שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵל (she.al.ti.el)
she.al.ti.el
Shealtiel
N:N-M-PQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 9 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N-M-P
Word Overview
Shealtiel is a proper name found nine times in the Hebrew Bible, primarily within the genealogies of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles. The name translates to "I have asked of God," combining the verb for asking with the divine name El. This linguistic choice reflects a common practice among exilic Judahites, who embedded their hopes or prayers directly into personal names during a period of national displacement.
Scripture identifies him as a son of King Jehoiachin and the father of Zerubbabel, a key leader in the return from Babylon. The texts present a slight genealogical variation: while Chronicles lists Shealtiel as Zerubbabel’s father, Ezra and Nehemiah sometimes refer to Pedaiah as the father, noting that Shealtiel had died. This suggests Zerubbabel may have been his son by another wife or perhaps his nephew who inherited the family line.
Despite appearing only in lists of names rather than narrative scenes, Shealtiel holds theological significance as a link in the Messianic lineage. He connects the royal house of David to the post-exilic restoration, a connection later acknowledged in the New Testament genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:12). His name serves as a reminder that even in times of lost sovereignty, the community maintained its identity through faith and remembrance.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Shealtiel means "I have asked of God." It appears in lists of names rather than dramatic stories, yet it carries a quiet weight for anyone feeling distant from home or hope. During the exile, families used names like this to hold onto their prayers when everything else was lost.
Shealtiel connects two vital moments: the fall of Jerusalem and its rebuilding. Though he died before the return, his son Zerubbabel led the work. This shows that faith often spans generations; what one person starts or prays for, another may see completed.
In Matthew’s genealogy, Jesus is listed as a descendant of Shealtiel. This means your own spiritual heritage is tied to ordinary people who trusted God in hard times. You are part of a long line of those who asked, waited, and obeyed.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 9 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Shealtiel9×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵל֙2×
- שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵ֖ל2×
- שַׁלְתִּיאֵל֙1×
- שַׁלְתִּיאֵ֡ל1×
- שַׁלְתִּיאֵ֜ל1×
- שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵ֤ל1×
- שְׁ֠אַלְתִּיאֵל1×
Key Verses
-
Haggai 2:23
In that day, says Yahweh of Armies, I will take you, Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel,’ says Yahweh, ‘and will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ says Yahweh of Armies.”
God calls Zerubbabel 'my servant' and the 'son of Shealtiel,' linking divine choice directly to this family line during the temple's restoration.
-
Ezra 3:2
Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak stood up with his brothers the priests and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his relatives, 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.
Zerubbabel is identified as Shealtiel’s son while rebuilding the altar, showing how the next generation carried forward the spiritual legacy of the previous one.
-
I Chronicles 3:17
The sons of Jeconiah, the captive: Shealtiel his son,
This verse records Shealtiel as a son of Jeconiah, preserving the royal lineage that would eventually lead to the Messiah despite the loss of the throne.