6502. Piram
Lexical Summary
Piram: Piram

Original Word: פִרְאָם
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Pir'am
Pronunciation: pee-RAHM
Phonetic Spelling: (pir-awm')
KJV: Piram
NASB: Piram
Word Origin: [from H6501 (פֶּרֶא פֶּרֶה - wild donkey)]

1. wildly
2. Piram, a Canaanite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Piram

From pere'; wildly; Piram, a Canaanite -- Piram.

see HEBREW pere'

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from the same as pere
Definition
a Canaanite king
NASB Translation
Piram (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
מִּרְאָם proper name, masculine Canaanite king of Jarmuth Joshua 10:3, Φειδων, ᵐ5L Φεδαμ, A Φερααμ.

מֹּראֹת see מּאֹרָה. מַּרְבָּר see [מַּרְוָר]. p. 802, 826.

Topical Lexicon
Name and Background

Piram (פִרְאָם) appears once in Scripture, identified as the king of Jarmuth in the days of Joshua. His name likely conveys a sense of wildness or untamed vigor, fitting an Amorite ruler who opposed Israel’s advance.

Biblical Context

Joshua 10:3: “So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon …”. Piram is one member of a five-king coalition that gathered to punish Gibeon for making peace with Israel. Their alliance becomes the backdrop for one of the most dramatic victories in the conquest narrative.

Historical Setting

Jarmuth lay in the Shephelah, the Judean foothills west of Bethlehem, controlling an important approach to the highlands. Archaeological identification points to modern Tel Yarmuth. As Amorite kings governed independent city-states, Piram would have held civic, military, and religious authority, leading his people in resistance against the incoming Israelites.

The Five-King Coalition

Adoni-zedek (Jerusalem), Hoham (Hebron), Piram (Jarmuth), Japhia (Lachish), and Debir (Eglon) formed a tactical alliance:
• To reassert regional dominance after Gibeon’s treaty with Israel.
• To deter further defections to Joshua.
• To confront Israel before its foothold strengthened.

Yet their strategy ignored divine promises previously announced to Abraham (Genesis 15:16-21) and reaffirmed to Moses (Deuteronomy 7:1-2). Their resistance, therefore, set them in direct conflict with God’s redemptive plan.

God’s Intervention and Israel’s Victory

When Gibeon appealed for help, Joshua marched overnight from Gilgal. The Lord disoriented the Amorite armies, Israel pursued them down the descent of Beth-horon, “and there were more who died from the hailstones than were killed by the Israelites with the sword” (Joshua 10:11). The coalition fled to the cave at Makkedah. Joshua later executed the five kings and hanged their bodies as a public sign of God’s judgment, then sealed them in the very cave they had chosen for refuge (Joshua 10:24-27).

Theological and Ministry Significance

1. Divine Sovereignty over Nations: Piram’s stand against Israel exhibits how kings may “take their stand” (Psalm 2:2) yet remain subject to God’s overarching purposes.
2. Certainty of God’s Promises: The fall of Jarmuth underlines that territorial and covenantal promises to Israel were not empty rhetoric but unfolding reality (Joshua 21:43-45).
3. Consequences of Unbelief: Piram typifies those who, despite clear testimony of God’s works (Joshua 2:9-11), choose rebellion and reap judgment.
4. Leadership Lessons: Joshua’s swift response, all-night march, and reliance on the Lord’s word model decisive, faith-filled leadership for modern ministry.
5. Typological Foreshadowing: The coalition’s defeat anticipates the ultimate subjugation of earthly powers under Christ (Revelation 19:11-16).

Lessons for Today

• Personal and corporate opposition to God’s revealed will cannot prosper.
• Covenantal faithfulness, as exemplified in Joshua’s honoring of the Gibeonite treaty, must override expedient politics.
• Prayer-saturated leadership (“Sun, stand still,” Joshua 10:12) invites extraordinary divine aid.
• God’s people should rest in His power to turn entrenched opposition into opportunities for His glory.

See Also

Adoni-zedek; Hoham; Japhia; Debir; Jarmuth; Amorites; Conquest of Canaan

Forms and Transliterations
פִּרְאָ֨ם פראם pir’ām pir·’ām pirAm
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Joshua 10:3
HEB: חֶ֠בְרוֹן וְאֶל־ פִּרְאָ֨ם מֶֽלֶךְ־ יַרְמ֜וּת
NAS: of Hebron and to Piram king
KJV: of Hebron, and unto Piram king
INT: of Hebron and to Piram king of Jarmuth

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 6502
1 Occurrence


pir·’ām — 1 Occ.

6501
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