Jedidah

Mother of King Josiah

Le royaume diviséMatriarchc. 600s BC

Jedidah was the daughter of Adaiah from Bozkath and the mother of the righteous King Josiah of Judah. She was married to King Amon. Although she is mentioned only briefly in the Bible, her significance lies in raising one of Judah's most godly kings, who carried out major religious reforms.

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Événements clés

Mentioned as Josiah's mother

Jedidah is introduced in the Bible as the daughter of Adaiah from Bozkath and the mother of King Josiah, who became king at eight years old.

1Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah, from Bozkath.
בֶּן־שְׁמֹנֶ֤ה שָׁנָה֙ יֹאשִׁיָּ֣הוּ בְמָלְכ֔וֹ וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֤ים וְאַחַת֙ שָׁנָ֔ה מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמּ֔וֹ יְדִידָ֥ה בַת־עֲדָ֖יָה מִבָּצְקַֽת׃ ‬
2He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the ways of his father David, turning aside neither to the right nor to the left.
וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הַיָּשָׁ֖ר בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וַיֵּ֗לֶךְ בְּכָל־דֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ דָּוִ֣ד אָבִ֔יו וְלֹא־סָ֖ר יָמִ֥ין וּשְׂמֹֽאול׃ פ ‬

Marriage to King Amon

Jedidah was married to King Amon of Judah, who reigned for only two years before being killed by his servants.

19Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz, from Jotbah.
בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִ֨ים וּשְׁתַּ֤יִם שָׁנָה֙ אָמ֣וֹן בְּמָלְכ֔וֹ וּשְׁתַּ֣יִם שָׁנִ֔ים מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמּ֔וֹ מְשֻׁלֶּ֥מֶת בַּת־חָר֖וּץ מִן־יָטְבָֽה׃ ‬
20He did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done.
וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֖ה מְנַשֶּׁ֥ה אָבִֽיו׃ ‬
23Then Amon's officials conspired against him and killed the king in his own house.
וַיִּקְשְׁר֥וּ עַבְדֵֽי־אָמ֖וֹן עָלָ֑יו וַיָּמִ֥יתוּ אֶת־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ בְּבֵיתֽוֹ׃ ‬
24But the people of the land struck down all who had conspired against King Amon, and they made his son Josiah king in his place.
וַיַּךְ֙ עַם־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַקֹּשְׁרִ֖ים עַל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אָמ֑וֹן וַיַּמְלִ֧יכוּ עַם־הָאָ֛רֶץ אֶת־יֹאשִׁיָּ֥הוּ בְנ֖וֹ תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ ‬

Josiah becomes king as a child

After the murder of King Amon, Jedidah's son Josiah was installed as king by the people of the land at just eight years old, suggesting that Jedidah played an important role in his early upbringing.

24But the people of the land struck down all who had conspired against King Amon, and they made his son Josiah king in his place.
וַיַּךְ֙ עַם־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַקֹּשְׁרִ֖ים עַל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אָמ֑וֹן וַיַּמְלִ֧יכוּ עַם־הָאָ֛רֶץ אֶת־יֹאשִׁיָּ֥הוּ בְנ֖וֹ תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ ‬
26He was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza, and his son Josiah succeeded him as king.
וַיִּקְבְֹּ֥‪[c]‬ר אֹת֛וֹ בִּקְבֻרָת֖וֹ בְּגַן־עֻזָּ֑א וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ יֹאשִׁיָּ֥הוּ בְנ֖וֹ תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ פ ‬

Josiah's Righteous Reign

Jedidah's son Josiah walked in the Lord's ways and did not turn to the right or to the left, which may testify to his mother's godly influence.

2He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the ways of his father David, turning aside neither to the right nor to the left.
וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הַיָּשָׁ֖ר בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וַיֵּ֗לֶךְ בְּכָל־דֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ דָּוִ֣ד אָבִ֔יו וְלֹא־סָ֖ר יָמִ֥ין וּשְׂמֹֽאול׃ פ ‬

Josiah's Religious Reforms

Josiah carried out extensive religious reforms in Judah, including the restoration of the temple and the renewal of the covenant with the Lord, as fruits of a godly upbringing.

1Then the king sent word, and they gathered to him all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
וַיִּשְׁלַ֖ח הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַיַּאַסְפ֣וּ אֵלָ֔יו כָּל־זִקְנֵ֥י יְהוּדָ֖ה וִירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ ‬
2The king went up to the house of the LORD, and with him every man of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets, and all the people, from the least to the greatest. And he read in their hearing every word of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD.
וַיַּ֣עַל הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ בֵּית־יְהוָ֡ה וְכָל־אִ֣ישׁ יְהוּדָה֩ וְכָל־יֹשְׁבֵ֨י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֜ם אִתּ֗וֹ וְהַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ וְהַנְּבִיאִ֔ים וְכָל־הָעָ֖ם לְמִקָּטֹ֣ן וְעַד־גָּד֑וֹל וַיִּקְרָ֣א בְאָזְנֵיהֶ֗ם אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵי֙ סֵ֣פֶר הַבְּרִ֔ית הַנִּמְצָ֖א בְּבֵ֥ית יְהוָֽה׃ ‬
3The king stood by the pillar and made the covenant before the LORD: to follow the LORD and keep his commandments, his testimonies, and his statutes with all his heart and all his soul, carrying out the words of this covenant written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant.
וַיַּעֲמֹ֣ד הַ֠מֶּלֶךְ עַֽל־הָ֨עַמּ֜וּד וַיִּכְרֹ֥ת אֶֽת־הַבְּרִ֣ית ׀ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֗ה לָלֶ֜כֶת אַחַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ וְלִשְׁמֹ֨ר מִצְוֺתָ֜יו וְאֶת־עֵדְוֺתָ֤יו וְאֶת־חֻקֹּתָיו֙ בְּכָל־לֵ֣ב וּבְכָל־נֶ֔פֶשׁ לְהָקִ֗ים אֶת־דִּבְרֵי֙ הַבְּרִ֣ית הַזֹּ֔את הַכְּתֻבִ֖ים עַל־הַסֵּ֣פֶר הַזֶּ֑ה וַיַּעֲמֹ֥ד כָּל־הָעָ֖ם בַּבְּרִֽית׃ ‬
4Then the king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the threshold to remove from the temple of the LORD all the vessels made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel.
וַיְצַ֣ו הַמֶּ֡לֶךְ אֶת־חִלְקִיָּהוּ֩ הַכֹּהֵ֨ן הַגָּד֜וֹל וְאֶת־כֹּהֲנֵ֣י הַמִּשְׁנֶה֮ וְאֶת־שֹׁמְרֵ֣י הַסַּף֒ לְהוֹצִיא֙ מֵהֵיכַ֣ל יְהוָ֔ה אֵ֣ת כָּל־הַכֵּלִ֗ים הָֽעֲשׂוּיִם֙ לַבַּ֣עַל וְלָֽאֲשֵׁרָ֔ה וּלְכֹ֖ל צְבָ֣א הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וַֽיִּשְׂרְפֵ֞ם מִח֤וּץ לִירוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ בְּשַׁדְמ֣וֹת קִדְר֔וֹן וְנָשָׂ֥א אֶת־עֲפָרָ֖ם בֵּֽית־אֵֽל׃ ‬
25Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his strength, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him.
וְכָמֹהוּ֩ לֹֽא־הָיָ֨ה לְפָנָ֜יו מֶ֗לֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־שָׁ֤ב אֶל־יְהוָה֙ בְּכָל־לְבָב֤וֹ וּבְכָל־נַפְשׁוֹ֙ וּבְכָל־מְאֹד֔וֹ כְּכֹ֖ל תּוֹרַ֣ת מֹשֶׁ֑ה וְאַחֲרָ֖יו לֹֽא־קָ֥ם כָּמֹֽהוּ׃ ‬

Mentionné dans la Bible (1)