Jotham (son of Gideon)

Biblical Account

Jotham appears only in Judges 9. After the death of his father, Gideon, Abimelech, the son of Gideon's concubine from Shechem, went with the backing of the men of Shechem to his father's house at Ophrah. There he killed his seventy brothers upon one stone; only Jotham, the youngest, survived by hiding (Judges 9:5).

When Jotham heard that the men of Shechem had made Abimelech king, he went up to the top of Mount Gerizim and cried out, "Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you" (Judges 9:7). He then told a parable about the trees going forth to anoint a king over themselves (Judges 9:8–15).

• The olive tree, the fig tree, and the vine each decline to become king, saying that they cannot give up their own fruit and usefulness.
• Only the bramble agrees to become king. It invites the trees to take refuge in its shade and warns that otherwise fire will come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.

Jotham applied the parable to the men of Shechem. If they had dealt truly with the house of Jerubbaal (Gideon), he said, they should rejoice in Abimelech. If not, fire would come forth from Abimelech and from Shechem, each devouring the other (Judges 9:16–20). Afterward, out of fear of Abimelech, he fled to Beer and dwelt there (Judges 9:21). Nothing further is recorded of Jotham.

Abimelech reigned for three years. Conflict then arose between him and the men of Shechem; he destroyed Shechem and was later killed at Thebez when a woman threw a millstone upon him. The text sums up these events with the words "and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal" (Judges 9:57).

Significance Within Scripture

Jotham's parable is regarded as a classic example of an Old Testament fable in which plants speak. The parable's warning of fire corresponds to events later in chapter 9 (the burning of the tower of Shechem and the death of Abimelech), providing a framework that anticipates what follows. Commentators also frequently note its contrast with the scene in which Gideon refused kingship, saying, "the LORD shall rule over you" (Judges 8:22–23). Jotham is not mentioned in the New Testament.

Interpretation and Debate

• Assessment of monarchy: Some scholars read the parable as a critique of the institution of monarchy itself, while others read it as a critique of unqualified people seizing power.
• The number seventy: Judges 9:5 states that seventy brothers were killed, yet it also records that Jotham survived. For this reason, seventy is commonly understood as a round number.
• Distinction from a namesake: Jotham king of Judah (the son of Uzziah; 2 Kings 15; Matthew 1:9) is a different person who merely shares the same name.

In the Korean Church

In Korean church preaching, Jotham's parable of the bramble is often cited in sermons on the qualifications of leaders, the appointment of church officers, and the dangers of the lust for power. It also appears in social commentary in Christian media as a metaphor for unqualified leaders.