Who was Jekamiah in the Bible?

Jekamiah was a descendant of King David through the line of King Jeconiah (also called Jehoiachin). He is listed in the genealogy of the tribe of Judah in 1 Chronicles 3:18.

Why is Jekamiah mentioned in the Bible?

His inclusion in the genealogy (1 Chronicles 3:17-18) is significant because it preserves the royal lineage of David, which was crucial for the messianic promise. He represents a link in the chain leading to the eventual birth of Jesus Christ.

What does the name Jekamiah mean?

The name Jekamiah (Hebrew: יְקַמְיָה) likely means 'Yahweh will rise' or 'established by Yahweh.' Names in biblical genealogies often carried theological significance about God's character and promises.

Jekamiah

Old TestamentDivided MonarchyMaleSon of shealtiel

Jekamiah was a descendant of Jeconiah and a descendant of David, as recorded in the genealogy in 1 Chronicles.

Jekamiah

Biography

Jekamiah appears in the post-exilic genealogy of the royal line of David recorded in 1 Chronicles 3:18, listed among the sons of Jeconiah (also called Jehoiachin), the king of Judah taken captive to Babylon in 597 BC. As a son of Shealtiel, or listed more broadly within Jeconiah's exilic descendants, Jekamiah belonged to the generation of the Davidic dynasty that carried the royal lineage forward during Babylonian captivity when the throne lay vacant. The preservation of these names in the Chronicler's genealogy was theologically significant: it documented that the Davidic line had not been extinguished by exile, keeping alive the covenantal promise of a perpetual dynasty made to David in 2 Samuel 7.

Significance

Jekamiah's position in the exilic Davidic genealogy (1 Chronicles 3:18) carries profound messianic significance. The Babylonian exile appeared to shatter God's promise of an eternal Davidic throne, yet the Chronicler's careful preservation of names like Jekamiah's testifies to the unbroken continuity of the royal lineage. Every descendant recorded in 1 Chronicles 3 is a link in the chain that ultimately leads to Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of David (Matthew 1). Jekamiah's name, though narrating no personal achievement, participates in the most important genealogical thread in Scripture, the lineage through which the promised Messiah would come to fulfill God's covenant with David and redeem his people.

Verse Appearances (1)

1Chr

1Chr 3:18

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]

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