Zerubbabel
The governor who led the first return from Babylon and, with Joshua the high priest, rebuilt the temple. Work stalled for years under local opposition until Haggai and Zechariah stirred it up again. Zechariah's word to him is among the best known in scripture: 'Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit.' A descendant of David through Jehoiachin, he appears in both New Testament genealogies of Jesus.
What we know — and how we know it
Where in scripture
EzraHaggaiNow in the second year of their coming to God’s house at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all those who had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, began the work and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to have the oversight of the work of Yahweh’s house.
Ezra 3:8 — Begins the Temple
In that day, says Yahweh of Armies, will I take you, Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel,’ says Yahweh, ‘and will make you as a signet, for I have chosen you,’ says Yahweh of Armies.”
Haggai 2:23 — 'I will make you like a signet ring'
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
Family
In their own words — 1 recorded saying
“But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of families in Israel said to them, You have no part with us in the building of a house for our God; we ourselves will do the work together for the Lord, the God of Israel, as Cyrus, king of Persia, has given us orders.” — Ezra 4:3
Speaker attribution: Clear Bible MACULA (CC BY 4.0). Wording: Bible in Basic English (public domain).
Events
Places in their life
Photo: David Stanley — CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
In art
