And the sons of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son.

1 CHRONICLES 3:16KJV
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1 Chronicles 3:16 (KJV)

What does 1 Chronicles 3:16 mean?

1 Chronicles 3:16 lists the sons of Jehoiakim, naming Jeconiah and Zedekiah as his descendants. This verse is part of a genealogical record, showing the family line of the kings of Judah.

The book of 1 Chronicles was written to document the ancestry and history of Israel, especially focusing on the royal line of David. In this verse, the chronicler is recording the lineage during a period leading up to and including the Babylonian exile. Jehoiakim was a king of Judah, and his sons Jeconiah (also known as Jehoiachin) and Zedekiah were both significant figures during the final years of the kingdom before Jerusalem was conquered.

The Hebrew behind 1 Chronicles 3:16

  • בֵּן (ben; H1121): This word means "son." It is used here to indicate direct male descendants, emphasizing the biological line from Jehoiakim to Jeconiah and Zedekiah.
  • יְהוֹיָקִים (Yehoiakim; H3079): This is the name of the father, Jehoiakim, who was a king of Judah.
  • יְכָנְיָה (Yekonyah; H3204): This is the name Jeconiah, also called Jehoiachin, who was taken captive to Babylon.
  • צִדְקִיָּה (Tzidqiyyah; H6667): This is the name Zedekiah, the last king of Judah before the Babylonian exile.

Why 1 Chronicles 3:16 matters

  • This verse clarifies the succession of the royal family during a critical period in Judah’s history, helping readers understand the transition of kingship before and during the exile.
  • The listing of both Jeconiah and Zedekiah as sons of Jehoiakim highlights the complex and sometimes overlapping royal relationships, which can be confusing in other biblical accounts.
  • By including these names, the chronicler connects the story of Judah’s last kings to the broader genealogy of David, which is important for later biblical themes about restoration and hope.

Where else these words appear

“Jeconiah” Hebrew H3204 · used in 7 verses

  • 1 Chronicles 3:17 And the sons of Jeconiah; Assir, Salathiel his son,
  • Jeremiah 24:1 The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.
  • Jeremiah 28:4 And I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, saith the LORD: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.

“Jehoiakim” Hebrew H3079 · used in 37 verses

  • 2 Kings 23:34 And Pharaohnechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away: and he came to Egypt, and died there.
  • Jeremiah 22:18 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory!
  • Jeremiah 36:1 And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that this word came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

“Zedekiah” Hebrew H6667 · used in 62 verses

  • 1 Kings 22:11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.
  • Jeremiah 28:1 And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,
  • Jeremiah 38:14 Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.