or ZEROBABEL, was son of Salathiel, of the royal race of
David. St. Matthew, i, 12, and 1 Chron. iii, 17, 19, make Jeconiah king
of Judah to be father to Salathiel; but they do not agree as to the
father of Zerubbabel. The Chronicles say Pedaiah was father of
Zerubbabel; but St. Matthew, St. Luke, Ezra, and Haggai, constantly make
Salathiel his father. We must therefore take the name of son in the
sense of grandson, and say that Salathiel having educated Zerubbabel, he
was always afterward looked upon as his father. Some think that
Zerubbabel had also the name of Sheshbazzar, and that he has this name
in Ezra i, 8. Zerubbabel returned to Jerusalem long before the reign of
Darius, son of Hystaspes. He returned at the beginning of the reign of
Cyrus, A. M. 3468, fifteen years before Darius. Cyrus committed to his
care the sacred vessels of the temple with which he returned to
Jerusalem, Ezra i, 11. He is always named first, as being the chief of
the Jews that returned to their own country, Ezra ii, 2; iii, 8; v, 2;
he laid the foundations of the temple, Ezra iii, 8, 9; Zech. iv, 9, &c;
and restored the worship of the Lord, and the usual sacrifices. When the
Samaritans offered to assist in rebuilding the temple, Zerubbabel and
the principal men of Judah refused them this honour, since Cyrus had
granted his commission to the Jews only, Ezra iv, 2, 3.
David. St. Matthew, i, 12, and 1 Chron. iii, 17, 19, make Jeconiah king
of Judah to be father to Salathiel; but they do not agree as to the
father of Zerubbabel. The Chronicles say Pedaiah was father of
Zerubbabel; but St. Matthew, St. Luke, Ezra, and Haggai, constantly make
Salathiel his father. We must therefore take the name of son in the
sense of grandson, and say that Salathiel having educated Zerubbabel, he
was always afterward looked upon as his father. Some think that
Zerubbabel had also the name of Sheshbazzar, and that he has this name
in Ezra i, 8. Zerubbabel returned to Jerusalem long before the reign of
Darius, son of Hystaspes. He returned at the beginning of the reign of
Cyrus, A. M. 3468, fifteen years before Darius. Cyrus committed to his
care the sacred vessels of the temple with which he returned to
Jerusalem, Ezra i, 11. He is always named first, as being the chief of
the Jews that returned to their own country, Ezra ii, 2; iii, 8; v, 2;
he laid the foundations of the temple, Ezra iii, 8, 9; Zech. iv, 9, &c;
and restored the worship of the Lord, and the usual sacrifices. When the
Samaritans offered to assist in rebuilding the temple, Zerubbabel and
the principal men of Judah refused them this honour, since Cyrus had
granted his commission to the Jews only, Ezra iv, 2, 3.