Jeroham
Samuel's grandfather and Levite
Jeroham was a Levite from the hill country of Ephraim and the father of Elkanah, who in turn was the father of the prophet Samuel. He is mentioned in the genealogies in both 1 Samuel and 1 Chronicles. Through his grandson Samuel, Jeroham played an indirect but important role in Israel's history, as Samuel became one of the greatest prophets and judges in Israel.
Family
Key events
Mentioned in Samuel's genealogy
Jeroham is named as the father of Elkanah in the introduction to the story of Samuel's birth, where his family line is presented.
1There was a man from Ramathaim-zophim, in the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
וַיְהִי֩ אִ֨ישׁ אֶחָ֜ד מִן־הָרָמָתַ֛יִם צוֹפִ֖ים מֵהַ֣ר אֶפְרָ֑יִם וּשְׁמ֡וֹ אֶ֠לְקָנָה בֶּן־יְרֹחָ֧ם בֶּן־אֱלִיה֛וּא בֶּן־תֹּ֥חוּ בֶן־צ֖וּף אֶפְרָתִֽי׃
The Genealogy in 1 Chronicles
Jeroham is listed in the Levitical genealogy that connects Samuel to the tribe of Levi through the Kohathite branch.
19the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah,
בֶּן־אֶלְקָנָה֙ בֶּן־יְרֹחָ֔ם בֶּן־אֱלִיאֵ֖ל בֶּן־תּֽוֹחַ׃
20the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai,
בֶּן־*ציף **צוּף֙ בֶּן־אֶלְקָנָ֔ה בֶּן־מַ֖חַת בֶּן־עֲמָשָֽׂי׃
21the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah,
בֶּן־אֶלְקָנָה֙ בֶּן־יוֹאֵ֔ל בֶּן־עֲזַרְיָ֖ה בֶּן־צְפַנְיָֽה׃
22the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah,
בֶּן־תַּ֙חַת֙ בֶּן־אַסִּ֔יר בֶּן־אֶבְיָסָ֖ף בֶּן־קֹֽרַח׃
23the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel.
בֶּן־יִצְהָ֣ר בֶּן־קְהָ֔ת בֶּן־לֵוִ֖י בֶּן־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Elkanah's Family and Piety
Jeroham's son Elkanah continued the family's devotion and traveled annually to Shiloh to worship the Lord, testifying to a godly family tradition.
1There was a man from Ramathaim-zophim, in the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
וַיְהִי֩ אִ֨ישׁ אֶחָ֜ד מִן־הָרָמָתַ֛יִם צוֹפִ֖ים מֵהַ֣ר אֶפְרָ֑יִם וּשְׁמ֡וֹ אֶ֠לְקָנָה בֶּן־יְרֹחָ֧ם בֶּן־אֱלִיה֛וּא בֶּן־תֹּ֥חוּ בֶן־צ֖וּף אֶפְרָתִֽי׃
2He had two wives; one was named Hannah, the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
וְלוֹ֙ שְׁתֵּ֣י נָשִׁ֔ים שֵׁ֤ם אַחַת֙ חַנָּ֔ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית פְּנִנָּ֑ה וַיְהִ֤י לִפְנִנָּה֙ יְלָדִ֔ים וּלְחַנָּ֖ה אֵ֥ין יְלָדִֽים׃
3Year after year this man would go up from his town to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of hosts at Shiloh, where Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the LORD.
וְעָלָה֩ הָאִ֨ישׁ הַה֤וּא מֵֽעִירוֹ֙ מִיָּמִ֣ים ׀ יָמִ֔ימָה לְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֺ֧ת וְלִזְבֹּ֛חַ לַיהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת בְּשִׁלֹ֑ה וְשָׁ֞ם שְׁנֵ֣י בְנֵֽי־עֵלִ֗י חָפְנִי֙ וּפִ֣נְחָ֔ס כֹּהֲנִ֖ים לַיהוָֽה׃
Samuel's Birth – Jeroham's Grandson
Through Elkanah and Hannah, Samuel, the grandson of Jeroham, was born in answer to prayer and dedicated to the Lord's service from childhood.
19Early the next morning they rose and worshiped before the LORD, and then returned home to Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her.
וַיַּשְׁכִּ֣מוּ בַבֹּ֗קֶר וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲווּ֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וַיָּשֻׁ֛בוּ וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ אֶל־בֵּיתָ֖ם הָרָמָ֑תָה וַיֵּ֤דַע אֶלְקָנָה֙ אֶת־חַנָּ֣ה אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ וַיּֽ͏ִזְכְּרֶ֖הָ יְהוָֽה׃
20In the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, "I asked the LORD for him."
וַיְהִי֙ לִתְקֻפ֣וֹת הַיָּמִ֔ים וַתַּ֥הַר חַנָּ֖ה וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֑ן וַתִּקְרָ֤א אֶת־שְׁמוֹ֙ שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל כִּ֥י מֵיְהוָ֖ה שְׁאִלְתִּֽיו׃
Levitical Service in the Genealogy
In 1 Chronicles, Jeroham is linked to the Levitical singing service, where Samuel's descendants served at the tabernacle and later at the temple.
18These are the men who served, together with their sons. From the Kohathites: Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel,
וְאֵ֥לֶּה הָעֹמְדִ֖ים וּבְנֵיהֶ֑ם מִבְּנֵי֙ הַקְּהָתִ֔י הֵימָן֙ הַמְשׁוֹרֵ֔ר בֶּן־יוֹאֵ֖ל בֶּן־שְׁמוּאֵֽל׃
19the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah,
בֶּן־אֶלְקָנָה֙ בֶּן־יְרֹחָ֔ם בֶּן־אֱלִיאֵ֖ל בֶּן־תּֽוֹחַ׃
20the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai,
בֶּן־*ציף **צוּף֙ בֶּן־אֶלְקָנָ֔ה בֶּן־מַ֖חַת בֶּן־עֲמָשָֽׂי׃
21the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah,
בֶּן־אֶלְקָנָה֙ בֶּן־יוֹאֵ֔ל בֶּן־עֲזַרְיָ֖ה בֶּן־צְפַנְיָֽה׃
22the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah,
בֶּן־תַּ֙חַת֙ בֶּן־אַסִּ֔יר בֶּן־אֶבְיָסָ֖ף בֶּן־קֹֽרַח׃
23the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel.
בֶּן־יִצְהָ֣ר בֶּן־קְהָ֔ת בֶּן־לֵוִ֖י בֶּן־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
24His brother Asaph, who stood at his right hand: Asaph the son of Berechiah, the son of Shimea,
וְאָחִ֣יו אָסָ֔ף הָעֹמֵ֖ד עַל־יְמִינ֑וֹ אָסָ֥ף בֶּן־בֶּרֶכְיָ֖הוּ בֶּן־שִׁמְעָֽא׃
25the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah,
בֶּן־מִיכָאֵ֥ל בֶּן־בַּעֲשֵׂיָ֖ה בֶּן־מַלְכִּיָּֽה׃
26the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,
בֶּן־אֶתְנִ֥י בֶן־זֶ֖רַח בֶּן־עֲדָיָֽה׃
27the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei,
בֶּן־אֵיתָ֥ן בֶּן־זִמָּ֖ה בֶּן־שִׁמְעִֽי׃
28the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi.
בֶּן־יַ֥חַת בֶּן־גֵּרְשֹׁ֖ם בֶּן־לֵוִֽי׃ ס
16These are the men whom David put in charge of the music in the house of the LORD, after the ark came to rest there.
וְאֵ֗לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֶעֱמִ֥יד דָּוִ֛יד עַל־יְדֵי־שִׁ֖יר בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה מִמְּנ֖וֹחַ הָאָרֽוֹן׃
17They ministered with music before the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, until Solomon built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, and they carried out their service according to the order laid down for them.
וַיִּהְי֨וּ מְשָׁרְתִ֜ים לִפְנֵ֨י מִשְׁכַּ֤ן אֹֽהֶל־מוֹעֵד֙ בַּשִּׁ֔יר עַד־בְּנ֧וֹת שְׁלֹמֹ֛ה אֶת־בֵּ֥ית יְהוָ֖ה בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וַיַּעַמְד֥וּ כְמִשְׁפָּטָ֖ם עַל־עֲבוֹדָתָֽם׃