Jecoliah
Jecoliah was the mother of King Uzziah (also known as Azariah) of Judah.
Biography
Jecoliah (also spelled Jecholiah) was a woman of Jerusalem who served as the queen mother during the reign of her son Uzziah (also called Azariah) over the southern kingdom of Judah, approximately 792–740 BC. Her name and Jerusalemite origin are recorded in 2 Kings 15:2 and 2 Chronicles 26:3 in the standard regnal formula that identifies the mother of each Judahite king. As queen mother, she would have held a position of considerable honor and potential influence at the Judahite court. Her son Uzziah presided over a lengthy and largely prosperous reign marked by military expansion, building projects, and agricultural development, before his tragic end in leprosy following his presumptuous intrusion into priestly duties.
Significance
Jecoliah's brief mention in Scripture is characteristic of the biblical treatment of queen mothers, whose names are consistently recorded in the Judahite regnal formulas, indicating their recognized status in the royal court. The queen mother (Hebrew: gebirah, "great lady") held an institutionalized role of honor and advisory function in ancient Judah. Jecoliah's legacy is inextricably bound to that of her son Uzziah, whose long reign is cited by Isaiah (6:1) as a temporal marker for his transformative vision. The faithful recording of Jecoliah's name preserves her place in the Davidic genealogical chain, which ultimately leads to the Messiah, ensuring that even women mentioned only in passing are part of the larger story of redemption.
Verse Appearances (2)
2 Kings
2 Chronicles
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]