Meaning of JEHOSHAPHAT

"Jehovah has judged."
(a) King of Judah, son and successor of Asa. He appears to have been associated on the throne with his father in the 37th year of his reign, the 11th year of Omri (1 Kings 16:28, 29, LXX), reigning alone five years later, around year 871 BC (1 Kings 22:41, 42; 2 Chron. 17:1).

He reigned twenty-five years, if the period of co-regency with Asa is included. He was 35 years old when his reign began. His mother was called Azuba daughter of Shilhi (1 Kings 22:42). He was a pious king, worshiping Jehovah, not seeking Baals (cf. 1 Kings 22:43; 2 Chron. 17:3), although the people continued to sacrifice in high places (1 Kings 22:44).

Therefore, God granted great prosperity to the king. Jehoshaphat took steps to instruct the people in the Law of Jehovah throughout the cities of Judah (2 Chron. 17:7-9). The terror of the Lord fell on the neighboring kingdoms, and the Arabs and Philistines became tributaries to Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. 17:10, 11).

He garrisoned the strong cities of his kingdom (2 Chron. 17:12-19), and made peace between Israel and Judah, who had been at war with each other since the time of Rehoboam, by marrying his son Joram to Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel.

This was an imprudent union that would bring dire consequences (see ATHALIA, JOAS, JORAM; cf. 1 Kings 22:45; 2 Kings 8:18, 26 and 2 Kings 11). However, he finally made the high places disappear from Judah, and centralized the worship of God in Jerusalem, according to the Law (2 Chron. 17: 5, 6), also destroying the Sodomites (1 Kings 22:47) .

Allied with Ahab, he fought against the Syrians to reconquer the city of Ramoth Gilead for Israel. Ahab died in that battle. Jehoshaphat was rebuked for his unholy alliances by a prophet named Jehu (2 Chron. 19:1).

Later, God intervened on his behalf by providentially destroying the league of Moabites, Ammonites, and Edomites that had formed against him (2 Chron. 20). Then, showing his propensity for alliance with the house of Israel, he undertook a commercial enterprise together with Ahaziah; God thwarted his plans by destroying the ships he had prepared at Ezion-geber (2 Chron. 20:35-37). He died at the age of 60, around the year 850 BC, and was buried in the city of David, his son Jehoram succeeding him.

(b) Other characters named after Jehoshaphat are:
an archivist under the reigns of David and Solomon (2 Sam. 8:16; 20:24; 1 Kings 4:3);
a mighty man of David (1 Chr. 11:43);
a priest when the ark was brought to Jerusalem by David (1 Chron. 15:24);
a steward of Solomon (1 Kings 4:17);
the father of Jehu king of Israel (2 Kings 9:2, 14).

(c) Valley where the Lord will judge the nations at the end of time (Joel 3:2, 12). Already in the time of Eusebius, in the 4th century AD, the valley of Josaphat was identified with that of the Kidron. However, this identification is a mere assumption, based on the passages cited and on Zech. 14. No known valley has borne this name. The prophet Joel may have chosen this name because of its symbolic value, since it means "Jehovah has judged."