Jehoiachin

Jehoiachin (meaning preparation or strength of the LORD; also called Jeconiah and Coniah) was king of Judah who reigned only three months before surrendering to Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in 597 B.C. (2 Chronicles 36:9-10; 2 Kings 24:8-16). At eighteen years old he was taken captive to Babylon along with the temple treasures and 10,000 of Jerusalem's leading citizens — the first major deportation. He spent thirty-seven years in a Babylonian prison.

The narrative of Jehoiachin's fate takes a remarkable turn: after Nebuchadnezzar's death, his successor Evil-merodach released Jehoiachin from prison, gave him a seat of honor above all other captive kings, and provided him with a regular allowance for the rest of his life (Jeremiah 52:28-34; 2 Kings 25:27-30). This closing scene of 2 Kings — the elevation of the Davidic heir — has been read as a sign of hope for the Davidic promise's survival even in exile. Matthew's genealogy of Jesus includes Jehoiachin ("Jechoniah") in the line of David (Matthew 1:11-12).