Jehoiachins

Jehoiachins is the term used for the descendants of Jehoiachin, a king of Judah who reigned briefly in the late 7th century BCE. The name appears in various transliterations, including Jeconiah, Jechonias, and Coniah. In biblical literature, Jehoiachins denotes the royal line associated with Jehoiachin and the exilic house of David.

Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim, ascended to the throne around 597 BCE but ruled only about three months before Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon deported him to Babylon with many nobles. The Babylonian exile interrupted the independent monarchy, and Jehoiachin’s line became part of the exile community. Details about his later life are sparse, but his removal marked a turning point in Judah’s royal lineage.

Among his descendants, Shealtiel is listed as a son in certain biblical genealogies, and Shealtiel’s son Zerubbabel led the return from exile and the rebuilding of the Temple. The Jehoiachin lineage appears in Old Testament genealogies and has a later role in discussions of the Davidic line in the New Testament, where Matthew traces Jesus’ ancestry through Jeconiah’s line, while Luke presents a different genealogical path.

Etymology: Jehoiachin is a Hebrew name meaning “Yahweh will establish.” The plural Jehoiachins refers to those descended from Jehoiachin, or to the house associated with his line, rather than a standalone political entity.