{
  "id": "dict_005225",
  "term": "Shealtiel",
  "slug": "shealtiel",
  "letter": "S",
  "entry_type": "biblical_person",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "Shealtiel is a biblical figure in the Davidic genealogy associated with Zerubbabel and the postexilic line that appears in both Old Testament and New Testament genealogies.",
  "simple_one_line": "A biblical person in the Davidic family line linked with Zerubbabel.",
  "tooltip_text": "A postexilic Davidic figure named in biblical genealogies and connected with Zerubbabel.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Zerubbabel",
    "Davidic line",
    "Exile",
    "Genealogy of Jesus",
    "Jeconiah"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Matthew 1",
    "Luke 3",
    "1 Chronicles 3",
    "Haggai 1",
    "Ezra 3"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Shealtiel is a biblical figure named in the genealogies of Scripture as part of the Davidic line after the exile. He is especially significant because of his connection with Zerubbabel and his place in the ancestry records that lead toward Jesus.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "Shealtiel is a named member of the Davidic family line in the period after the exile.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Named in Old Testament genealogies",
    "connected with Zerubbabel in postexilic passages",
    "appears in the genealogy of Jesus in the New Testament",
    "important mainly for tracing the Davidic line."
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Shealtiel is a biblical figure associated with the Davidic line during and after the Babylonian exile. He appears in Old Testament genealogies and in the New Testament genealogy of Jesus. His importance lies chiefly in his place within the ancestry records connected with Zerubbabel and the messianic line.",
  "description_academic_full": "Shealtiel is a biblical figure associated with the Davidic line during and after the Babylonian exile. Scripture places him in genealogical records that connect the royal line to Zerubbabel and, ultimately, to the genealogy of Jesus in the New Testament. The biblical texts clearly present him as part of the ancestry line, though interpreters differ on some details of the relationships in the genealogies. A careful treatment should therefore avoid overstatement and simply note that Shealtiel belongs to the postexilic Davidic line and is significant for the way Scripture traces the promise line forward.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Shealtiel appears in the genealogy of David’s descendants after the exile and is named in connection with Zerubbabel, a key leader in the return from Babylon. His presence helps connect the preexilic royal line with the restored community and the messianic genealogy.",
  "background_historical_context": "The exile disrupted Judah’s royal and national life, but biblical genealogies preserve the continuity of the Davidic line. Shealtiel belongs to that postexilic setting, where family records mattered for identity, inheritance, and the preservation of covenant hope.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "In ancient Jewish culture, genealogies were important for tribal identity, royal legitimacy, and covenant continuity. A figure like Shealtiel would be remembered primarily as part of a significant family line rather than for independent narrative actions.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "1 Chronicles 3:17-19",
    "Ezra 3:2",
    "Haggai 1:1",
    "Matthew 1:12",
    "Luke 3:27"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "2 Kings 24:17",
    "Nehemiah 12:1"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "The Hebrew name is commonly understood as meaning something like “I have asked of God,” though exact etymology should not be pressed too strongly.",
  "theological_significance": "Shealtiel matters chiefly as part of the preserved Davidic line that Scripture traces from the exile toward the Messiah. His place in the genealogies supports the biblical theme that God keeps his covenant promises through judgment, displacement, and restoration.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "Genealogical entries like Shealtiel remind readers that biblical history is concrete and embodied. Scripture grounds theological claims in real persons, real families, and real historical continuity rather than in abstract ideas alone.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "The genealogical data should be handled carefully. Scripture is clear that Shealtiel belongs to the Davidic/postexilic line, but readers should avoid building speculative reconstructions beyond what the text explicitly states.",
  "major_views_note": "Interpreters generally agree on Shealtiel’s place in the Davidic genealogy, but discuss the exact relationship of the genealogy lists and how the connections to Zerubbabel should be harmonized across passages.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Do not use Shealtiel to construct doctrine from uncertain genealogical details. The safe doctrinal point is that Scripture preserves the Davidic promise line through the exile and onward to Christ.",
  "practical_significance": "Shealtiel encourages confidence that God preserves his purposes across long stretches of history, even when royal lines seem interrupted or obscure.",
  "meta_description": "Shealtiel is a biblical figure in the Davidic genealogy associated with Zerubbabel and the ancestry of Jesus.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/shealtiel/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/shealtiel.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}