Lexical Summary Yekonyah or Yekonyahu or Yekoneyah: Jeconiah or Jehoiachin Original Word: יְכָנְיָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Jeconiah And Ykonyahuw {yek-on-yaw'-hoo}; or (Jereremiah 27:20) Ykownyah {yek-o-neh-yaw'}; from kuwn and Yahh; Jah will establish; Jekonjah, a Jewish king -- Jeconiah. Compare Konyahuw. see HEBREW kuwn see HEBREW Yahh see HEBREW Konyahuw NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originthe same as Yehoyakin, q.v. NASB Translation Jeconiah (7). Brown-Driver-Briggs יְכוֺנְיָה proper name, masculine (׳י is firm, enduring); — Jeremiah 27:20 = יְכָנְ֫יָהוּ Jeremiah 24:1 = יְכָנְיָה Jeremiah 28:4; Jeremiah 29:2; 1 Chronicles 3:16,17; Esther 2:6 = כָּנְיָ֫הוּ Jeremiah 22:24,28; Jeremiah 37:1 (ᵐ5 Ιεχονιας throughout), all of last king but one of Judah, see יְהוֺיָכִין above Topical Lexicon Identity and VariantsYekonyah, more commonly rendered “Jeconiah,” is the personal name of the eighteenth and last Davidic king to reign in Jerusalem before the Babylonian exile (also known as Jehoiachin). A shortened form, “Coniah,” appears elsewhere (Jeremiah 22:24), but the full spelling יְכָנְיָה occurs seven times. Genealogical Importance 1 Chronicles 3:16–17 places Jeconiah squarely in the royal line of David: “The descendants of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son… The sons of Jeconiah the captive: Shealtiel his son.” Although deported, he remained the legal heir of the throne, and through him came Shealtiel, Zerubbabel, and ultimately the legal ancestry of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:11–12). His inclusion in both Old and New Testament genealogies underscores God’s preservation of the messianic lineage even under judgment. Historical Context and Reign Jeconiah ascended the throne of Judah at eighteen (2 Kings 24:8) and reigned only three months before surrendering to Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah repeatedly refers to the first deportation in 597 BC as “the exile of Jeconiah” (Jeremiah 24:1; 27:20; 28:4; 29:2). This deportation removed the court, artisans, and temple treasures, signaling the beginning of the end for Judah’s monarchy. Esther 2:6 later ties Mordecai’s ancestry to this same event, showing how widespread its impact proved for later Jewish communities. Prophetic Significance Jeremiah used Jeconiah’s captivity as an object lesson: • Good and bad figs (Jeremiah 24:1–10) – Jeconiah and his fellow exiles illustrated Judah’s “good figs,” destined for refinement and eventual restoration. Thus Jeconiah’s name became synonymous with both God’s disciplinary judgment and His purifying intention for the remnant. Exilic Fate and Restoration Hints Though Scripture records a prophetic “curse” on Jeconiah’s royal seed (Jeremiah 22:30, using the shortened form), later events suggest divine mercy. Thirty-seven years after his deportation, he was released and honored by Evil-Merodach (2 Kings 25:27–30), foreshadowing the eventual return of his descendants under Zerubbabel. The contrast between the apparent finality of judgment and the unexpected note of grace highlights God’s sovereignty over kings and kingdoms. Typological and Messianic Implications Jeconiah’s interrupted reign anticipates the greater Davidic King whose kingdom cannot be shaken. Legally, Jesus stands in Jeconiah’s line through Joseph (Matthew 1), yet Luke traces a biological line through Nathan (Luke 3), preserving both the justice of the prophetic judgment and the permanence of God’s covenant with David. The virgin birth harmonizes these threads: Jesus inherits the legal right to David’s throne without incurring the curse pronounced on Jeconiah’s descendants. Practical and Ministry Lessons • God disciplines but does not abandon His covenant people. Summary Yekonyah/Jeconiah stands at a pivotal junction of judgment and hope: the last reigning king of Judah, the first captive prince of Babylon, and a vital link in the genealogy that leads to Jesus Christ. His account testifies to the righteous severity and steadfast faithfulness of the Lord who “removes kings and establishes them” (Daniel 2:21). Forms and Transliterations יְכָנְיָ֣ה יְכָנְיָ֣הוּ יְכָנְיָ֥ה יְכָנְיָ֨ה יְכָנְיָֽה־ יכניה יכניה־ יכניהו yə·ḵā·nə·yā·hū yə·ḵā·nə·yāh yə·ḵā·nə·yāh- yechaneYah yechaneYahu yəḵānəyāh yəḵānəyāh- yəḵānəyāhūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Chronicles 3:16 HEB: וּבְנֵ֖י יְהוֹיָקִ֑ים יְכָנְיָ֥ה בְנ֖וֹ צִדְקִיָּ֥ה NAS: of Jehoiakim [were] Jeconiah his son, KJV: of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, INT: the sons of Jehoiakim Jeconiah his son Zedekiah 1 Chronicles 3:17 Esther 2:6 Jeremiah 24:1 Jeremiah 27:20 Jeremiah 28:4 Jeremiah 29:2 7 Occurrences |
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