Ezekias
The Name Ezekias
Ezekias is the Grecized form of the Hebrew name Hezekiah, meaning "Yahweh strengthens" or "the LORD is my strength." When the Old Testament was translated into Greek (the Septuagint) and when New Testament authors wrote in Greek, Hebrew names were adapted to Greek spelling conventions. Thus Hezekiah became Ezekias. This is the form used in the King James Version of Matthew 1:9-10, though most modern translations render it directly as Hezekiah.
Ezekias in Matthew's Genealogy
The primary biblical figure known as Ezekias is King Hezekiah of Judah, who reigned approximately 715-686 BC. He appears in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:9-10) as a link in the royal line from David to Christ. Hezekiah was one of the greatest kings of Judah, celebrated for his faithfulness to God. He removed the high places, broke down the sacred pillars, and destroyed the bronze serpent that Moses had made because the people had begun worshiping it (2 Kings 18:3-4). Scripture says of him, "He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him" (2 Kings 18:5).
His inclusion in Jesus's genealogy is significant because it demonstrates that the Messiah descended from a line that included both faithful and unfaithful kings, and that God's covenant promises to David endured through every generation.
Ezekias in 1 Esdras 9:14
A second person called Ezekias appears in 1 Esdras 9:14 (spelled Ezechiad in some versions). This figure corresponds to Jahzeiah in Ezra 10:15, one of those who dealt with the problem of foreign marriages among the returned exiles. The post-exilic community faced a crisis when it was discovered that many Jewish men had married women from surrounding pagan nations, threatening the religious identity of the restored community.
Ezekias in 1 Esdras 9:43
A third Ezekias appears in 1 Esdras 9:43 (sometimes spelled Ezecias), corresponding to Hilkiah in Nehemiah 8:4. This person stood beside Ezra as he read the Law of Moses to the assembled people, one of the most pivotal moments in post-exilic Jewish history. The public reading of the Law sparked a great revival and recommitment to the covenant.
King Hezekiah's Legacy
The fame of the name Ezekias rests primarily on King Hezekiah's extraordinary reign. He withstood the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem by trusting God rather than military might (2 Kings 18:13-19:37). When the Assyrian general Sennacherib's envoy mocked the God of Israel, Hezekiah spread the threatening letter before the LORD in prayer (2 Kings 19:14-19). God responded by striking down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in a single night. Hezekiah also received a miraculous extension of his life when he was deathly ill (2 Kings 20:1-11), and Isaiah the prophet was his close counselor throughout his reign.
The Significance of the Name
The meaning of the name — "the LORD strengthens" — proved prophetic for King Hezekiah, whose reign was marked by reliance on divine strength rather than human resources. The appearance of this name in the genealogy of Jesus connects the strength and faithfulness of Hezekiah's reign to the ultimate Davidic king who would reign forever.
Biblical Context
Ezekias appears in Matthew 1:9-10 as the Greek form of Hezekiah in Jesus's genealogy. The name also designates two figures in 1 Esdras: one corresponding to Jahzeiah (Ezra 10:15) and another to Hilkiah (Nehemiah 8:4). The primary reference is to King Hezekiah of Judah, whose story spans 2 Kings 18-20, 2 Chronicles 29-32, and Isaiah 36-39.
Theological Significance
Ezekias/Hezekiah in Jesus's genealogy demonstrates that the Messiah came through a royal line marked by both faithfulness and failure. Hezekiah's trust in God during the Assyrian crisis stands as one of Scripture's most powerful examples of faith under pressure, and his place in Jesus's ancestry connects that legacy of faith to the coming of Christ.
Historical Background
Hezekiah ruled Judah during the height of Assyrian power, when Sennacherib's armies had conquered much of the ancient Near East. The siege of Jerusalem in 701 BC is one of the best-attested events in biblical history, confirmed by Sennacherib's own annals (the Taylor Prism) and other Assyrian records. The Greek form Ezekias reflects the Hellenistic period when Jewish texts were translated and adapted for Greek-speaking audiences.