{
  "id": "dict_002910",
  "term": "Jerahmeel",
  "slug": "jerahmeel",
  "letter": "J",
  "entry_type": "biblical_person",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "A biblical personal name borne by more than one man in the Old Testament, including a descendant of Judah and a royal official in Jeremiah 36.",
  "simple_one_line": "Jerahmeel is a Hebrew personal name used for more than one Old Testament figure.",
  "tooltip_text": "A biblical name appearing in multiple Old Testament contexts.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Judah",
    "Hezron",
    "Jeremiah",
    "Baruch",
    "Jehoiakim"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Biblical names",
    "Genealogies",
    "Jeremiah 36"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Jerahmeel is a biblical proper name used for more than one Old Testament figure. The best-known references include a Judahite ancestor in Chronicles and a royal official in Jeremiah.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "Biblical proper name for more than one Old Testament man.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Not a theological concept or doctrine",
    "Appears in genealogical and historical narratives",
    "At least two distinct figures share the name"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Jerahmeel is a Hebrew personal name appearing more than once in the Old Testament. In Chronicles, Jerahmeel is associated with the tribe of Judah and a family line traced through Hezron; in Jeremiah 36, Jerahmeel the king’s son appears among the officials sent against Jeremiah and Baruch. The term is therefore best treated as a biblical proper name rather than a theological category.",
  "description_academic_full": "Jerahmeel is a biblical personal name used for more than one individual in the Old Testament. In the genealogies of Chronicles, Jerahmeel is connected with the tribe of Judah and a family line descending through Hezron. In Jeremiah 36:26, Jerahmeel the king’s son appears among the officials who were to seize Baruch and Jeremiah. These references are historical and genealogical rather than doctrinal. Because the same name is borne by more than one figure, an entry on Jerahmeel should identify the principal biblical occurrences and distinguish them clearly.",
  "background_biblical_context": "The Old Testament often preserves names that recur across different people and generations. Jerahmeel appears in both genealogical material and narrative history, showing how Scripture ties family lines, tribal identity, and public events together.",
  "background_historical_context": "The Chronicles references reflect Judahite genealogy and clan memory, while Jeremiah 36 reflects the political pressures of Jehoiakim’s reign and the official opposition faced by Jeremiah and Baruch.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "Hebrew names commonly carried theological meaning. Jerahmeel is traditionally understood as meaning something like 'may God have compassion' or 'God will have compassion,' though the name functions here primarily as an identifier rather than as a doctrinal term.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "1 Chronicles 2:25-27",
    "Jeremiah 36:26"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "1 Chronicles 8:27, 34-36 (genealogical context)"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "From Hebrew יְרַחְמְאֵל (Yeraḥme'el), commonly understood as 'may God have compassion' or 'God will have compassion.'",
  "theological_significance": "Jerahmeel itself is not a theological doctrine, but the name appears in Scripture’s historical and genealogical record, underscoring the Bible’s concern for real people, families, and events.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "As a proper name, Jerahmeel identifies persons rather than ideas. Its significance lies in historical particularity: Scripture names individuals within covenant history rather than speaking only in abstract categories.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not treat Jerahmeel as a doctrine or symbolic title. Since more than one biblical figure bears the name, context must determine which Jerahmeel is meant in each passage.",
  "major_views_note": "The main interpretive question is identification: Chronicles and Jeremiah refer to different men sharing the same Hebrew name.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "This entry concerns a biblical proper name only. It should not be used to support speculative theology from the name’s meaning alone.",
  "practical_significance": "The entry helps readers track biblical people accurately and read genealogies and historical narratives with greater clarity.",
  "meta_description": "Jerahmeel is a biblical personal name used for more than one Old Testament figure, including a Judahite ancestor in Chronicles and a royal official in Jeremiah.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/jerahmeel/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/jerahmeel.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}