Lexical Summary
Yekonyah or Yekonyahu or Yekoneyah: Jeconiah or Jehoiachin
Original Word:יְכָנְיָה
Part of Speech:Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration:Ykonyah
Pronunciation:yeh-ko-nyah or yeh-ko-nyah-hoo
Phonetic Spelling:(yek-on-yaw')
KJV: Jeconiah
NASB:Jeconiah
Word Origin:[fromH3559 (כּוּן - established) andH3050 (יָהּ - LORD)]
1. Jah will establish
2. Jekonjah, a Jewish king
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Jeconiah
And Ykonyahuw {yek-on-yaw'-hoo}; or (Jereremiah 27:20) Ykownyah {yek-o-neh-yaw'}; fromkuwn andYahh; Jah will establish; Jekonjah, a Jewish king -- Jeconiah. CompareKonyahuw.
see HEBREWkuwn
see HEBREWYahh
see HEBREWKonyahuw
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originthe same as
Yehoyakin, q.v.
NASB TranslationJeconiah (7).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(
is firm, enduring); —
Jeremiah 27:20 =
Jeremiah 24:1 =
Jeremiah 28:4;
Jeremiah 29:2;
1 Chronicles 3:16,17;
Esther 2:6 =
Jeremiah 22:24,28;
Jeremiah 37:1 ( throughout), all of last king but one of Judah, see 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.
• Warning against false hope (Jeremiah 27:20; 28:4) – Hananiah’s promise that Jeconiah and the temple articles would quickly return was branded a lie.
• Pastoral counsel to exiles (Jeremiah 29:2–7) – Because the captivity under Jeconiah would last, the prophet urged settlement and faithful living in Babylon.
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.
• Faithful obedience in exile (Jeremiah 29) models ministry in hostile cultures.
• Leaders bear heightened responsibility; Jeconiah’s brief rule still shaped generations.
• Divine promises outlast human failure—essential encouragement for pastors, parents, and all who steward God-given trusts.
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- yəḵānəyāhū
Links
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Englishman's Greek Concordance •
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