[1] In Hebrew, the name Shealtiel means, Shə’altî ’Ēl, "I asked El (for this child)".

The name acknowledges that the son is an answer to the parents' prayer to God (El) to help them conceive and birth a child.

Though both genealogies of Jesus list a Zerubbabel who is the son of a Shealtiel, it is possible they may not be referring to the same pair of people.

2 Esdras is considered apocryphal by Jews and almost all Christians, including Protestants, Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox.

One explanation suggests Shealtiel died childless and therefore Pedaiah, his brother, married his widow according to a Jewish law regarding inheritance (Deuteronomy 25:5–6).

Another speculation simply suggests that the Masoretic text of 1 Chronicles which identifies Zerubbabel as a son of Pedaiah could be a scribal error.

In contrast, the Greek Septuagint text of 1 Chronicles actually lists Shealtiel (and not Pedaiah) as Zerubbabel's father.

The most common alternative spellings of Shealtiel are Salathiel (though this sometimes comes directly from the Bible), Saltel, Salatiel, Saltell, Saltial, Saltiel, Saltiél, Σαλτιέλ, Schaltiel, Scialtiel, Scieltiel, Sealthiel, Sealtiel, Sealtiël, Seltiel, Shaaltiel, Shalltell, Shaltiel, Shaltieli, Shealthiel, Shealtiel, Sjaltiel and Sjealtiel.

Derivations include Chaaltiel, Chaltel, Challtelli, Chaltiel, Chartiel, Cheltiel, Saltelli, Saltellus, Salter (generally unconnected with the contemporary surname), Saltijeral, von Saltiel and Xaltiel.