Piram

Biblical Record

Piram is named only once, in Joshua 10:3. After the Gibeonites made peace with Israel, Adonizedek, king of Jerusalem, sent word to other kings proposing an attack on Gibeon. Those who received the proposal were Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon. The text calls these rulers "the five kings of the Amorites" (Joshua 10:5).

The five kings joined forces and besieged Gibeon. At the Gibeonites' request, Joshua led Israel against them and defeated them. The five kings fled and hid in a cave at Makkedah but were captured (Joshua 10:16–23). Joshua had the Israelite commanders put their feet on the necks of the kings, and then he struck them and put them to death. The kings' bodies hung on five trees until evening and were then thrown into the cave where they had hidden (Joshua 10:24–27). Piram is not named again in the narrative, although "the king of Jarmuth" is included in the list of conquered kings in Joshua 12:11.

Significance in Scripture

Piram has no story of his own. He appears only as a member of the coalition in the account of Joshua's conquest of southern Canaan. The text presents the victory as the result of the Lord fighting for Israel (Joshua 10:14). The scene in which the commanders place their feet on the kings' necks is followed by the exhortation to "be strong and of good courage" (Joshua 10:25). The New Testament does not mention Piram.

Interpretation and Debate

• The text says nothing about Piram's age, the length of his reign, or his character. Nothing can be said about him beyond what Joshua 10 records.
• Jarmuth is generally identified as a city in the lowland (the Shephelah) southwest of Jerusalem. Joshua 15:35 lists it within the territory of the tribe of Judah.
• Scholars and theological traditions differ over the dating and historicity of the conquest accounts and over the ethical significance of the destruction of the Canaanites. Some accept the text as a straightforward historical record, while others read it in light of archaeological evidence and the literary conventions of ancient Near Eastern war accounts.

In the Korean Church

Piram is rarely treated as a subject in his own right in sermons or Sunday school. He is usually mentioned only as one of the coalition kings in discussions of the battle at Gibeon in Joshua 10 and Joshua's prayer, "Sun, stand thou still."