Two or three men named Zerubbabel (OT) or Zorobabel (NT) are referenced in the bible. One is found in 1 Chronicles 3:19. The others are referenced a total of 22 times. The latter is Zerubbabel or Zorobabel, son of Shealtiel. Luke (Luke 3:27) gives a different genealogy than does Matthew (Matthew 1:12-13) for these two names. (Some have suggested that the two genealogies of Matthew and Luke differs because they represent the paternal and the maternal side of Yeshua.) Matthew places Zerobabel and Shealtiel after the beginning of the Babylonian captivity, thus associating this Zerobabel more strongly with the Zerubbabel referenced in Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, and Zechariah. (Notice that Zerubbabel, H2216, has gotten the same number as Zerobabel, G2216! Interesting coincidence, isn’t it?)

 

Mat 1:11  And Josiah begat Jechoniah and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:

Mat 1:12  And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechoniah begat Shealtiel; and Shealtiel begat Zorobabel;

Mat 1:13  And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;

 

Although Zechariah is not giving us the lineage of Zerubbabel, it is clear that Zechariah is talking about the same Zerubbabel as Ezra, Nehemiah and Haggai, especially in Zechariah 4:9:

 

Zec 4:9  The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.

 

 

Haggai is very helpful in several ways. Notice especially:

 

Hag 2:23  In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of hosts.

 

What does these word, “will make thee as a signet,” mean, especially in the context of the chronology we are working on and the exact time when these events occurred? Is this a hint to us re the importance of studying the names, here Zerubbabel, especially chosen by “the LORD of hosts?” Consider also the deeper meaning of the Hebrew words found in the Lord’s prayer: “Our Source [Father] that are in the names [heaven]…”

 

Haggai also provides that:

 

  1. Zerubbabel is the “governor of Judah” (Haggai 1:1, 14; 2:2, 21,)
  2. Zerubbabel is a contemporary of “Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest,” (Haggai 1:1, 12, 14; 2:2, 4)
  3. Zerubbabel is the son of Shealtiel (Haggai 1:1, 12, 14; 2:2,)
  4. Zerubbabel and Joshua, son of Josedech, were “came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God” (Haggai 1:14,)
  5. the time for these events are exactly dated as “In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month,” “the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king,” “In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month,” “In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius,” “the four and twentieth day of the ninth month,” “in the four and twentieth day of the month” (Haggai 1:1, 15; 2:1, 10, 18, 20,) and
  6. the work they did was to lay the foundation of the House of the Lord (Haggai 1:2, 8, 9; 2:3, 9, 15, 18.)

 

 

Nehemiah provides:

  1. that Zerubbabel was “the son of Shealtiel” (Neh. 12:1,)
  2. that Jeshua went up to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel (Neh. 12:1,)
  3. the names of 22 of” the chief of the priests and of their brethren in the days of Jeshua” that went up with Zerubbabel and Jeshua to Jerusalem (Neh. 12:1-7,)
  4. the names of 8 of the Levites that went up with Zerubbabel and Jeshua to Jerusalem (Neh. 12:8-9,)
  5. that Ezra was one of the 22 priests (Neh. 12:1,)
  6. that Ezra was the scribe (Neh. 8:9,)
  7. that Ezra brought and read the law before the people on the first day of the Seventh month (Neh. 8:2 (1-12),)
  8. “And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law. And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month” (Neh. 8:13-14,)
  9. “And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness” (Neh. 8:17,)
  10. “Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner” (Neh. 8:18,)
  11. that Nehemiah came with Zerubbabel and Jeshua to Jerusalem and Judah (Neh. 7:7,)
  12. Nehemiah was the governor (Neh. 12:26) [after Zerubbabel? (Neh. 12:47,)]
  13. that an important confessional and recommitment was signed “in the twenty and fourth day of this month” (Neh. 9:1,) i.e. following “the first day of the seventh month” (Neh. 8:2) when “And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam” (Neh. 8:4,) “Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law” (Neh. 8:7,) [4 of these 26 names are the same as in the list (Neh. 12:1-9) of 32 priests and Levites that originally came up to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel and Joshua; an additional 4-5 of the 26 names are the same as in the list (Neh. 8) of 43 that came with Ezra when Artaxerxes reigned,]
  14. Nehemiah, the son of Hachaliah, is the Tirshatha (Neh. 7:65, 70; 8:9; 10:1)
  15. Nehemiah is the son of Hachaliah (Neh. 1:1) [not the Nehemiah named in Neh. 3:16,]
  16. Nehemiah’s book is dated ”And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace” (Neh. 1:1,)
  17. that “when the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities” (Neh. 7:73,)
  18. Rehum, the son of Bani, was one among the Levites repairing the wall with Nehemiah (Neh. 3:17,)
  19. two men named Bani in the same verse (Neh. 9:4,) probably father and son (Ezra 2:2, 10; 10:34, 38,) thus three generations being contemporary with Nehemiah and with the return from Babel to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel and Jeshua,

 

 

Ezra provides that:

  1. Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, were contemporaries and were working together (Ezra 2:2; 3:2; 4:3,)
  2. Zerubbabel and Jeshua were working on the temple (Ezra 4:3,)
  3. the command to rebuild the house of God was issued by Cyrus, “as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us” (Ezra 4:3,)
  4. the kings of Persia were, in order as referenced to time, Cyrus, Ahasuerus, Artaxerxes, and Darius (Ezra 4:5-8, 11, 24,)
  5. the walls of Jerusalem were being rebuilt during the time of Artaxerxes (Neh. 4:12, 13, 16,)
  6. the time for the beginning of the work on the temple was: “Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak… to set forward the work of the house of the LORD… And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD… And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid” (Ezra 3:8, 10, 11)
  7. The people arrived at Jerusalem prior to the laying the foundation for the Temple by the beginning of the Seventh month (Ezra 3:1,)
  8. The altar was set up and sacrifices were being made starting “from the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid,”
  9. Nehemiah, Mordecai and Rehum were among the people that arrived at Jerusalem with Zerubbabel and Jeshua (Ezra 2:2,)
  10. there is one called the Tirshatha (Ezra 2:63,)

 

Daniel provides:

    1. “Dan 1:21  And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.”
    2. Dan 5:30  In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.

Dan 5:31  And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.

    1. Dan 6:1  It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom;

Dan 6:2  And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.

    1. Dan 6:6  Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live forever.
    2. Dan 6:9  Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.
    3. Dan 6:25  Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.
    4. Dan 6:28  So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
    5. Dan 9:1  In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;
    6. Dan 11:1  Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.
    7. Dan 10:1  In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.