Shenazar

Biblical Record

Shenazar appears once, in the genealogy of the house of David in 1 Chronicles 3. First Chronicles 3:17–18 lists Shealtiel, Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazar, Jecamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah as the sons of "Jeconiah the captive." Jeconiah is another name for Jehoiachin, king of Judah, who was carried into captivity in Babylon. Shenazar is therefore understood to have been a member of the royal family who was born or raised during the Babylonian exile.

Scripture records nothing of Shenazar's deeds or words. Pedaiah, listed in the genealogy as his older brother, is named in 1 Chronicles 3:19 as the father of Zerubbabel. According to this record, Shenazar would have been Zerubbabel's uncle. Elsewhere, as in Ezra 3:2, Zerubbabel is called the son of Shealtiel, and various explanations have been offered for the difference between the two records.

Significance in Scripture

Shenazar's name forms part of a genealogy showing that the line of David continued unbroken through the exile. The New Testament does not mention Shenazar. The genealogies of Jesus in Matthew 1:12 and Luke 3:27 include Shealtiel and Zerubbabel but not Shenazar.

Interpretation and Debated Issues

• Identity with Sheshbazzar: Some hold that "Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah" (Ezra 1:8; 5:14), who brought back the temple vessels at the return from exile, was the same person as Shenazar. This view rests on the conjecture that the two names may be different renderings of the same Babylonian name. If this view is correct, Sheshbazzar was a descendant of David. Others object that the two names differ too greatly in spelling to be regarded as the same name. Still others identify Sheshbazzar with Zerubbabel, so scholarly opinion remains divided.
• Reading of "the captive": The Hebrew word assir in 1 Chronicles 3:17 means "captive." The Korean New Revised Version renders it as a description of Jeconiah, while some translations and commentaries read it as the name of a son, Assir.
• Relationship to Jeremiah 22:30: Jeremiah declares concerning Jeconiah, "Write ye this man childless," yet 1 Chronicles lists his sons. The prophecy is commonly interpreted to mean that none of his descendants would sit on the throne of Judah.
• Babylonian ration tablets are reported to mention Jehoiachin, king of Judah, and his sons. It has not been established, however, whether the names of those sons can be connected with Shenazar.

In the Korean Church

Shenazar is rarely treated on his own in sermons or Sunday school curricula. His name is mainly encountered in passing when the genealogies of 1 Chronicles are read during reading through the Bible. He is briefly introduced as a related figure in commentaries and Bible study materials that discuss Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel.