Jeremiah
Jeremiah of Libnah was the father of Hamutal, who was the mother of King Jehoahaz and King Zedekiah of Judah.
Biography
Jeremiah of Libnah was a man of the city of Libnah in Judah who lived during the final decades of the southern kingdom. He is remembered primarily as the father of Hamutal, who became a queen mother of remarkable significance, she was the mother of two kings of Judah: Jehoahaz (also called Shallum) and Zedekiah (2 Kings 23:31; 24:18; Jeremiah 52:1). Hamutal's prominence at the Judahite court during its most turbulent years means that Jeremiah of Libnah's household produced one of the most consequential women in the monarchy's final era. Though nothing else is recorded about Jeremiah himself, his family stood at the intersection of Judah's royal succession during the Babylonian crisis.
Significance
Jeremiah of Libnah's significance lies entirely in his daughter Hamutal, whose sons sat on Judah's throne during the catastrophic final years before the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem. Jehoahaz reigned only three months before being deported to Egypt (2 Kings 23:31-34), and Zedekiah ultimately presided over Jerusalem's fall in 586 BC. Through this family, the fragility and tragedy of Judah's last monarchy are felt at the most personal level. Jeremiah of Libnah represents the many ordinary fathers and families whose lives were irrevocably shaped by the covenant unfaithfulness of Israel's kings, and who bore the consequences of a nation's rejection of God's word.
Verse Appearances (3)
Jeremiah
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]