Jeconiah’s Curse, Amazing Promise & Impossible Challenge

 

Jeconiah’s so-called curse is cited by agnostics and atheists as evidence against the legitimacy of Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah. Adversaries can sometimes make for strange bedfellows. 

Judaism has no choice but to side with Christianity on this allegation. Ironically, evidence is based on Biblical prophecies foretelling the Messiah must be born in the royal House of David

Critics and skeptics claim, on the other hand, these prophecies cannot be fulfilled because of Jeconiah’s curse.[1] If the charge is true, any prophecy foretelling the Messiah would come from the House of David – Jesus  or anyone else whom Judaism teaches is the Messiah – can never be.

Setting the scene, Jehoiakim, king of Judah, drew the wrath of God for his evil ways as well as his son, Jeconiah (aka Coniah or Jehoiachin), for following in his footsteps.[2] God sent the prophet Jeremiah with a message of judgment to the kingdom – death for Jehoaikim (aka Josiah), but for Jeconiah…

Jer. 22:30 This is what the LORD says: “Record this man as if childless, a man who will not prosper in his lifetime, for none of his offspring will prosper, none will sit on the throne of David or rule any more in Judah.”(NIV)

Jeconiah was condemned by God becoming the last of the sitting kings in the royal succession of David. Serving as King for all of 3 months, he was taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon imprisoned for 37 years.[3]

During his Babylonian captivity, Jeconiah fathered children, the first son being Salathiel.[4] According to the Talmud, Salathiel means to be conceived in prison while standing up.[5] His sons grew up without their father…as if Jeconiah had no sons.[6]

Just five verses after God’s judgement of Jeconiah, Jeremiah issued another prophecy making clear David’s royal lineage had not ended. God explicitly promised another King would arise from the Branch of David:

Jer 23:5 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land.”(NASB)

After Jerusalem had been crushed by Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar appointed Zedekiah, Jeconiah’s brother, as his puppet king of Israel. Zedekiah had learned nothing from judgments of his father and brother, spending the next decade ignoring and offending both God and Nebuchadnezzar.[7]

Zedekiah rescued the prophet Jeremiah from an empty cistern where he was thrown by his enemies. Still, the King confined Jeremiah in an outdoor prison courtyard for prophesying doom at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.[8]

Nevertheless, that did not stop Jeremiah from issuing another Branch prophecy demonstrating that God’s judgement of Jeconiah had a limited shelf life. During his outdoor imprisonment, Jeremiah prophesied again that Israel would be restored and David would never fail to have a man sitting on his throne:

Jer. 33:17 “For this is what the LORD says: ‘David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, …”(NIV)

Jewish Rabbis and the Talmud teach that God pardoned Jeconiah and Biblical history provides corroborating evidence.[9] Pointing to Evil-Merodach, Nebuchadnezzar’s successor, Jeconiah was released from prison and dined daily with the King of Babylon with a seat of honor.[10]

Emphasizing the trustworthiness of His incredible promise to Israel and Judah, God issued an impossible challenge based on the steadfastness of astronomy:

Jer. 33:20-21 “”Thus says the LORD, ‘If you can break My covenant for the day and My covenant for the night, so that day and night will not be at their appointed time, then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant so that he will not have a son to reign on his throne…”(NASB)

Scrolling forward two generations, Zerubbabel, “The son of Salathiel, of the posterity of David,” is called out by Jewish historian Josephus. A Hebrew leader of great prominence, Zerubbabel served as a body guard for Persian King Cyrus.[11]

Cyrus was solicited by Zerubbabel to allow the rebuilding of the Temple and return of its vessels from Nebuchadnezzar’s conquest. Astonishingly, the Temple’s gold vessels had survived both the Babylonian captivity and the Persian invasion.

Not only was his request granted by decree, Cyrus appointed Zerubbabel as the governor to lead the Hebrews out of captivity back to Jerusalem, rebuild the city, and join the High Priest in rebuilding the Temple.[12] Through the prophet Haggai, God blessed Zerubbabel for his leadership.[13]

Zerubbabel of the royal lineage of David, grandson of King Jeconiah, is mentioned 11 times in four books of the Old Testament, one of the few Hebrew figures to receive such recognition. He is also named in both genealogies of the Gospels Matthew and Luke.[14]

King Hezekiah signet ring impression 13th century BC.

Interestingly, Jeconiah’s judgement and the blessing of Zerubbabel each use a signet ring metaphor.  A ruler typically wore a unique gold signet ring bearing his name that was used to seal documents such as decrees – the seal was considered more authentic than a signature.[15]

Jer. 22:24 “”As surely as I live,” declares the LORD, “even if you, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring on my right hand, I would still pull you off.”(NIV)

Hag. 2:23 “‘On that day,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the LORD Almighty.”(NIV)

Was the royal lineage David ended by “Jeconiah’s curse” disqualifying Jesus as the “Righteous Branch.”

 

Updated May 25, 2025.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

REFERENCES:
[1] Willruth, Bart. “The Gospel of Matthew Debunks the Messiahship of Jesus.” Debunking Christianity. 2009. <http://debunkingchristianity.blogspot.com/2009/06/gospel-of-matthew-debunks-messiahship.html>  Lippard, Jim. “The Fabulous Prophecies Of The Messiah.” Atheist Community of Austin. 1993. <https://atheist-community.org/resources/online-articles/145-the-fabulous-prophecies-of-the-messiah>  Irenaeus of Lyons. Against Heresies. Book III, Chapters XXI, XXII. Ante-Nicene Fathers. Volume I.  Christian Classics Ethereal Library. 2005. <http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.ix.iv.html>
[2] Jeremiah 22.  Net.bible.org. Jeremiah 22:24 footnote #42. CR Jeremiah 24, 27-29, 52; 1 Chronicles 3; 2 Chronicles 36; Esther 2; 2 Kings 24, 25; Ezekiel 1.
[3] 2 Kings 24.
[4] I Chronicles 3.
[5] Soncino Babylonian Talmud. Ed. Isidore Epstein. 1935-1948. Sanhedrin 37b-38a. <https://israelect.com/Come-and-Hear/talmud/index.html>
[6] Jeremiah 52.
[7] Jeremiah 52; Chronicles 36.
[8] II Chronicles 36; Jeremiah 27, 29, 37. Bakon, Shimon.  “Zedekiah:  The Last King of Judah”, Jewish Bible Quarterly. Vol. 36, No. 2, 2008.   <http://jbq.jewishbible.org/assets/Uploads/362/362_z
[9] Isaiah 9:, 11.  Jehoiachin.” Jewish Encyclopedia. 2017. <http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/8543-jeconiah>  “The Problem of the Curse on Jeconiah in Relation to the Genealogy of Jesus.” Jews for Jesus. 2018. <https://jewsforjesus.org/answers/the-problem-of-the-curse-on-jeconiah-in-relation-to-the-genealogy-of-jesus-issues-prophecy>edekiah.pdf>
[10] Jeremiah 52; 2 Kings 25. Rashi, Shlomo Yitzchaki. The Complete Jewish Bible with Rashi Commentary. Yirmiyahu – Jeremiah 22:24 commentary. <https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16019#showrashi=true>
[11] Haggai 1-2. Josephus, Flavius. Antiquities of the Jews. Book XI, Chapters I, III-IV. The Complete Works of Josephus. 1850. <http://books.google.com/books?id=e0dAAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false>  “Zerubbabel.”  Jewish Encyclopedia.  2011. “Zerubbabel.”  Jewish Virtual Library. 2014. “Zerubbabel.” International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Online. 2018. <http://www.internationalstandardbible.com/Z/zerubbabel.html
[12] Ezra 1, 6.
[13] Haggai 2.
[14] I Chronicles 3; Nehemiah 12; Ezra 3, 5; Haggai. 1, 2; Matthew 1; Luke 3.  “Zerubbabel.”  Jewish Encyclopedia.  “Zerubbabel.” Jewish Virtual Library. Josephus. Antiquities.  Book XI, Chapter III (spelled Zorobabel).
[15] “A brief history of signet rings.” The History Press. 2018. < https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/articles/a-brief-history-of-signet-rings > Davis, Ashley. “The History Behind … Signet Rings.” National Jeweler. 2018. < https://www.nationaljeweler.com/fashion/antique-estate-jewelry/4637-the-history-behind-signet-rings-2 > Seal of Hezekiah. UPI.com. image. 13th century BC. <https://cdnph.upi.com/sv/ph/og/i/7091449076877/2015/1/14490824662433/v1.5/Rare-mark-of-the-seal-of-biblical-era-Judean-king-found.jpg>

Mount Moriah – the Connection

 

Mount Moriah is first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis going back to the days of Abraham when it first gained importance as a sacred site.[1] By birth a Chaldean, Abraham followed God’s instruction to leave for an unknown land along with a blessing.[2]

Abraham eventually settled in Canaan at Hebron about 20 miles south of the mounts of Moriah and Salem.[3] One day, God tested Abraham’s faith by instructing him to offer Isaac, his only son with his wife Sarah, as a sacrifice in “the land of Moriah…on one of the mountains that I shall show you.”[4]

Human sacrifices were not uncommon in that era, such as to the pagan gods Baal and Moloch.[5] Faithfully Abraham built an altar on God’s chosen Moriah mount and was in the act of offering Isaac as a sacrifice when an “angel of the Lord” stopped him and provided a substitute sacrifice, a ram stuck in a thicket.

Known as “The Binding of Isaac” in Jewish tradition, the story in Genesis is read on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.[6] God promised Abraham’s name would be great, the father of a great nation in whom all the families of the earth would be blessed.

Moriah means “chosen by Jehovah,” albeit Abraham was so moved by the experience with his only son, he called this particular Mount of Moriah, hwhy har or Y@hovah ra’ah meaning “the LORD will Provide.”[7] Some Bibles translate the Hebrew name it as Jehovahjireh.

“The Lord will choose and see for Himself this place, to cause His Divine Presence to rest therein and for offering sacrifices here…that [future] generations will say about it, ‘On this mountain, the Holy One, blessed be He, appears to His people.’” – Rabbi Rashi [8]

Several hundred years later, soon after the Exodus from Egypt, the Hebrew nation encamped at Mount Sinai. God handed down the Law to Moses which included prophetic promises about the place hinting that the land of Moriah was part of God’s future master plan.

One promise was that God would lead Israel to the land sworn to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God also promised He would provide a permanent place for His Name to dwell.[9]

In the land of Abraham, King David established his throne in the city of Jerusalem encompassing Mount Moriah. A most unusual set of circumstances brought the Mount to center stage.[10]

King David angered God due to his lack of faith by conducting a census leading to a severe judgement on his kingdom of Israel. Taking responsibility, David pleaded with God to stop the judgement on the people because it was his own sin, not theirs.

Executing and halting the judgment was an angel visible only to the King. God instructed David, through the prophet Gad, to offer an atonement sacrifice for the people of Israel.[11] 

Preparing for the sacrifice, David bought the threshing floor of Araunah (Ornan) located on Mount Moriah primarily because of its high location.[12] The King also bought Araunah’s oxen and equipment.[13]

On Mount Moriah David built the altar using the wood as fuel for the altar’s fire and slew the oxen for the offering. Something miraculous then happened – fire came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifice deeply affecting David who proclaimed:[14] 

I Ch. 22:1 “This is the place where the temple of the Lord God will be, along with the altar for burnt sacrifices for Israel.”(NET)

God informed the King that his son would build the House of God, not him.[15] After David’s death, in the fourth year of King Solomon’s reign, the building of the Temple commenced on Mount Moriah:

2 CH 3:1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. (NASB)

Seven years later the Temple was completed.[16] To commemorate the occasion, Solomon held a public consecration and blessing acknowledging the fulfillment of God’s promises:

2 CH 6:2, 4 “I have surely built You an exalted house, and a place for You to dwell in forever.” …  “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who has fulfilled with His hands what He spoke with His mouth to my father David, saying,

2 CH 6:5-6 “‘Since the day that I brought My people out of the land of Egypt, I have chosen no city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house, that My name might be there, nor did I choose any man to be a ruler over My people Israel. Yet I have chosen Jerusalem, that My name may be there; and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’(NKJV)

In spectacular fashion, that day on Mount Moriah God once again sent fire down from heaven to consume the first sacrifices offered at the new Temple. The celebration continued for seven days with the completion of the Temple.

A thousand years later on the sacred Mount Moriah, Jesus of Nazareth stood trial before the Priests and Scribes of the Temple, the House of God, and declared himself to be the Son of God. Perceived as a blasphemy, it triggered a string of events in the following hours leading to the crucifixion of Jesus on the first day of the Passover.

United States Federal legal definition of the Doctrine of Chances is the premise for the obvious question: What is the probability of chance that the location, the timing, and the circumstances of the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth were all an accident?

 

Updated April 20, 2025.

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

REFERENCES:

[1] “Abraham.” Jewish Virtual Library. 2018. <https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/abraham>
[2] Genesis 12.
[3] Genesis 11-15. “Hebron.” Bible-History.com. 2017. <http://www.bible-history.com/geography/ancient-israel/hebron.html>
[4] NRSV.
[5] Genesis 22. Quote – all mainstream Christian and Jewish Bible translations. Josephus, Flavius. Antiquities of the Jews. Book I, Chapter XIII.  The Complete Works of Josephus. Trans. and commentary. William Whitson. <http://books.google.com/books?id=e0dAAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false>
[6] Genesis 22. “The Binding of Isaac.” My Jewish Learning. 2018. <https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-binding-of-isaac> “The Great Test: The Binding of Isaac.” Chabad.org. 2018. <https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/246616/jewish/The-Great-Test-The-Binding-of-Isaac.htm> “Human Sacrifices.” Bible-history.com. n.d. <http://www.bible-history.com/backd2/human_sacrifice.html>  Hefner, Alan G. “Baal.” Encyclopedia Mythica. 2004. <http://www.pantheon.org/articles/b/baal.html>  “Sacrifice.” Jewish Encyclopedia.
[7] Net.bible.org. Genesis 22:2, Hebrew text Mowriyah <04179>; Genesis 22:14, Hebrew text “ra’ah <07200>;” Y@hovah <03068>;” “Y@hovah yireh <03070>”
[8] Rashi, Shlomo Yitzchaki. The Complete Jewish Bible with Rashi Commentary. Bereishit – Genesis 22:14 commentary. <https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/8217#showrashi=true>
[9] I Chronicles 17.
[10] I Chronicles 17; 2 Samuel 5, 7. Josephus. Antiquities. Book VII, Chapter III.
[11] II Chronicles 3.
[12] I Chronicles 21; 2 Chronicles 3; 2 Samuel 24. Josephus. Antiquities. Book VII, Chapter III. “Herod’s Temple.”  Bible-History.com. 2017. <http://www.bible-history.com/jewishtemple/JEWISH_TEMPLEThe_Site.htm>
[13] I Chronicles 21; 2 Samuel 24.
[14] 2 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 21.
[15] I Chronicles 22, 28.
[16] 1 Kings 6; 2 Chronicles 3.  Wiemers, Galyn. Generation Word. “Chapter 21 – Solomon’s Temple Mount.” image. 2018. <https://www.generationword.com/devotions/photos-diagrams/diagrams/oct-digrams/29a-solomons-temple-mount-retaining-wall-2500-jpg.jpg>

Zechariah’s Donkey Prophecy

 

Zechariah’s Messiah prophecy focused on a donkey is one of those prophetic rarities that is very specific. More precise than even the Micah prophecy foretelling the future Ruler of Israel would come from Bethlehem Ephrathah.[1]

Zech 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.”(NKJV)

Straightforward and to the point, Jewish sage Rabbi Rashi commented on the prophecy:  “It is impossible to interpret this except as referring to the King Messiah.”[2] 

Not just any lowly donkey, it was prophesied to be a colt, a foal which is a male under a year old. At that age, the colt foal would be unridden, unbroken.

When broken, donkeys still have a reputation for their unruly and difficult behavior, especially when they are in unfamiliar or frightening scenarios.[3] Yet the future King of Israel was prophesied by Zechariah to enter Jerusalem riding one such donkey colt foal.

Written between 520 – 518 BC, the prophecy was issued decades after the last king of Israel, Jeconiah, sat on the Throne of David when Jeconiah was taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar’s army in 597 BC.[4] Last of the sitting Jewish Kings, he was deported to Babylon along with “the most distinguished men of the land, and the most valuable treasures of the Temple and the palace.”[5]

Successors of the Babylonian empire, Persian rulers Cyrus the Great, King Darius the Great and King Artaxerxes, issued decrees to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.[6] Additional decrees were necessary because political shenanigans by enemies of Israel attempted to thwart the rebuilding effort.

Scrolling forward five centuries sets the stage when Jesus of Nazareth had reached the end of his 3-year ministry.[7] Saturday, the night before entering Jerusalem for the last time, Jesus attended a dinner event at the home of Simon the leper in Bethany where attendance included the 12 Disciples and siblings Martha, Mary and Lazarus.[8]

Sunday, the next day, began the shortened week with a special Passover celebration. Approaching was the day before Passover described in John as a “high,” or “special” Sabbath, depending on the translation.[9]

One of the Disciples asked Jesus where they would be eating the upcoming Passover meal in Jerusalem? He did not answer the question directly and gave no specific information, just clues.

Matthew and John Gospel accounts report that Jesus had instructed two Disciples, identified as Peter and John, to go into Jerusalem to find a mother donkey with its colt and bring them both back to him. Had Jesus wanted only a donkey to ride, he would have been expected to instruct the pair of Disciples to simply find a donkey to bring back home.

Finding a mother donkey with a foal colt made the search much more challenging. Jesus had instructed them that if anyone were to ask why they were taking the donkeys, they were to say, “The Lord has need of it.”[11]

Aimlessly entering the big city looking for the clues Jesus had given to them, Peter and John found a tethered mother donkey with its colt.[10] As they untied it, a man asked why they were taking his donkeys?

Answering as instructed, they were then led by the man with the donkeys to a house with an upper room prepared for the Passover. After they viewed the room, the owner allowed the two Disciples to take the two donkeys back to Jesus.

Entering Jerusalem for the last time, all four Gospel authors wrote about that Sunday when Jesus rode into the city seated on a donkey colt.[12] Jewish Encyclopedia cites the description in John “which has the story preserved in its original form” describing the crowd shouting “Hosanna.”[13]

MT 21:6-9 “The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”(NIV)

Less than a week before his crucifixion, Jesus made his final entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey colt precisely matching the Zechariah 9:9 Messiah prophecy. In Christianity, the Sunday event the weekend before Easter is celebrated as “Palm Sunday.”[14]

Since Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time riding on a donkey colt, was the Zechariah Messiah prophecy fulfilled or was that event merely a coincidence?

 

Updated January 26, 2024.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

REFERENCES:

[1] CR Micah 5:1(2).
[2] Zechariah 9:9. Complete Jewish Bible with Rashi Commentary. Chabad.org. 2021. <https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16213/showrashi/true
[3] Luke 19:35. “Understanding Donkey Behavior.” The Donkey Sanctuary. 2018. <https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/sites/sanctuary/files/document/142-1404405754-donkey_health_and_welfare_19.pdf>
[4] Ryrie Study Bible. Ed. Ryrie Charles C. Trans. New American Standard. 1978. “Introduction to the Book of Zechariah.”
[5] “Captivity, or Exile, Babylonian.” Jewish Encyclopedia. 2011. < http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/4012-captivity>
[6] Ezra 1:1-3, 4:4-6, 6:14-15; Nehemiah 6:15; 12:45; Ezekiel 1:2-3; 6:7,12; 7:12-13, 23, 26. Josephus, Flavius. Antiquities of the Jews. 1850. Book XI, Chapter II. The Complete Works of Josephus. Trans. Commentary by William Whitson. < http://books.google.com/books?id=e0dAAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false > “Cyrus the Great.” Encyclopædia Britannica. 2018. <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Cyrus-the-Great>  “Darius I.” Encyclopædia Britannica. 2021. <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Darius-I>  “Building the Second Temple.” My Jewish Learning. 2019.  <https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/second-templer>  Cohney, Shelley. The Jewish Temples: The Second Temple.” Jewish Virtual Library. 2019. <https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-second-temple>
[7] CR Matthew 23:19-39. Luke 13:31-35. I Kings 18:13-15; 19:14. 2 Chronicles 24:19-22; Jeremiah 26:7-16, 18-19, 20-23; 38:1-13.>
[8] Matthew 23:37-39. Luke 13:31-35.
[9] John 12:1-2, 4. CR Matthew 26:6; Mark 11:1, 14:3; Luke 10:38-39, 19:29.
[10] John 19:31. BibleHub.com. 2021. <https://biblehub.com/john/19-31.htm>  CR Mark 15:42.  “Donkeys.” Spana. photo. n.d. <http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6u66St0FLo/TtOPYk1j-9I/AAAAAAAAEjI/PI95dFfdxDU/s1600/donkeys.jpg>
[11] Luke 19:28-37. CR Matthew 21:1-7.
[12] Matthew 21:7; Mark 11:7; Luke 19:28; John 12:1.
[13] “Hosanna.” Jewish Encyclopedia. 2021. <https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/7893-hosanna>
[14] “Palm Sunday.” Encyclopædia Britannica. 2021. <https://www.britannica.com/topic/Palm-Sunday>