Paruah is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Paruah is named in the King James Bible only once, in 1 Kings 4:17, where he is identified as the father of Jehoshaphat. The verse reads, “Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar.” This brief mention places Paruah within the administrative organization established by King Solomon.
The setting is the reign of Solomon, during a time of peace and prosperity in Israel. Solomon appointed twelve district governors over all Israel to provide food for the king and his household, each governor responsible for supplying provisions for one month of the year. Jehoshaphat, the son of Paruah, was one of these twelve governors, and his assigned district was the territory of Issachar.
Scripture records nothing else about Paruah himself—no deeds, no words, no further genealogy. His sole significance in the biblical text is his relationship to his son Jehoshaphat, who served in this governing role. The passage does not describe Paruah’s own occupation, character, or life. He appears only as a patronymic identifier, anchoring his son within a family line and a tribal context. What Scripture says of him is limited to this single fact: he was the father of a man who served King Solomon in the administration of the kingdom.
The Name
The name Paruah appears to be of Hebrew origin, though its exact meaning is not clearly established. Some scholars have suggested possible connections to Hebrew roots related to fruitfulness or flourishing, but these proposals are not certain. Because the name occurs only once in the entire biblical text and is not accompanied by any explanatory note or wordplay, its meaning cannot be recovered with confidence. It is better to acknowledge this plainly than to assign a meaning that the text itself does not support.
A Closing Thought
Paruah’s life is a reminder that much of faithful service goes unrecorded. He never speaks, never acts, and never appears again after a single mention—yet his son served in a role that helped sustain Solomon’s kingdom. Many of us will be remembered, if at all, only through the lives we shaped in others. That is not a small thing. Quiet faithfulness in raising a child, in ordinary work, in unseen days, matters more than the world’s notice ever reveals. God’s record is not limited to the famous.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- 1 Kings 4:17 — Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar: