יְכוֹנְיָה (ye.khon.yah)
ye.khon.yah
Jeconiah
N:N-M-PQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 7 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N-M-P
Word Overview
The name YeḵōnYāh, rendered Jeconiah or Jechoniah in English Bibles, means "Jehovah will establish." In the Hebrew Scriptures, this figure is primarily known as a king of Judah who reigned for only three months and ten days before surrendering to Nebuchadnezzar and being taken into Babylonian captivity. The name appears most frequently in the books of Jeremiah and 1 Chronicles, where it marks a pivotal moment of national judgment and exile.
Lexical sources note that this spelling is often considered a variant or short form of Yehoyāḵîn (Jehoiachin), though some traditions distinguish them slightly. The text highlights his lineage as the son of Jehoiakim and father of Shealtiel, placing him directly in the royal genealogy that leads to Zerubbabel. Notably, Jeremiah refers to him by the nickname Coniah, using it in a prophetic declaration that he would be written childless, despite having sons like Shealtiel who continued the line.
Despite the curse associated with his name in Jeremiah 22:30, Jeconiah plays a crucial role in Matthew’s Gospel. He appears in the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:11), demonstrating that God’s establishing power works through broken human histories. His release from prison by Evil-merodach, as recorded in 2 Kings 25 and echoed in Chronicles, serves as a small but significant sign of hope for the exiled community.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Jeconiah means 'Jehovah will establish.' It belongs to a king who reigned for only three months before Judah fell into exile. His story is one of national failure and divine judgment, yet it remains part of the sacred record. God does not erase history; He works through its brokenness.
Despite a prophetic word in Jeremiah suggesting his line would end, Jeconiah’s son Shealtiel continued the lineage. This detail matters because it shows that human failure does not cancel God’s ultimate plans. The exile was real, but so was the preservation of hope.
In Matthew’s Gospel, Jeconiah appears in the genealogy of Jesus. This inclusion reminds us that God’s establishing power is not limited by human sin or historical tragedy. His grace extends through generations, turning moments of defeat into steps toward redemption.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 7 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Jeconiah7×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- יְכָנְיָ֣ה3×
- יְכֹנְיָ֨ה1×
- יְכָנְיָֽה\־1×
- יְכָנְיָ֥ה1×
- יְכָנְיָ֣הוּ1×
Key Verses
-
I Chronicles 3:17
The sons of Jeconiah, the captive: Shealtiel his son,
This verse confirms that despite being labeled 'the captive,' Jeconiah had a son Shealtiel, ensuring the royal line continued through exile.
-
Esther 2:6
who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
It places Jeconiah in the broader narrative of exiles, linking his family’s fate to later events like Esther’s rise in Persia.
-
Jeremiah 24:1
Yahweh showed me, and behold, two baskets of figs were set before Yahweh’s temple, after Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the craftsmen and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.
This reference marks the beginning of Jeremiah’s prophecies concerning Jeconiah, framing his exile within God’s sovereign judgment and future restoration.