JOHANAN
(Jo·haʹnan) [contracted form of Jehohanan, “Jehovah has been gracious”].
The English name John stems from this Hebrew name.
1. An ambidextrous mighty Benjamite, one of the skilled warriors who joined David at Ziklag.—1 Chron. 12:1-4.
2. A Gadite officer, one of eleven exceptional fighters who came to David’s side in the wilderness.—1 Chron. 12:8, 12-15.
3. A high priest. It was likely his son Azariah who was high priest when King Uzziah acted presumptuously.—1 Chron. 6:9, 10; 2 Chron. 26:19, 20.
4. Firstborn son of King Josiah. (1 Chron. 3:15) Since he is nowhere mentioned in connection with succession to the throne of Judah, as are his three younger brothers, he must have died before his father’s death.—2 Ki. 23:30, 34; 24:17; Jer. 22:11; see JOSIAH No. 1.
5. One of the chiefs of the military forces remaining in Judah after the general deportation to Babylon in the summer of 607 B.C.E. This son of Kareah readily supported the appointment of Gedaliah, and, on learning of Ishmael’s plot to assassinate the governor, asked Gedaliah for permission to kill Ishmael secretly but was denied it. (Jer. 40:7, 8, 13-16) Gedaliah was assassinated, Johanan led the forces to avenge him, and persons whom Ishmael had taken captive were recovered, but the assassin himself escaped to Ammon. (Jer. 41:11-16) Fearing reprisals from the Babylonians, Johanan and the others asked the prophet Jeremiah what they should do, but, rather than follow Jehovah’s advice to remain in the land, they fled to Egypt, taking Jeremiah with them.—Jer. 42:1–43:7; 2 Ki. 25:23-26.
6. Son of Hakkatan and head of the 110 males of the paternal house of Azgad who returned with him to Jerusalem, accompanying Ezra in 468 B.C.E.—Ezra 8:1, 12.
7. Grandson of Eliashib, the high priest contemporary with Nehemiah. (Neh. 3:1; 12:22, 23) His being called Jonathan in Nehemiah 12:11 is probably due to a scribal error, as the names “Johanan” and “Jonathan” are very similar in Hebrew. Johanan is mentioned in a letter found among the Elephantine Papyri, where he is addressed as high priest.—See DARIUS No. 3; Antiquities of the Jews, Book XI, chap. VII, par. 1.
8. A descendant of Zerubbabel; he and his six brothers were the last generation of David’s descendants mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures.—1 Chron. 3:1, 5, 10, 19, 24.