שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵל
𐤔𐤀𐤋𐤕𐤉𐤀𐤋
Shealetiel
H7597 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Shᵉʼaltîyʼêl is a personal name meaning 'I have asked El (God)' or 'El has requested.' It is used in the Hebrew Bible to refer to an Israelite leader of the post-exilic community, specifically the father of Zerubbabel. The name derives from a phrase expressing a petition or request to the deity El, or a statement regarding a child 'asked of God.' In biblical narrative, Shealtiel is associated with the return from Babylonian exile.
Semantic Range
a personal name meaning 'El has asked' or 'I have asked El'; used as the proper name of an Israelite leader in the post-exilic period; father of Zerubbabel; rarely, ambiguous genealogical reference
Root / Etymology
From the root שָׁאַל ('to ask, request, inquire') and the theophoric element אֵל ('El,' a chief deity designation in ancient Israelite religion). The name is formed as a compound, suggesting 'El has asked' or 'I have asked El.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵל (Shᵉʼaltîyʼêl) appears primarily in post-exilic genealogical contexts (Ezra 3:2; Nehemiah 12:1; Haggai 1:1), naming the father of Zerubbabel, who played a critical role in the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. The name is characteristic of the post-exilic period, when theophoric personal names referencing El were common. It continues the Israelite tradition of names expressing relationship or appeal to the deity. In some passages (e.g., 1 Chronicles 3:17-19), there is ambiguity as to whether Shealtiel or Pedaiah is the actual father of Zerubbabel, reflecting complex genealogical traditions. Later translations such as the King James Version use 'Shealtiel' and occasionally 'Salathiel' (reflecting Greek/Latin forms), which does not reflect a difference in meaning but aligns with transliteration conventions. The use of El rather than YHWH in the theophoric element is notable and reflects broader Israelite naming patterns. The term is almost exclusively found as a proper name and does not appear as a common noun or verb.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or שַׁלְתִּיאֵל; from שָׁאַל and אֵל; I have asked God; Shealtiel, an Israelite; Shalthiel, Shealtiel.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
שאל (Sheol) — to ask, request, inquire
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7585 | שְׁאוֹל | in the underworld |
| H7587 | שָׁאוּלִי | the Shaulite |
| H7592 | שָׁאַל | I will ask |
| H7593 | שְׁאֵל | asking one |
| H7594 | שְׁאָל | And-Asked-One |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7597-02 |
שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵ֖ל | shealetiel | HNp |
Shealtiel | I-have-asked-El | Shealetiel | 6 |
H7597-01 |
שַׁלְתִּיאֵ֡ל | shaletiel | HNp |
Shealtiel | I have asked El | Shealetiel | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
9 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7597-02 |
Haggai 1:1 | שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵל֙ | shealetiel | HNp |
Shealtiel | I-have-asked-El | Shealetiel |
H7597-01 |
Haggai 1:12 | שַׁלְתִּיאֵ֡ל | shaletiel | HNp |
Shealtiel | I have asked El | Shealetiel |
H7597-01 |
Haggai 1:14 | שַׁלְתִּיאֵ֜ל | shaletiel | HNp |
Shealtiel | I have asked El | Shealetiel |
H7597-01 |
Haggai 2:2 | שַׁלְתִּיאֵל֙ | shaletiel | HNp |
of Shealtiel | I have asked El | Shealetiel |
H7597-02 |
Haggai 2:23 | שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵ֤ל | shealetiel | HNp |
Shealtiel | I-have-asked-El | Shealetiel |
H7597-02 |
Ezra 3:2 | שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵל֙ | shealetiel | HNp |
Shealtiel | I-have-asked-El | Shealetiel |
H7597-02 |
Ezra 3:8 | שְׁ֠אַלְתִּיאֵל | shealetiel | HNp |
Shealtiel | I-have-asked-El | Shealetiel |
H7597-02 |
Nehemiah 12:1 | שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵ֖ל | shealetiel | HNp |
of Shealtiel | I-have-asked-El | Shealetiel |
H7597-02 |
1 Chronicles 3:17 | שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵ֖ל | shealetiel | HNp |
Shealtiel | I-have-asked-El | Shealetiel |