Shealtiel(salathiel)
“Asked of God”
Summary
The father of Zerubbabel and an important link in the royal line of David, appearing in the genealogies of Jesus Christ.
☩Genealogical Significance
Shealtiel (also called Salathiel in the Greek form) was the son of King Jeconiah (Jehoiachin) of Judah and the father of Zerubbabel, who led the first return of exiles from Babylon. His name appears in both Matthew's and Luke's genealogies of Jesus, though with some variation in the lineage. Matthew records him as the son of Jechoniah, while Luke lists him as the son of Neri.
☩Royal Lineage
As a descendant of the captive king Jeconiah, Shealtiel represented the continuation of David's royal line during the Babylonian exile. Though Jeremiah prophesied that Jeconiah would have no descendant sitting on David's throne, this appears to mean no direct succession to kingship rather than a complete end to his line, since Zerubbabel became governor of Judah.
☩Relationship to Zerubbabel
The genealogy in Chronicles presents some complexity, suggesting Zerubbabel may have been Shealtiel's nephew rather than biological son. This may be explained by levirate marriage, where Shealtiel died childless and his brother raised up offspring in his name. Regardless, Shealtiel is consistently called Zerubbabel's father in Ezra, Nehemiah, and Haggai.
Related Verses12 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Shealtiel," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IX (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Shealtiel," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).