Joshaphat is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Joshaphat was one of David’s mighty warriors, listed among the thirty men who served as his elite guard. He appears in the roll of David’s fighting men recorded in 1 Chronicles 11, a passage that commemorates the warriors who gathered to David and helped establish him as king over Israel. These were men of exceptional courage and loyalty, and Joshaphat is numbered among them.
The setting of his appearance is the account of David’s rise and the consolidation of his kingdom. In 1 Chronicles 11, after Saul’s death, the text recounts how “all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron,” and how David’s supporters anointed him king. A significant portion of the chapter is devoted to listing David’s mighty men—the “three” who were chief, and the “thirty” who formed the core of his elite guard. Joshaphat is named in that latter group.
Scripture says of him only this: he was “Joshaphat the Mithnite.” The brief designation identifies him by name and by the place or clan from which he came—”the Mithnite.” No further exploits, deeds, or words are recorded of him in the King James Bible. He is remembered simply as one who stood among David’s loyal and capable warriors. His inclusion in this honored list is the whole of his biblical witness. The name appears only once in the entire King James Version, and that single mention is this entry in the roster of David’s mighty men.
The Name
The name “Joshaphat” is a Hebrew name, and its meaning is generally understood to be “Yahweh has judged” or “the LORD judges.” It is closely related to the better-known name “Jehoshaphat,” which carries the same essential sense—”Yahweh judges.” The name combines a form of the divine name with a verb meaning to judge or to govern. This meaning is well established among Hebrew names of this pattern, though the precise nuance can vary slightly between “has judged,” “judges,” or “will judge.” It is a name that confesses the LORD as the one who judges righteously.
A Closing Thought
Most of us will never be listed among the famous or the mighty. Joshaphat appears once in all of Scripture, with no recorded words and no recounted deeds—only a name, a place, and a place among the faithful. Yet he was there. He stood with David when it mattered, and God’s Word preserved his name for all generations. There is quiet encouragement in that. Faithfulness is not measured by how much of our story is remembered, but by whether we stood where God placed us. The LORD who judges also remembers.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- 1 Chronicles 11:43 — Hanan the son of Maachah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,