Jehizkiah is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Jehizkiah was a leader of the tribe of Ephraim, identified in 2 Chronicles 28:12 as “the son of Shallum.” He is named among “certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim,” a group of four prominent men who stood up at a critical moment in the history of the southern kingdom of Judah. The source note confirms he was a leader of Ephraim, and the single scriptural reference places him within a specific and dramatic episode.
The setting was the aftermath of a devastating military campaign. The northern kingdom of Israel, with its tribe of Ephraim prominent among its forces, had defeated Judah and taken a great number of captives from among their brethren. The army was returning to Samaria with spoils and prisoners when Jehizkiah and three other heads of Ephraim—Azariah son of Johanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, and Amasa son of Hadlai—”stood up against them that came from the war.” That is, they opposed their own victorious soldiers.
These men confronted the returning army and spoke against the sin of holding their Judean kinsmen as slaves, warning that the fierce wrath of God was already upon Israel. Scripture records that their intervention was effective: the armed men released the captives and the spoil before the leaders and the congregation, and the prisoners were clothed, fed, anointed, and carried on donkeys back to Jericho. Of Jehizkiah himself, the text says nothing more than that he was one of those who stood up. He is remembered not for a speech or a miracle, but for taking a stand against cruelty within his own people.
The Name
The name Jehizkiah (Hebrew *Yechizqiyyahu*) is a theophoric name built from the root *chazaq*, meaning “to be strong” or “to strengthen,” joined with a shortened form of the divine name, *Yah*. It is closely related to the better-known name Hezekiah (*Chizqiyyahu*), and its sense is commonly understood along the lines of “Yahweh strengthens” or “Yahweh is my strength.” This meaning is well established from the Hebrew components of the name. It is worth noting that the name is not to be confused with King Hezekiah of Judah, though the two share the same root and meaning.
A Closing Thought
Jehizkiah appears only once, with no recorded words, yet his single act speaks volumes. When his own countrymen were celebrating a victory won at the expense of their brethren, he chose to stand against the crowd and defend the helpless. Courage is not always loud; sometimes it is simply refusing to go along with what is wrong, even when everyone around you approves. His brief appearance reminds us that faithfulness is measured not by how much Scripture says about us, but by whether we are willing to stand for mercy and righteousness in the moment God places before us.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- 2 Chronicles 28:12 — Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against them that came from the war,