Jerimoth

Biblical Record

Jerimoth the son of David appears only once, in 2 Chronicles 11:18. According to this verse, Rehoboam took as his wife "Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David." As rendered in the Korean Revised Version, the verse then describes Mahalath as the child of "Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse." The following verse (2 Chronicles 11:19) records that Mahalath bore Rehoboam children: "Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham."

Scripture does not identify Jerimoth's mother or describe his life.

Significance Within the Bible

Jerimoth's name illustrates the marriage ties within the royal house of David. After marrying Jerimoth's daughter, Rehoboam also took Maachah the daughter of Absalom as his wife (2 Chronicles 11:20). The passage thus shows that Rehoboam was bound by multiple marriages to other descendants of David. The New Testament does not mention Jerimoth.

Interpretations and Issues

• A name absent from the lists of David's sons: The name Jerimoth does not appear in the lists of David's sons in 2 Samuel or in 1 Chronicles 3. Some interpreters therefore regard Jerimoth as one of the unnamed "sons of the concubines" mentioned in 1 Chronicles 3:9. Others conjecture that he is identical with one of the sons named in the lists, but this cannot be confirmed from the text.
• Whose wife was Abihail? The Korean Revised Version and the New Korean Revised Version render Abihail as Mahalath's mother, that is, Jerimoth's wife. On this reading, Jerimoth married the daughter of Eliab, David's eldest brother. Some translations, however, including the King James Version, present Abihail as another wife of Rehoboam, because the Hebrew text can be read either way.

Other Individuals of the Same Name

The Korean Revised Version mentions several other people of the same name:

• A son of Bela, a descendant of Benjamin, recorded as a head of his father's house and a mighty man of valor (1 Chronicles 7:7).
• A Benjamite warrior, of the kin of Saul, who came to David at Ziklag (1 Chronicles 12:5).
• A Merarite Levite, the son of Mushi (1 Chronicles 24:30).
• A son of Heman, who led the temple music (1 Chronicles 25:4).
• An overseer of the temple offerings and tithes in the time of Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 31:13).

In addition, some individuals with the same or a similar Hebrew name appear elsewhere under other spellings, such as Jeremoth.

In the Korean Church

Jerimoth is mentioned only once, and briefly, in Scripture. As a result, he is rarely treated as a subject in his own right in Korean church sermons or Sunday school. He is usually mentioned in passing when reading about Rehoboam's family relationships or the genealogies of Chronicles.