1. Name and Meaning
• Name: Zerubbabel (Hebrew: זְרֻבָּבֶל, Zərubbāḇel)
• Meaning: “Seed of Babylon” or “Begotten in Babylon,” reflecting his birth during the Babylonian exile

2. Genealogical Placement and Lineage Role
• Position: Forty-ninth generation from Adam; thirty-ninth generation after the flood in the Messianic line
• Father: Shealtiel (legal father; biological father may have been Pedaiah—see 1 Chronicles 3:19)
• Son: Abiud (according to Matthew 1:13; genealogy in Luke diverges here)
• Lineage Role: Post-exilic governor of Judah and restorer of temple foundations; preserved the Davidic line in the restored community

3. Life Summary and Historical Setting
• Lived during the return from Babylonian exile under the decree of Cyrus the Great (late 6th century BC)
• Served as governor of Judah under Persian authority (Haggai 1:1; Ezra 5:14)
• Led the first group of exiles back to Jerusalem and began rebuilding the temple (Ezra 3:2–8)
• Worked alongside Joshua the high priest to reestablish worship and national identity
• Faced opposition but encouraged by prophets Haggai and Zechariah to complete the temple project (Haggai 2; Zechariah 4)

4. Theological and Christological Significance
• A type of the Messiah: royal descendant of David who restored God’s house and led the people in faith
• Appears prominently in prophetic visions that anticipate the ultimate reign of the Messiah (e.g., Zechariah 4:7–10)
• God declared him as a “signet ring” (Haggai 2:23), reversing the curse pronounced on his ancestor Jeconiah (Jeremiah 22:24)
• Prefigures Christ as both temple builder and righteous ruler under divine authority

5. Legacy and Interpretive Reflections
• Widely respected as a symbol of post-exilic hope, renewal, and divine favour
• Though never crowned king, he bore the Davidic promise as governor and leader under Persian rule
• Revered in Jewish tradition for reestablishing the altar, temple foundation, and covenantal worship
• Included in both Matthew’s and Luke’s genealogies, though lines diverge after him

6. Summary Insight
• Zerubbabel represents a renewed beginning for the Davidic line—though not enthroned, he prepared the spiritual and prophetic foundation for the coming of Christ, the true King and temple.

7. Biblical References
• Ezra 2:2; 3:2, 8; 5:2
• Nehemiah 7:7
• Haggai 1:1; 2:2–9, 23
• Zechariah 4:6–10
• 1 Chronicles 3:19
• Matthew 1:12–13
• Luke 3:27