1. Name and Meaning
• Name: Jeconiah (Hebrew: יְכָנְיָה, Yəḵānyāh) / Jehoiachin (יְהוֹיָכִין, Yəhôyāḵîn) / Coniah (כָּנְיָה, Konyāh)
• Meaning: “The Lord establishes” (Jeconiah) or “Yahweh will uphold” (Jehoiachin); Coniah is a shortened form used in judgmental context (Jeremiah 22)
2. Genealogical Placement and Lineage Role
• Position: Forty-seventh generation from Adam; thirty-seventh generation after the flood in the Messianic line
• Father: Jehoiakim – son of Josiah, not mentioned in Matthew for literary symmetry
• Son: Shealtiel – continues the Messianic line during the exile (Matthew 1:12)
• Lineage Role: Eighteenth and last reigning king in the Davidic monarchy before the Babylonian exile; transitional figure between pre-exilic and post-exilic phases of the Messianic line
3. Life Summary and Historical Setting
• Reigned only three months in Jerusalem before being taken captive to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 24:8–15)
• Was 18 years old when he became king; ruled during the final collapse of Judah
• Deported in 597 BC along with many nobles and craftsmen, beginning the Babylonian exile
• Later released from prison and given favour in Babylon during the reign of Evil-Merodach (2 Kings 25:27–30)
• His survival and restored dignity in exile paved the way for the continuation of the royal line
4. Theological and Christological Significance
• A complex figure in the Messianic line—both cursed and preserved
• God declared through Jeremiah that no descendant of Jeconiah would prosper on David’s throne (Jeremiah 22:30), yet the royal lineage continues legally through him
• Many scholars view the virgin birth of Christ as resolving this curse: Jesus is legal heir through Joseph (descended from Jeconiah), but not a biological descendant
• His presence in Matthew’s genealogy (Matthew 1:11–12) affirms divine sovereignty over history, even amid judgment
5. Legacy and Interpretive Reflections
• Symbol of both divine judgment and mercy: condemned by Jeremiah, but later honoured in exile
• Marks the end of the Davidic monarchy as an earthly institution, yet the beginning of hope for a restored kingship through the Messiah
• His restored dignity in exile signifies God’s ability to preserve and redeem His covenant purposes
• Viewed as a theological hinge between kingship lost and kingship promised
6. Summary Insight
• Jeconiah’s life reflects judgment, exile, and unexpected restoration—his presence in Jesus’ genealogy affirms that God’s redemptive plan endures even through broken dynasties.
7. Biblical References
• 2 Kings 24:6–17
• 2 Kings 25:27–30
• 2 Chronicles 36:9–10
• Jeremiah 22:24–30
• Matthew 1:11–12
• 1 Chronicles 3:16–17