Who was Jehohanan in the Bible?

Jehohanan was the head of a priestly family during the time of the high priest Joiakim, who was the son of Jeshua. He is mentioned in the book of Nehemiah as a leader among the priests after the Israelites returned from exile (Nehemiah 12:13).

What is the significance of Jehohanan?

Jehohanan's significance lies in his role as a leader in restoring proper worship after the Babylonian exile. His priestly family helped maintain the religious structure and lineage crucial for temple service during the rebuilding of Jerusalem.

What key events involve Jehohanan?

The key event in Jehohanan's life was his service as a priestly head during the leadership of Joiakim. This period, recorded in Nehemiah 12, involved the dedication of Jerusalem's rebuilt walls and the organization of the priests and Levites for temple duties.

Jehohanan

Old TestamentExile & ReturnMaleReturned priest

Jehohanan was the head of a priestly family during the time of Joiakim, the son of Jeshua.

Jehohanan

Biography

Jehohanan was the head of the priestly family of Amariah during the period of Joiakim son of Jeshua, as recorded in Nehemiah 12:13. In the post-exilic community, priestly families were organized under their respective ancestral heads, who bore responsibility for the proper conduct of their clan's Temple duties. The list of priestly heads in Nehemiah 12 represents the leadership structure of the restored Jerusalem community in the generation following Zerubbabel's return, a transitional period of great importance for the reconstitution of Israelite religious life. Jehohanan's leadership of the Amariah clan placed him among the guardians of priestly tradition during the critical decades of Temple restoration and community formation in the land.

Significance

Jehohanan's role as a priestly family head during the restoration period reflects the careful reconstitution of Israel's religious institutions following the Babylonian exile. The preservation of distinct priestly lineages was theologically vital, as it maintained continuity with the Mosaic covenant structure and ensured the legitimate performance of sacrificial worship in the rebuilt Temple. His inclusion in Nehemiah's roster of priestly heads indicates that the returned community took seriously both genealogical integrity and institutional order as prerequisites for authentic covenant worship. Jehohanan's ministry embodies the post-exilic conviction that God's covenant with Israel, including its priestly institutions, remained unbroken despite the trauma of displacement.

Verse Appearances (1)

Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:13

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]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

View all sources & licensing →

See our editorial standards →

Content compiled from public domain scholarship, academic sources, and verified references. Editorial standards · View all sources