1. Name and Meaning
• Name: Shealtiel (Hebrew: שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵל, Šəʾaltîʾēl)
• Meaning: “I have asked of God” or “God has requested”; the name reflects a prayerful petition or divine granting

2. Genealogical Placement and Lineage Role
• Position: Forty-eighth generation from Adam; thirty-eighth generation after the flood in the Messianic line
• Father: Jeconiah (also known as Jehoiachin) – king during the Babylonian exile
• Son: Zerubbabel – continued the Messianic line and led the post-exilic community
• Lineage Role: Post-exilic royal descendant; although never king, he preserved the Davidic line during Judah’s exile in Babylon

3. Life Summary and Historical Setting
• Lived during the Babylonian captivity; no record of personal kingship or reign
• Served as a transitional figure in the genealogies—between the fallen monarchy and the restored leadership after exile
• Sometimes listed as the father of Zerubbabel (Matthew 1:12; Ezra 3:2), but elsewhere Zerubbabel is called the son of Pedaiah, Shealtiel’s brother (1 Chronicles 3:19)—leading to scholarly debate over legal vs. biological paternity
• Possibly functioned as guardian or legal father to Zerubbabel to preserve the royal claim

4. Theological and Christological Significance
• Crucial link between the Davidic monarchy and the restored community in Judah
• Maintains the integrity of the Messianic line even while in exile and obscurity
• His appearance in both Matthew’s and Luke’s genealogies underscores God’s silent, sovereign preservation of covenant lineage
• Foreshadows Christ’s own humble origins—born not in political glory, but through faithful remnants in obscurity

5. Legacy and Interpretive Reflections
• Though little is known of Shealtiel’s personal actions, his role as father of Zerubbabel places him at the heart of post-exilic restoration
• His presence reminds us that God works through unseen generations to fulfil visible promises
• Illustrates the continuity of redemptive history even through disrupted dynastic lines
• Included in both gospel genealogies (Matthew and Luke), reinforcing his canonical importance

6. Summary Insight
• Shealtiel stands as a quiet but vital preserver of the royal line—his faithful presence in exile bridges judgment and restoration on the path to Christ.

7. Biblical References
• 1 Chronicles 3:17
• Ezra 3:2
• Nehemiah 12:1
• Matthew 1:12
• Luke 3:27
• Haggai 1:1 (through reference to his son, Zerubbabel)