Who was Eliakim in the bible?

Eliakim (Greek Ἐλιακείμ) is a personal name of Hebrew origin that appears in the New Testament genealogical lists. In the verses where it occurs, Eliakim is identified only by lineage connections within those genealogies.

Eliakim in Scripture

In Matthew’s genealogy, Eliakim appears in a chain of descent that moves from the period described as “the exile to Babylon” toward the birth of Jesus Christ. The setting is given in the surrounding context, which frames the sequence in which Eliakim is named.

“Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the exile to Babylon.” (Matthew 1:11, WEB)

“After the exile to Babylon, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel became the father of Zerubbabel.” (Matthew 1:12, WEB)

Within this line, Eliakim is positioned as the son of Abiud and the father of Azor:

“Zerubbabel became the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim. Eliakim became the father of Azor.” (Matthew 1:13, WEB)

The genealogy continues past Eliakim through additional generations, maintaining the same “became the father of” structure:

“Azor became the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim. Achim became the father of Eliud.” (Matthew 1:14, WEB)

“Eliud became the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan. Matthan became the father of Jacob.” (Matthew 1:15, WEB)

“Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” (Matthew 1:16, WEB)

In Luke’s genealogy, Eliakim appears in a different section of a lineage list written in the format “the son of …” The immediate context places Eliakim as the father of Jonan, and as the son within a larger chain that is carried back to David and beyond.

“the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er,” (Luke 3:28, WEB)

“the son of Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,” (Luke 3:29, WEB)

“the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim,” (Luke 3:30, WEB)

Luke’s list continues from Eliakim toward David:

“the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,” (Luke 3:31, WEB)

“the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,” (Luke 3:32, WEB)

“the son of Amminadab, the son of Aram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,” (Luke 3:33, WEB)

Multiple bearers

The name Eliakim is borne by at least two distinct individuals in these passages, because each genealogy places “Eliakim” in a different set of parent-child links. In Matthew, “Abiud became the father of Eliakim. Eliakim became the father of Azor” (Matthew 1:13). In Luke, the wording is “the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim” (Luke 3:30), identifying a different Eliakim as the father of Jonan within that separate genealogical sequence.

Name and Meaning

In Greek the name is written Ἐλιακείμ (transliteration: Eliakeim; pronunciation: el-ee-ak-ime’). According to the lexicon note provided, it is of Hebrew origin.

Observation

Across both Matthew and Luke, Eliakim is presented not by deeds or speeches but by placement in family lines—“Abiud became the father of Eliakim” (Matthew 1:13) and “the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim” (Luke 3:30)—showing the name functioning as a link within recorded descent.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the name Eliakim mean?

Eliakim is a name of Hebrew origin.

How many times does Eliakim appear in the Bible?

Eliakim appears 3 times.

Who was Eliakim?

Eliakim is a person listed in genealogies in the New Testament. In Matthew 1:13, Eliakim is named as the father of Azor.

Where is Eliakim mentioned in the Bible?

Eliakim is mentioned in Matthew 1:13 and Luke 3:30.

Explore Further

If you found this page about Eliakim interesting and would like to discover more about other biblical characters, explore our comprehensive Encyclopedia of Biblical Characters. For those looking to delve deeper into the Greek origins of these names and terms, our Greek Lexicon is an invaluable resource.

Sources: Name and occurrence data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and STEPBible reference data (CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).