parable of the trees against Shechem in Judges 9, and Jotham king of Judah, whose reign is summarized in 2 Kings 15 and 2 Chronicles 27. Scripture presents these as historical persons, but the name itself is not a doctrine or theological category. A clear entry should therefore function as a proper-name/disambiguation page rather than a theological-term article.",
  "background_biblical_context": "In Judges 9, Jotham son of Gideon speaks from Mount Gerizim after Abimelech's rise to power, using the parable of the trees to warn Shechem. In 2 Kings 15 and 2 Chronicles 27, Jotham king of Judah is presented as a comparatively faithful ruler in the royal line of David.",
  "background_historical_context": "The name appears across different historical settings in Israel's narrative: the period of the judges and the later monarchic period of Judah. The biblical text uses the same name for distinct persons, so context is essential for identification.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "Jotham functions as a standard Hebrew personal name. Like many biblical names, it identifies a person rather than conveying a doctrinal meaning in the text itself.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Judges 9",
    "2 Kings 15:32-38",
    "2 Chronicles 27"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Related genealogical and contextual references where the name appears in biblical lists or narrative settings"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Hebrew יוֹתָם (Yōtām), a personal name.",
  "theological_significance": "Indirect rather than doctrinal. Jotham's narratives highlight wisdom, leadership, covenant accountability, and the consequences of rebellion, but the name itself carries no standalone theological doctrine.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "As a proper name, Jotham is an identifying label, not an abstract concept. Its interpretive task is historical and literary: to distinguish persons and follow the narrative context accurately.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not confuse Jotham son of Gideon with Jotham king of Judah. This entry should not be read as a doctrinal term or allegorical symbol; it is a historical name used for multiple individuals.",
  "major_views_note": "There is no major doctrinal debate attached to the name itself. The main editorial issue is disambiguation among its biblical referents.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Avoid deriving doctrine from the name itself apart from the historical narratives in which each Jotham appears.",
  "practical_significance": "A clear Jotham entry helps ordinary Bible readers distinguish the persons named Jotham and locate the relevant passages without confusion.",
  "meta_description": "Jotham is a biblical personal name borne by more than one individual, especially Jotham king of Judah and Jotham son of Gideon.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/jotham/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/jotham.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}