3396. Yerachmeel
Lexical Summary
Yerachmeel: Jerahmeel

Original Word: יְרַחְמְאֵל
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Yrachm'el
Pronunciation: yeh-rakh-meh-EL
Phonetic Spelling: (yer-akh-meh-ale')
KJV: Jerahmeel
NASB: Jerahmeel
Word Origin: [from H7355 (רָחַם - have compassion) and H410 (אֵל - God)]

1. God will compassionate
2. Jerachmeel, the name of three Israelites

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Jerahmeel

From racham and 'el; God will compassionate; Jerachmeel, the name of three Israelites -- Jerahmeel.

see HEBREW racham

see HEBREW 'el

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from racham and el
Definition
"may God have compassion," an Isr. name
NASB Translation
Jerahmeel (8).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
יְרַחְמְאֵל proper name, masculine (may El have compassion) Ιεραμεηλ, etc.; —

1 name in Judah 1 Chronicles 2:9,25,26,27,33,42 (compare

adjective, of a people following).

2 son of king Jehoiakim Jeremiah 36:26.

3 Levite, 1 Chronicles 24:29.

Topical Lexicon
Scriptural Occurrences and Persons Identified

1 Chronicles 2:9, 25-27, 33, 42 – Jerahmeel as the firstborn of Hezron and eponymous head of a major Judean clan.
1 Chronicles 24:29 – Jerahmeel, a Levite descended from Kish, listed among those who served in the twenty-four priestly divisions.
Jeremiah 36:26 – Jerahmeel, called “the king’s son,” commissioned by King Jehoiakim to seize Jeremiah and Baruch.

Jerahmeel Son of Hezron: Patriarch of a Judean Clan

Jerahmeel is introduced in Judah’s royal genealogy: “The sons born to Hezron: Jerahmeel, Ram, and Caleb” (1 Chronicles 2:9). While Ram carries the Messianic line to David, Jerahmeel gives his name to the Jerahmeelite clan (cf. 1 Samuel 27:10; 30:29), located in the Negev of Judah near the Kenites and Calebites. Scripture preserves the clan’s internal branches (1 Chronicles 2:25-27, 33), emphasizing God’s meticulous record of His covenant people. That Jerahmeel is Hezron’s firstborn signifies prominence, yet the monarchy would ultimately come through the younger brother, illustrating divine prerogative in election.

Descendants and Territorial Influence

The list in 1 Chronicles 2 shows two wives (Atarah and an unnamed first wife) and multiple sons and grandsons. Verses such as “The sons of Jerahmeel, the firstborn of Hezron: Ram his firstborn, Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah” (1 Chronicles 2:25) portray a flourishing lineage. The appearance of Jerahmeel’s descendants into the post-exilic era (Ezra’s community references Jerahmeelites indirectly through territorial names) attests to the endurance of his house. Their homeland, forming a triangle with Ziph and Maon, provided pasture for David while he fled Saul, connecting Jerahmeel’s heritage to redemptive history.

Jerahmeel the Levite

In the arrangement of the temple workforce under David, “From Kish: the son of Kish was Jerahmeel” (1 Chronicles 24:29). Although the verse offers little narrative detail, its placement among the priestly courses points to Jerahmeel’s participation in sacred service. The name surfaces here outside the tribe of Judah, demonstrating how godly heritage can cross tribal lines. By the time of the Chronicler, the memory of faithful Levites like this Jerahmeel would encourage the restored community to guard purity in worship.

Jerahmeel the King’s Son

During Jehoiakim’s rejection of prophetic warning, “the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, along with Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the LORD had hidden them” (Jeremiah 36:26). Likely a royal prince or official, this Jerahmeel embodies resistance to God’s word. His failure to apprehend Jeremiah highlights divine protection over the prophetic message and marks a stark contrast with the earlier Jerahmeelites’ supportive proximity to David.

Theological and Ministry Significance

1. God Values Every Generation: The extensive Jerahmeelite genealogy underlines that no family is overlooked in God’s unfolding plan. Ministry today likewise counts individuals, not merely masses.
2. Proximity to Promise Demands Faith: Jerahmeel, though firstborn of Hezron, did not inherit the royal line; yet his clan prospered when aligned with David. Spiritual privilege calls for active obedience, not entitlement.
3. Roles in Worship Matter: The Levite Jerahmeel shows that quiet, orderly service sustains the house of God. Modern ministry must prize faithfulness over visibility.
4. Rejecting Revelation Brings Peril: The royal Jerahmeel’s attempt to silence Jeremiah illustrates how political power cannot nullify divine truth. Preachers and laypeople alike must stand firm when authorities oppose God’s word.

Legacy

The name Jerahmeel spans patriarchal, liturgical, and political arenas. From wilderness ranchlands to temple courts to palace intrigue, each bearer demonstrates how the same covenant God works through varied circumstances—honoring faith, exposing rebellion, and preserving His purposes until their consummation in Christ.

Forms and Transliterations
יְרַחְמְאֵ֑ל יְרַחְמְאֵ֔ל יְרַחְמְאֵ֛ל יְרַחְמְאֵ֥ל יְרַחְמְאֵ֨ל יְרַחְמְאֵֽל׃ ירחמאל ירחמאל׃ לִֽירַחְמְאֵ֖ל לירחמאל lî·raḥ·mə·’êl lirachmeEl lîraḥmə’êl yə·raḥ·mə·’êl yerachmeEl yəraḥmə’êl
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
1 Chronicles 2:9
HEB: ל֑וֹ אֶת־ יְרַחְמְאֵ֥ל וְאֶת־ רָ֖ם
NAS: were born to him [were] Jerahmeel, Ram
KJV: that were born unto him; Jerahmeel, and Ram,
INT: who were born to him Jerahmeel Ram and Chelubai

1 Chronicles 2:25
HEB: וַיִּהְי֧וּ בְנֵי־ יְרַחְמְאֵ֛ל בְּכ֥וֹר חֶצְר֖וֹן
NAS: Now the sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn
KJV: And the sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn
INT: become now the sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron

1 Chronicles 2:26
HEB: אִשָּׁ֥ה אַחֶ֛רֶת לִֽירַחְמְאֵ֖ל וּשְׁמָ֣הּ עֲטָרָ֑ה
NAS: Jerahmeel had another
KJV: Jerahmeel had also another wife,
INT: wife another Jerahmeel name was Atarah

1 Chronicles 2:27
HEB: רָ֖ם בְּכ֣וֹר יְרַחְמְאֵ֑ל מַ֥עַץ וְיָמִ֖ין
NAS: the firstborn of Jerahmeel, were Maaz,
KJV: the firstborn of Jerahmeel were, Maaz,
INT: of Ram the firstborn of Jerahmeel were Maaz Jamin

1 Chronicles 2:33
HEB: הָי֖וּ בְּנֵ֥י יְרַחְמְאֵֽל׃
NAS: These were the sons of Jerahmeel.
KJV: These were the sons of Jerahmeel.
INT: become were the sons of Jerahmeel

1 Chronicles 2:42
HEB: כָלֵב֙ אֲחִ֣י יְרַחְמְאֵ֔ל מֵישָׁ֥ע בְּכֹר֖וֹ
NAS: the brother of Jerahmeel, [were] Mesha
KJV: the brother of Jerahmeel [were], Mesha
INT: of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel Mesha his firstborn

1 Chronicles 24:29
HEB: בְּנֵי־ קִ֥ישׁ יְרַחְמְאֵֽל׃
NAS: the sons of Kish, Jerahmeel.
KJV: the son of Kish [was] Jerahmeel.
INT: the sons of Kish Jerahmeel

Jeremiah 36:26
HEB: הַ֠מֶּלֶךְ אֶת־ יְרַחְמְאֵ֨ל בֶּן־ הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ
NAS: commanded Jerahmeel the king's
KJV: commanded Jerahmeel the son
INT: commanded and the king Jerahmeel son of Hammelech

8 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 3396
8 Occurrences


lî·raḥ·mə·’êl — 1 Occ.
yə·raḥ·mə·’êl — 7 Occ.

3395
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