Zerubbabel
“Sown in Babylon or seed of Babylon”
Summary
The Davidic prince who led the first return of Jewish exiles from Babylon and supervised the rebuilding of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
☩Lineage and Identity
Zerubbabel was the recognized prince of Judah during the Babylonian captivity, serving as the head of the house of David. He is consistently called the son of Shealtiel in Ezra, Haggai, and the Gospels, yet 1 Chronicles 3:19 names him as son of Pedaiah, Shealtiel's brother. This apparent discrepancy is likely explained by levirate marriage—Pedaiah raising offspring for his childless brother—making Zerubbabel the legal heir of Shealtiel. He also bore the Babylonian name Sheshbazzar, indicating service in the Persian court.
☩Return from Exile
When Cyrus issued his decree permitting the Jews to return and rebuild their temple in 536 BC, Zerubbabel immediately led those whose spirits God had stirred to undertake the journey. He was appointed governor of Judea by Cyrus and received custody of the sacred temple vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had taken. Accompanied by Joshua the high priest and a company including priests, Levites, and heads of families, Zerubbabel led the caravan of over 42,000 returnees plus servants back to Jerusalem.
☩Rebuilding the Temple
Upon arrival, Zerubbabel's first priority was restoring the altar of burnt offering and the daily sacrifices. In the second year after returning, he laid the temple foundation with great ceremony—priests sounding trumpets, Levites with cymbals singing praise, and the people responding with shouts of joy mingled with weeping from those who remembered Solomon's temple. Opposition from the Samaritans and hired counselors halted construction for sixteen years until the prophets Haggai and Zechariah stirred the people to resume work in the second year of Darius. The temple was completed in the sixth year of Darius, and Zerubbabel dedicated it with rejoicing.
☩Prophetic Significance
Zerubbabel received remarkable prophetic encouragement from Haggai and Zechariah during the temple rebuilding. Zechariah's vision of the golden lampstand declared that the work would be accomplished 'not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit.' The prophecy that Zerubbabel's hands had laid the foundation and would finish it was fulfilled. He is viewed as a type of Christ, the promised Son of David, who will ultimately cause the temple to be built with shouts of 'Grace, grace unto it.'
Related Verses25 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Zerubbabel," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. X (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Zerubbabel," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. V (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.George Morrish, "Zerubbabel," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).