Lexical Summary Yithream: Yithream Original Word: יִתְרְעָם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Ithream From yether and am; excellence of people; Jithream, a son of David -- Ithream. see HEBREW yether see HEBREW am NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom yether and am Definition a son of David NASB Translation Ithream (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs יִתְרְעָם noun masculine 6th son of David 2 Samuel 3:5 = 1 Chronicles 3:3, ᵐ5 Ιθ(α)ραμ, Ιεθρααμ, etc. Topical Lexicon Biographical Context Ithream is named twice in Scripture, both times within genealogical summaries of King David’s household (2 Samuel 3:5; 1 Chronicles 3:3). He is the sixth son born to David during the seven-and-a-half-year reign in Hebron, and the only child attributed to Eglah, called there David’s “wife.” The Hebron setting situates his birth at the formative stage of David’s kingship, before the conquest of Jerusalem and the consolidation of all Israel under the Davidic throne. Role in the Davidic Household The catalog of David’s sons in Hebron records a deliberate order: Amnon, Kileab (also called Daniel), Absalom, Adonijah, Shephatiah, and Ithream. Each firstborn of a different wife highlights David’s political alliances with various clans and regions. Ithream’s placement as the final member of this list marks the completion of that early family circle. Unlike his elder half-brothers, Ithream is never mentioned in the later narratives that describe palace intrigue or struggles for succession. His silence in the historical record suggests either an early death or a life lived outside the contest for power, and thereby underscores the selective unfolding of God’s redemptive plan through the line that eventually centers on Solomon. Scriptural Witness “and the sixth was Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.” (2 Samuel 3:5) “the sixth was Ithream by Eglah his wife. These were born to David in Hebron.” (1 Chronicles 3:3) Both passages pair Ithream’s name with Eglah to emphasize legitimate birth within covenantal marriage, even amid a polygamous context that Scripture records but never condones. Their repetition in Samuel (the narrative history) and Chronicles (the priestly genealogical record) affirms the consistency of the historical testimony. Place in Redemptive History Although Ithream himself does not occupy the foreground of biblical story, his inclusion serves several theological purposes: Lessons for Ministry Today 1. Faithfulness over fame. Ithream’s obscurity encourages believers who serve without public recognition; God records every name and deed (Malachi 3:16). Summary Ithream stands as a minor yet meaningful figure whose brief appearances secure the integrity of the Davidic record, witnessing to God’s meticulous providence in history and offering quiet encouragement to all who labor outside the spotlight yet within the sovereign purposes of the King. Forms and Transliterations יִתְרְעָ֔ם יִתְרְעָ֖ם יתרעם yiṯ·rə·‘ām yiṯrə‘ām yitreAmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Samuel 3:5 HEB: וְהַשִּׁשִּׁ֣י יִתְרְעָ֔ם לְעֶגְלָ֖ה אֵ֣שֶׁת NAS: and the sixth, Ithream, by David's KJV: And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah INT: and the sixth Ithream Eglah wife 1 Chronicles 3:3 2 Occurrences |
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