Piram
פִּרְאָם/PY-ram/
“Like a wild ass (fleet)”
Summary
Piram was the Amorite king of Jarmuth who joined a coalition of five kings against Joshua and was defeated and executed.
☩Coalition Against Israel
When the Gibeonites made peace with Israel, Piram joined with Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem and three other Amorite kings to attack Gibeon for their defection. This coalition was decisively defeated by Joshua in the great battle where the sun stood still.
Key verses:Joshua 10:3
☩Defeat and Death
After their defeat, Piram and the other four kings fled and hid in a cave at Makkedah. Joshua had the cave sealed until the battle was over, then brought out the kings, had his commanders place their feet on the kings' necks as a sign of complete victory, executed them, and buried them in the cave.
Key verses:Joshua 10:16-18Joshua 10:24-27
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Piram," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. VIII (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Piram," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Piram," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).