Meaning & History
Yehoyakhin is the direct Hebrew form of the biblical name Jehoiachin. The name means "Yahweh will establish" in Hebrew, derived from the roots יְהוֹ (yeho), referring to the Hebrew God, and כּוּן (kun) meaning "to establish." Yehoyakhin is also known as Jeconiah, an alternate transliteration used in some English Bibles.
Biblical Figure
In the Old Testament, Yehoyakhin (or Jehoiachin) was a king of Judah who reigned for only three months in 598–597 BC before being captured by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and taken into exile. According to 2 Kings 24:8–15, he was eighteen years old when he became king, and he did evil in the sight of the Lord, leading to Nebuchadnezzar's siege of Jerusalem. Yehoyakhin surrendered and was imprisoned in Babylon for 37 years until he was released by Evil-Merodach, the successor of Nebuchadnezzar, as recorded in Jeremiah 52:31–34. His lineage continued through his descendants, including Zerubbabel, a post-exilic leader.
Cultural and Linguistic Variants
The name Yehoyakhin has given rise to several forms across languages. In Basque, the form Jokin is used; in Catalan, Chimo and Ximo exist; and in Portuguese, it appears as Joaquim and the diminutive Quim. All these share the core meaning of divine establishment.
- Meaning: "Yahweh will establish"
- Origin: Hebrew
- Usage: Hebrew Bible