Bible Dictionaries
Johanan

Holman Bible Dictionary

(joh hoh' nuhn) Short form of personal time Jehohanan meaning, “Yah is merciful.” 1. Military leader among Jews who remained in Judah immediately after the Exile began in 586 B.C. (2 Kings 25:23 ). He led the effort against Ishmael, who had assassinated Gedaliah, the governor Babylon appointed over Judah. Johanan led the people into Egypt to escape Babylonian retaliation. He forced Jeremiah to go with them, refusing to follow Jeremiah's word from God (Jeremiah 40-43 ). 2 . High priest about 411 B.C. known in the Elephantine papyri as Jehohanan but in Nehemiah 12:22-23 as Johanan. He was high priest at time Nehemiah's list of priests was compiled. Some interpreters would say that Jonathan ( Nehemiah 12:11 ) is a copyist's error for Johanan, but this is not likely. Others would equate this Johanan with Jehohanan of Ezra 10:6 (note the KJV equation of names despite difference in Hebrew spelling), but Ezra does not indicate Jehohanan was high priest. See 1 Chronicles 3:15 ). We know nothing else of this royal son who for some reason did not become king. 5. A descendant of David in the postexilic period about 445 B.C. (1 Chronicles 3:24 ). 6 . High priest in the early period of Israel's monarchy (1 Chronicles 6:9-10 ). His son Azariah was high priest under Solomon (compare 1 Kings 4:2 ). 7 . Member of Saul's tribe of Benjamin who joined David at Ziklag when he fled from Saul (1 Chronicles 12:4 ). 8 . Member of tribe of Gad who joined David at Ziklag, demonstrating the people east of the Jordan supported him (1 Chronicles 12:12 ). 9 . Man who led a group going with Ezra from Babylon to Jerusalem about 458 B.C. (Ezra 8:12 ).