Jeconiah

Jeconiah is a Hebrew name meaning "Yahweh will establish", derived from the roots כּוּן (kun) meaning "to establish" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. It is an alternate form of Jehoiachin, both names carrying the same theophoric meaning.

Jeconiah was the nineteenth and penultimate king of Judah, reigning for only three months in 598–597 BCE before being dethroned by Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon. The biblical account in 2 Kings 24 describes him as doing evil in the sight of the Lord, leading to his captivity. He was taken to Babylon along with his family, courtiers, and thousands of craftsmen and soldiers. The Babylonians appointed his uncle Zedekiah as puppet king.

Historical Evidence

Jeconiah's existence is corroborated by the Jehoiachin's Rations Tablets, cuneiform tablets excavated near the Ishtar Gate in Babylon and dating to c. 592 BCE. These record food rations allocated to Yaʾukinu (Jeconiah) and his five sons, confirming his captivity as mentioned in the Bible.

Name Usage

In the Hebrew Bible, the name appears as יְכָנְיָה (Yəḵonəyā) and is also rendered Coniah (Jeremiah 22:28) and Jehoiachin. The prophet Jeremiah pronounced judgment on Coniah, declaring that none of his descendants would sit on the throne of David (Jeremiah 22:30). Despite this, Jeconiah is listed in the genealogy of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 1:11–12), though the curse was interpreted as applying to his immediate line rather than forever.

• Meaning: Yahweh will establish
• Origin: Hebrew
• Type: First name
• Usage: English Bible (rare in modern use)
• Related names: Jehoiachin, Yekhonya (Biblical Hebrew)