Who was Jonam in the Bible?

Jonam was the son of Eliakim and the father of Joseph, making him an ancestor of Jesus Christ. He is listed in the genealogy of Jesus found in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 3:30).

Why is Jonam significant in the Bible?

Jonam's significance lies solely in his place within the lineage of Jesus, connecting King David to Christ. His inclusion shows God's faithfulness in preserving the messianic line through generations.

What do we know about Jonam's life?

The Bible provides no details about Jonam's life, character, or any events he was involved in. He is mentioned only by name in the genealogical record (Luke 3:30).

Jonam

New TestamentDivided MonarchyMaleSon of eliakim

Jonam, son of Eliakim, was an ancestor of Jesus Christ.

Jonam

Biography

Jonam, son of Eliakim, appears in Luke's genealogy of Jesus Christ (Luke 3:30), situated in the lineage tracing from Jesus back through David and ultimately to Adam. He lived during the period of the Divided Monarchy and is one of many relatively obscure ancestors in Luke's genealogy who serve as links in the long human chain leading to the Messiah. Beyond his genealogical listing, Scripture records no individual deeds, words, or events associated with Jonam. His name appears between his father Eliakim and his son Joseph in the descending ancestral line. Like many figures in Luke 3, Jonam represents the hidden, ordinary generations through whom God preserved the Davidic lineage across centuries of national turbulence, exile, and restoration.

Significance

Jonam's sole biblical appearance in Luke's genealogy carries significant theological weight precisely because of its ordinariness. Luke's meticulous tracing of Jesus' human ancestry through figures like Jonam affirms the full humanity of Christ, that the Son of God was born into a real human family with generations of unknown ancestors whose lives were nonetheless part of God's sovereign plan. Every name in Luke 3, including Jonam's, testifies to God's providential preservation of the Davidic line through which the promised Messiah would come. Jonam's place in this genealogy is a reminder that faithfulness in obscurity is never invisible to God, whose purposes unfold through generations of ordinary people.

Authority Records

Wikidata

FatherEliakimChildJoseph

Verse Appearances (1)

Luke

Luke 3:30

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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