Lexical Summary
Zerubbabel: Zerubbabel
Original Word: זְרֻבָּבֶל
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Zrubbabel
Pronunciation: ze-roo-BAH-bel
Phonetic Spelling: (zer-oob-baw-bel')
KJV: Zerubbabel
NASB: Zerubbabel
Word Origin: [from H2215 (זָרַב - become waterless) and H894 (בָּבֶל - Babylon)]
1. descended of (i.e. from) Babylon, i.e. born there
2. Zerubbabel, an Israelite
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Zerubbabel
From zarab and Babel; descended of (i.e. From) Babylon, i.e. Born there; Zerubbabel, an Israelite -- Zerubbabel.
see HEBREW zarab
see HEBREW Babel
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originperhaps from
zarab and
BabelDefinition"begotten in Babylon," a leader of returning Isr. exiles
NASB TranslationZerubbabel (21).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(according to MV perhaps =
begotten in Babylon, see also Thes) probably = Babylonian
Zêr-Bâbili =
off-spring of Babylon, often in Inscriptions (Mey
E. Jud. v). — grandson of king Jehoiachin, and son of Pedaiah
1 Chronicles 3:19 (twice in verse) (but son of Shealtiel
Ezra 3:2,8 etc., compare brother (?) of
1 Chronicles 3:17); leader of first returning exiles
Ezra 2:2 =
Nehemiah 7:7;
Ezra 3:2,8;
Ezra 4:2,3;
Nehemiah 12:1,47;
Haggai 1:12;
Haggai 2:4;
Zechariah 4:6,7,9,10; called
Haggai 1:1,14;
Haggai 2:2,21, called (by )
Haggai 2:23. — .
(Biblical Hebrew id.); — Ezra 5:2.
Topical Lexicon
Name and Lineage Zerubbabel, whose name means “seed of Babylon” or “offspring of Babylon,” was a post-exilic descendant of King David through Jeconiah (Coniah). 1 Chronicles 3:17-19 traces him as the son of Pedaiah, while Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, and Zechariah style him “son of Shealtiel,” a designation that probably reflects legal succession under levirate custom. Thus, Zerubbabel connects the line of Solomon (legal) and Nathan (blood, through Pedaiah) and ultimately appears in the genealogies of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:12; Luke 3:27), preserving the Davidic hope after the exile.
Leader of the First Return (538 B.C.)
Cyrus the Great authorized the first wave of Judean returnees. Ezra 2:2 lists “Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai…” at the head of those who came up from captivity. As civil governor, Zerubbabel partnered with the high priest Jeshua to re-establish sacrificial worship: “Then Jeshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates, began to build the altar of the God of Israel” (Ezra 3:2). This act re-centred the community on covenantal worship before walls or temple foundation were in place.
Governor of Judah under Persian Oversight
Haggai 1:1 identifies him as “governor of Judah,” a title also echoed in Haggai 2:21. He functioned as vice-regent under Persian authority, charged with civil administration, redistribution of returned temple vessels, and allocation of imperial funds for reconstruction (Ezra 6:8-10). Though limited politically, his Davidic heritage gave the people a tangible link to pre-exilic sovereignty.
Rebuilder of the Second Temple
Work on the temple foundation began in the second year after the return (Ezra 3:8). Opposition from local adversaries halted the effort (Ezra 4:2-5), but prophetic exhortations revived it sixteen years later. Haggai and Zechariah specifically named Zerubbabel, calling him to finish what he had begun:
• “Be strong, O Zerubbabel… and work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of Hosts” (Haggai 2:4).
• “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will complete it” (Zechariah 4:9).
The temple was completed in 516 B.C. under Darius I, validating these words and restoring formal worship.
Prophetic Significance
1. Instrument of the Spirit. Zechariah 4:6 anchors Zerubbabel’s success in divine empowerment: “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts.” The accompanying vision of the golden lampstand and olive trees pictures an unceasing supply of the Spirit for kingdom work.
2. Mountain-Levelling Pioneer. The governor confronted formidable obstacles—political, economic, and spiritual—yet the word declared, “What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain” (Zechariah 4:7).
3. Signet of Divine Approval. Haggai 2:23 foretells, “On that day…I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, My servant…and I will make you like My signet ring.” Once removed from Jeconiah (Jeremiah 22:24), the signet image now anticipates restoration through Zerubbabel and, ultimately, Messiah.
Messianic Foreshadowings
Although Zerubbabel himself never assumed royal status, the prophetic language concerning him arches forward to Jesus Christ:
• Davidic heir acknowledged by prophets.
• Temple builder motif parallels Christ’s promise, “I will build My church.”
• Signet imagery signals the permanent, covenantal kingship realized in the Son of David.
Worship and Community Reform
Nehemiah 12:47 recalls that “In the days of Zerubbabel… all Israel contributed daily portions for the singers and the gatekeepers,” indicating revived liturgical life. His governance set a precedent of faithful stewardship, corporate tithing, and orderly service that later generations emulated.
Notable References
1 Chronicles 3:19; Ezra 2:2; Ezra 3:2, 8; Ezra 4:2-3; Nehemiah 7:7; Nehemiah 12:1, 47; Haggai 1:1, 12, 14; Haggai 2:2, 4, 21, 23; Zechariah 4:6-10.
Theological Lessons
• God preserves His redemptive line even in exile.
• Leadership flourishes when yoked with prophetic exhortation and priestly cooperation.
• Obedience to divine commissioning, not political autonomy, secures lasting impact.
• Temple work, whether physical or spiritual, advances “not by might” but through the Spirit.
Summary
Zerubbabel stands as the divinely appointed governor who led the first return, laid and completed the Second Temple foundation, embodied renewed Davidic hope, and modeled reliance on the Spirit amid daunting opposition.
Forms and Transliterations
וּזְרֻבָּבֶ֤ל וזרבבל זְרֻבָּבֶ֖ל זְרֻבָּבֶ֗ל זְרֻבָּבֶ֜ל זְרֻבָּבֶ֣ל זְרֻבָּבֶ֣ל ׀ זְרֻבָּבֶ֤ל זְרֻבָּבֶ֥ל זְרֻבָּבֶ֨ל זְרֻבָּבֶל֙ זרבבל ū·zə·rub·bā·ḇel ūzərubbāḇel uzerubbaVel zə·rub·bā·ḇel zərubbāḇel zerubbaVel
Links
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Englishman's Greek Concordance •
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