Easton's Bible Dictionary The seed of Babylon, the son of Salathiel or Shealtiel (Haggai 1:1; Zorobabel, Matthew 1:12); called also the son of Pedaiah (1 Chronicles 3:17-19), i.e., according to a frequent usage of the word "son;" the grandson or the nephew of Salathiel. He is also known by the Persian name of Sheshbazzar (Ezra 1:8, 11). In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, he led the first band of Jews, numbering 42,360 (Ezra 2:64), exclusive of a large number of servants, who returned from captivity at the close of the seventy years. In the second year after the Return, he erected an altar and laid the foundation of the temple on the ruins of that which had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar (3:8-13; ch. 4-6). All through the work he occupied a prominent place, inasmuch as he was a descendant of the royal line of David. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia ZERUBBABEL ze-rub'-a-bel (zerubbabhel, probably a transliteration of the Babylonian name Zeru-Babili, "seed of Babylon"; Zorobabel): 1. Name: Is commonly called the son of Shealtiel (Ezra 3:2, 8; Ezra 5:2 Nehemiah 12:1 Haggai 1:1, 12, 14 Matthew 1:12 Luke 3:27); but in 1 Chronicles 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. 2. Family: 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 1 Chronicles 3:19, he had one daughter, Shelomith, and seven sons, Meshullam, Hananiah, Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah and Jushab-hesed. In Matthew 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 Luke 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 Jeremiah 36:30 was apparently to die childless. 3. Relation 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 Ezra 1:8 and 5:14-16, laid the foundations, and the latter completed the building of the temple (Ezra 2:2, 68; Ezra 4:2 Haggai 1:14 Zechariah 4:9). 4. History: 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

Multi-Version Concordance Zerubbabel (25 Occurrences) Matthew 1:12 After the exile to Babylon, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel became the father of Zerubbabel. (WEB WEY ASV BBE YLT NAS NIV) Matthew 1:13 Zerubbabel became the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim. Eliakim became the father of Azor. (WEB WEY ASV BBE YLT NAS NIV) Luke 3:27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, (WEB WEY ASV BBE YLT NAS NIV) 1 Chronicles 3:19 The sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel, and Shimei. The sons of Zerubbabel: Meshullam, and Hananiah; and Shelomith was their sister; (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) Ezra 2:2 who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel: (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) Ezra 3:2 Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and 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 thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) Ezra 3:8 Now in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began 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 were come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to have the oversight of the work of the house of Yahweh. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) Ezra 4:2 then they drew near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers' houses, and said to them, Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as you do; and we sacrifice to him since the days of Esar Haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) Ezra 4:3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers' houses 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 us. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) Ezra 5:2 Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, helping them. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) 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: (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) 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, (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) Nehemiah 12:47 All Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, 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. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) Haggai 1:1 In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, the Word of Yahweh 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, (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) 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 the voice of Yahweh, their God, and the words of Haggai, the prophet, as Yahweh, their God, had sent him; and the people feared Yahweh. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) 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, (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) 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, (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) 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. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) Haggai 2:21 "Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying,'I will shake the heavens and the earth. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) Haggai 2:23 In that day, says Yahweh of Armies, will I take you, Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel,' says Yahweh,'and will make you as a signet, for I have chosen you,' says Yahweh of Armies." (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) Zechariah 4:6 Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, "This is the word of Yahweh to Zerubbabel, saying,'Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says Yahweh of Armies. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) 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!'" (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) 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. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) 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 the eyes of Yahweh, which run back and forth through the whole earth." (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) Zechariah 6:11 And take silver and gold and make a crown and put it on the head of Zerubbabel; (BBE)