Igal
Igal was a descendant of King David, mentioned in the genealogy of David's descendants through his son Jeconiah.
Biography
Igal son of Shemaiah appears in the royal genealogy of 1 Chronicles 3:22 as a descendant of King David through the line of Jeconiah (also known as Jehoiachin), the king taken captive to Babylon. He is listed among the sons of Shemaiah, himself a son of Shecaniah, who descended from Zerubbabel. This places Igal in the post-exilic Davidic line, the surviving thread of the royal house during and after the Babylonian exile. Though nothing is recorded of his personal deeds or character, his name appears in the genealogical record that the Chronicler carefully maintained to preserve the Davidic succession through which God's covenant promises were to be fulfilled.
Significance
Igal's place in the post-exilic Davidic genealogy carries profound theological weight. The preservation of David's lineage through the catastrophe of the Babylonian exile was itself an act of divine faithfulness, a fulfillment of God's promise that David's house would endure forever (2 Samuel 7:12–16). These post-exilic descendants, including Igal, kept alive the messianic hope in a period when the Davidic throne lay dormant. The genealogy of 1 Chronicles 3 forms part of the broader covenantal lineage that Matthew traces directly to Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1–17), the ultimate fulfillment of God's promise to David. Igal's name, however briefly noted, belongs to that sacred chain.
Verse Appearances (1)
1Chr
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]