Original Word: רוּמָה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Ruwmah
Pronunciation: roo-MAH
Phonetic Spelling: (roo-maw')
KJV: Rumah
NASB: Rumah
Word Origin: [from H7311 (רוּם - exalted)]

1. height
2. Rumah, a place in Israel

Rumah

From ruwm; height; Rumah, a place in Palestine -- Rumah.

see HEBREW ruwm

Word Origin
from rum
Definition
home of Pedaiah
NASB Translation
Rumah (1).

רוּמָה proper name, of a location ׳מִןרֿ 2 Kings 23:36; (ἐκ)Κρουμα, A Ρυμα, ᵐ5^L Λοβεννα; possibly = [אֲרוּמָה] Judges 9:41 (q. 1. perhaps also Judges 9:31, see GFM), yet compare Kit Benz.

Biblical Context

The lone appearance of רוּמָה (Rumah) occurs in 2 Kings 23:36, where the place is cited as the hometown of Zebidah, mother of King Jehoiakim. “Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah, from Rumah”. Though briefly noted, Rumah links Jehoiakim’s maternal lineage to a northern settlement, reminding readers that royal influence was often intertwined with families and locales scattered throughout Israel’s territory.

Historical and Geographical Considerations

Ancient sources and modern surveys suggest two primary identifications:
• Tell er-Rumeh in the Lower Galilee, overlooking the western approaches to the Jezreel Valley, close to modern Dothan.
• Khirbet el-Ormeh (Arumah) east of Shechem, noted in Judges 9:41.

Both sites occupy elevated terrain, true to the verbal root rûm (“to be high, exalted”), and each sat astride caravan routes that tied the north to Jerusalem. Either identification places Zebidah in the northern kingdom’s cultural orbit during the late eighth and early seventh centuries BC, a generation before the Assyrian conquest of Samaria (722 BC). By Jehoiakim’s day (609–598 BC) these regions were under Judah’s control, reflecting Josiah’s earlier reforms and expansion (2 Kings 23:15-20).

Family Lineage and Royal Policy

Jehoiakim’s paternal line was Davidic, yet his maternal roots from Rumah illustrate how Judah’s kingship incorporated broader Israelite stock after the fall of the northern kingdom. Such inter-regional marriages could strengthen political alliances and reinforce national unity, even while exposing the throne to divergent cultural pressures (compare 1 Kings 11:1-8). Jehoiakim’s subsequent policies—shifting loyalty between Egypt and Babylon and taxing the populace heavily (2 Kings 23:35)—may reflect the complex loyalties that characterized families straddling north-south identities.

Theological Reflections

Rumah’s single mention testifies that Scripture values precise historical detail; even peripheral names anchor biblical events in real geography and genealogy. The Lord’s sovereignty extends to “the least of these” places, weaving minor towns into the redemptive storyline. Moreover, Jehoiakim’s failure to fear God (Jeremiah 36) stands in stark contrast to the faithfulness still expected of any family, whether of Jerusalem or Rumah. The brief remark about Zebidah encourages reflection on the formative influence of mothers (Proverbs 31:1; 2 Timothy 1:5) and the far-reaching impact local communities can have on national destiny.

Practical Ministry Application

1. Intercession for obscure communities: Rumah reminds believers that no locality lies outside God’s concern. Congregations can pray for and serve smaller towns that rarely attract attention yet shape future leaders.
2. Honoring familial heritage: Jehoiakim’s record is negative, but the Scripture still names his mother and grandfather, underscoring the biblical ethic of remembering one’s ancestors (Exodus 20:12).
3. Guarding against syncretism: Ties between north and south could enrich Judah, yet Jehoiakim’s reign shows how political pragmatism can eclipse covenant loyalty. Churches today must steward cultural diversity while remaining faithful to God’s Word.

Related Passages and Intertextual Echoes

• Judges 9:41 — Arumah as Abimelech’s base of operations, geographically akin to one proposed Rumah site.
• Jeremiah 26:20-24 — Uriah of Kiriath-jearim flees to Egypt under Jehoiakim, illustrating the king’s oppressive climate perhaps influenced by broader northern alliances.
• 2 Kings 24:1-6 — Jehoiakim’s downfall, demonstrating that royal lineage, whether Davidic or Rumah-connected, cannot substitute for obedience.

Summary

Rumah, though mentioned once, situates the mother of Jehoiakim within Israel’s northern hill country and silently witnesses to God’s meticulous oversight of history. From this small town emerged a woman whose son would steer Judah during one of its most turbulent decades. Rumah stands as a token of Scripture’s geographical precision, a reminder of the formative power of families and local communities, and a call to covenant faithfulness regardless of one’s place on the map.

רוּמָֽה׃ רומה׃ rū·māh ruMah rūmāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts