Person Old Testament
Jehonathan
Jehonathan was the head of the priestly family of Shemaiah during the time of Joiakim, the son of Jeshua. Mentioned once in Scripture, at Nehemiah 12:18.
Why it matters. Head of a priestly family during the high priesthood of Joiakim
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Jehonathan
Jehonathan is mentioned in Neh.12.18 as the head of the priestly family of Shemaiah during the time of Joiakim, the son of Jeshua. This chapter lists the priests and Levites who served in Jerusalem during the high priesthood of Joiakim, providing a record of the religious leadership after the return from the Babylonian exile. Jehonathan is listed among the heads of the priestly families, indicating that he was a prominent figure in the priestly hierarchy. The text does not provide any further details about Jehonathan's specific role or responsibilities, but his position as the head of a priestly family suggests that he would have been involved in the various duties associated with the temple service, such as offering sacrifices, teaching the law, and maintaining the sacred space. The mention of Jehonathan in this context helps to establish the continuity of the priestly lineage and the restoration of the temple worship after the exile.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
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Appears in Scripture
Named in 1 verse across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.
Nehemiah (1 verse)