Zerubbabel זְרֻבָּבֶ֫ל
Leader of the first Jewish exiles from Babylon
Biography
Zerubbabel, also known as Sheshbazzar, was a descendant of King David who played a crucial role in the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon and the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. He is mentioned in various books of the Old Testament, including 1 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, and Zechariah. Zerubbabel led the first group of exiles back to Jerusalem under the decree of Cyrus, king of Persia. He is listed among the leaders who returned and is credited with laying the foundation of the temple. Despite facing opposition from the Samaritans and others, Zerubbabel, along with the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, encouraged the people to complete the rebuilding of the temple. He is also mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Matthew, emphasizing his importance in the messianic lineage. Zerubbabel's leadership and dedication were instrumental in reestablishing Jewish worship in Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile.
Family
Offspring
- Meshullam Tribe of JudahSon of ZerubbabelSon of Zerubbabel, a descendant of David.View full profile →
- Hananiah Tribe of JudahSon of ZerubbabelSon of Zerubbabel, a descendant of King David.View full profile →
- Shelomith Tribe of LeviSon of IzharLevite descendant of IzharView full profile →
- Hashubah Tribe of JudahSon of ZerubbabelA descendant of King Jeconiah (Jehoiachin) of Judah.View full profile →
- Ohel Tribe of JudahSon of ZerubbabelDescendant of JudahView full profile →
- Berechiah Tribe of JudahSon of ZerubbabelDescendant of David through ZerubbabelView full profile →
- Hasadiah Tribe of JudahSon of ZerubbabelA descendant of King Jeconiah (Jehoiachin) of Judah.View full profile →
- Jushab-hesed Tribe of JudahSon of ZerubbabelA descendant of King JehoiachinView full profile →
- Abiud Tribe of JudahSon of ZerubbabelSon of Zerubbabel, ancestor of JesusView full profile →
In Scripture
6 biblical books ; 3 with study content1 Chronicles 1 verse
- 1 Chronicles 3:19
"The sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimei. The sons of Zerubbabel: Meshullam and Hananiah; and Shelomith was their sister;"
Ezra 5 verses
- Ezra 2:2
"who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:"
Study Ezra → - Ezra 3:2
"Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak stood up with his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brothers, and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God."
Study Ezra → - Ezra 3:8
"Now in the second year of their coming to God’s house at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all those who had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem,..."
Study Ezra → - Ezra 4:2
"they came near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers’ households, and said to them, “Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as you do; and we have been sacrificing to him since the days of Esar Haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.”"
Study Ezra → - Ezra 4:3
"But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers’ households of Israel, said to them, “You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves together will build to Yahweh, the God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded..."
Study Ezra →
Nehemiah 3 verses
- Nehemiah 7:7
"who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:"
Study Nehemiah → - Nehemiah 12:1
"Now these are the priests and the Levites who went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,"
Study Nehemiah → - Nehemiah 12:47
"All Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the gatekeepers, as every day required; and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron."
Study Nehemiah →
Haggai 5 verses
- Haggai 1:1
"In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, Yahweh’s word came by Haggai, the prophet, to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,"
- Haggai 1:12
"Then Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed Yahweh, their God’s voice, and the words of Haggai, the prophet, as Yahweh, their God, had sent him; and the people feared Yahweh."
- Haggai 1:14
"Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of Yahweh of Armies, their God,"
- Haggai 2:2
"“Speak now to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying,"
- Haggai 2:4
"Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says Yahweh. ‘Be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ says Yahweh, ‘and work, for I am with you,’ says Yahweh of Armies."
Zechariah 4 verses
- Zechariah 4:6
"Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, “This is Yahweh’s word to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says Yahweh of Armies."
- Zechariah 4:7
"Who are you, great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you are a plain; and he will bring out the capstone with shouts of ‘Grace, grace, to it!’ ”"
- Zechariah 4:9
"“The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house. His hands shall also finish it; and you will know that Yahweh of Armies has sent me to you."
- Zechariah 4:10
"Indeed, who despises the day of small things? For these seven shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. These are Yahweh’s eyes, which run back and forth through the whole earth.”"
Matthew 2 verses
- Matthew 1:12
"After the exile to Babylon, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel became the father of Zerubbabel."
Study Matthew → - Matthew 1:13
"Zerubbabel became the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim. Eliakim became the father of Azor."
Study Matthew →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | זְרֻבָּבֶ֫ל | H2216 |
| Aramaic | Hebrew | זְרֻבָּבֶ֫ל | H2217 |
| Named | Hebrew | שֵׁשְׁבַּצַּר | H8339 |
| Aramaic | Hebrew | שֵׁשְׁבַּצַּר | H8340 |
| Greek | Greek | Ζοροβάβελ | G2216H |
Encyclopedia Article
ISBE 1915 (Public Domain) Zerubbabel
Ezr 3:2,8; 5:2; Ne 12:1; Hag 1:1,12,14; Mt 1:12; Lu 3:27); but in 1Ch 3:19 he is called the son of Pedaiah, the brother apparently of Shealtiel (Salathiel) and the son or grandson of Jeconiah. It is probable that Shealtiel had no children and adopted Zerubbabel; or that Zerubbabel was his levirate son; or that, Shealtiel being childless, Zerubbabel succeeded to the rights of sonship as being the next of kin.
2Family
Whatever may have been his blood relationship to Jeconiah, the Scriptures teach that Zerubbabel was his legal successor, of the 3rd or 4th generation. According to 1Ch 3:19, he had one daughter, Shelomith, and seven sons, Meshullam, Hananiah, Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah and Jushab-hesed. In Mt 1:13 he is said to have been the father of Abiud (i.e. Abi-hud). As it is the custom in Arabia today to give a man a new name when his first son is born, so it may have been, in this case, that Meshullam was the father of Hud, and that his name was changed to Abiud as soon as his son was named Hud. In Lu 3:27, the son of Zerubbabel is called Rhesa. This is doubtless the title of the head of the captivity, the resh gelutha', and would be appropriate as a title of Meshullam in his capacity as the official representative of the captive Jews. That Zerubbabel is said in the New Testament to be the son of Shealtiel the son of Neri instead of Jeconiah may be accounted for on the supposition that Shealtiel was the legal heir or adopted son of Jeconiah, who according to Jer 36:30 was apparently to die childless.
3Relation to Sheshbazzar
It has been shown in the article on Sheshbazzar that he and Zerubbabel may possibly have been the same person and that the name may have been Shamash-ban (or bun)-zer-Babili-usur. It seems more probable, however, that Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah, was governor under Cyrus and that Zerubbabel was governor under Darius. The former, according to Ezr 1:8 and 5:14-16, laid the foundations, and the latter completed the building of the temple (Ezr 2:2,68; 4:2; Hag 1:14; Zec 4:9).
4History
All that is known certainly about Zerubbabel is found in the canonical books of Zechariah, Haggai and Ezra-Nehemiah. According to these he and Jeshua, the high priest, led up a band of captives from Babylon to Jerusalem and began rebuilding the temple in the second year of Darius Hystaspis. They first constructed the altar of burnt offerings, and afterward built a temple, usually called the Second Temple, much inferior in beauty to that of Solomon. According to Josephus and the apocryphal Book of Ezra (1 Esdras 3,4), Zerubbabel was a friend of Darius Hystaspis, having successfully competed before him in a contest whose object was to determine what was the strongest thing in the world--wine, kings, women, or truth. Zerubbabel, having demonstrated that truth was the mightiest of all, was called the king's "cousin," and was granted by him permission to go up to Jerusalem and to build the temple. Zerubbabel was also made a governor of Jerusalem, and performed also the duties of the tirshatha, an official who was probably the Persian collector of taxes.
See TIRSHATHA.
R. Dick Wilson
ze-roo-i'-a, ze-roo'-ya (tseruyah, tseruyah (2Sa 14:1; 16:10), meaning uncertain; Sarouia): In 2Sa 2:18;