Jehucal, also known as Jucal, is a biblical figure mentioned in the Old Testament, specifically in the Book of Jeremiah. He was a son of Shelemiah and served as an official in the court of King Zedekiah of Judah during the tumultuous period leading up to the Babylonian exile. His role and actions are primarily documented in the context of the political and spiritual challenges faced by the Kingdom of Judah as it confronted the threat of Babylonian conquest.

Biblical References:

Jehucal is mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah, where he is depicted as an official who was involved in the political machinations of the time. In Jeremiah 37:3 , it is recorded: "Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah the prophet with this message: 'Please pray to the LORD our God for us.'" This verse highlights Jehucal's role as a messenger between King Zedekiah and the prophet Jeremiah, indicating his position of influence and responsibility within the royal court.

In another instance, Jehucal is mentioned in Jeremiah 38:1-4 , where he is part of a group of officials who hear Jeremiah's prophecy concerning the fall of Jerusalem. The passage states: "Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchijah heard what Jeremiah was telling all the people: 'This is what the LORD says: Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever goes out to the Chaldeans will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war, and he will live.'"

The officials, including Jehucal, were displeased with Jeremiah's message, perceiving it as demoralizing to the people and potentially treasonous. Consequently, they sought to silence Jeremiah by imprisoning him, as recorded in Jeremiah 38:4-6 : "Then the officials said to the king, 'This man ought to die, for he is weakening the resolve of the remaining men of war in this city, as well as all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but their ruin.'"

Historical and Theological Context:

Jehucal's actions must be understood within the broader historical and theological context of the late 7th and early 6th centuries BC, a period marked by the decline of the Kingdom of Judah and the rise of the Babylonian Empire. The political landscape was fraught with tension as Judah faced the threat of invasion and destruction by Babylon. King Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, was caught between the demands of his Babylonian overlords and the nationalist sentiments of his people.

From a theological perspective, the narrative involving Jehucal underscores the conflict between the prophetic word of God, as delivered by Jeremiah, and the political expediencies of the day. Jeremiah's prophecies, which called for submission to Babylon as a divine judgment, were often at odds with the desires of the Judean leadership, who sought to maintain their independence and resist foreign domination.

Jehucal's involvement in the imprisonment of Jeremiah reflects the broader rejection of prophetic warnings by the ruling class, a theme that is recurrent in the prophetic literature of the Old Testament. This rejection ultimately led to the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecies with the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC and the subsequent Babylonian exile.

Archaeological Evidence:

In recent years, archaeological discoveries have provided additional context to the biblical account of Jehucal. A clay bulla, or seal impression, bearing the name "Jehucal son of Shelemiah" was discovered in the City of David, lending historical credibility to the biblical narrative and offering tangible evidence of Jehucal's existence and role within the Judean administration.

The figure of Jehucal serves as a reminder of the complex interplay between faith, politics, and prophecy in the history of ancient Israel, illustrating the challenges faced by those who sought to navigate the turbulent waters of their time while remaining faithful to their understanding of God's will.Jehucal

mighty; perfect; wasted

Jehucal

(able), son of Shelemiah; one of two persons sent by King Zedekiah to Jeremiah to entreat his prayers and advice. (Jeremiah 37:3) (B.C. 589.)

Able, the son of Shelemiah. He is also called Jucal (Jeremiah 38:1). He was one of the two persons whom Zedekiah sent to request the prophet Jeremiah to pray for the kingdom (Jeremiah 37:3) during the time of its final siege by Nebuchadnezzar. He was accompanied by Zephaniah (q.v.). JEHUCAL

je-hu'-kal (yechukhal, probably meaning "Yahweh is able"): A courtier sent by King Zedekiah to Jeremiah to ask the prophet to pray for the king and the people (Jeremiah 37:3). Most versions except Septuagint, with Jeremiah 38:1, have "Jucal" (yukhal, same meaning).

3081. Yehukal -- "the LORD is able," a courtier of King Zedekiah
... Yehukal. 3082 . "the LORD is able," a courtier of King Zedekiah. Transliteration:
Yehukal Phonetic Spelling: (yeh-hoo-kal') Short Definition: Jehucal. ... Jehucal. ...
/hebrew/3081.htm - 6k

The Siege. (xxi, xxxii-xxxiv, xxxvii, xxxviii. )
... The third pronouncement to Sedekiah, XXXVII.3-10,(576) was made when the king sent
Jehucal and Sephaniah to seek the Prophet's prayers, after the Chaldeans had ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/3 the siege xxi xxxii-xxxiv.htm

Jehucal (2 Occurrences)
... He was accompanied by Zephaniah (qv). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
JEHUCAL. ... Multi-Version Concordance Jehucal (2 Occurrences). ...
/j/jehucal.htm - 8k

Jehu'cal (1 Occurrence)
Jehu'cal. Jehucal, Jehu'cal. Jehud . Multi-Version Concordance Jehu'cal
(1 Occurrence). ... Jehucal, Jehu'cal. Jehud . Reference Bible.
/j/jehu'cal.htm - 6k

Shelemiah (10 Occurrences)
... (4) The father of Jehucal (or Jucal) in the reign of Zedekiah (Jeremiah 37:3;
Jeremiah 38:1; in the second passage the name is Shelemyahu). ...
/s/shelemiah.htm - 12k

Zephani'ah (10 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 37:3 And Zedekiah the king sendeth Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah
son of Maaseiah the priest, unto Jeremiah the prophet, saying, 'Pray, we ...
/z/zephani'ah.htm - 9k

Jehub'bah (1 Occurrence)
Jehub'bah. Jehubbah, Jehub'bah. Jehucal . Multi-Version Concordance Jehub'bah
(1 Occurrence). ... (See RSV). Jehubbah, Jehub'bah. Jehucal . Reference Bible
/j/jehub'bah.htm - 6k

Shelemi'ah (10 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 37:3 And Zedekiah the king sendeth Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah
son of Maaseiah the priest, unto Jeremiah the prophet, saying, 'Pray, we ...
/s/shelemi'ah.htm - 9k

Ma-asei'ah (23 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 37:3 Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah
the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now to ...
/m/ma-asei'ah.htm - 13k

Proper (62 Occurrences)
...Jehucal, a Hophal imperfect, is peculiar in not lengthening the vowel in the accented
final syllable, when the verb is used as a personal name. ...
/p/proper.htm - 57k

Zedeki'ah (62 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 37:3 And Zedekiah the king sendeth Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah
son of Maaseiah the priest, unto Jeremiah the prophet, saying, 'Pray, we ...
/z/zedeki'ah.htm - 25k

Maaseiah (25 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 37:3 Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah
the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now to ...
/m/maaseiah.htm - 19k

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