Eliashib אֶלְיָשִׁיב
Israelite who married a foreign woman during Ezra's time
Who is Eliashib in the Bible?
Eliashib was an Israelite man mentioned in Ezra 10:27 as one of the descendants of Zattu who had married a foreign woman during the post-exilic period. During Ezra's time, many Israelites had intermarried with pagan inhabitants of the land, which violated God's law regarding separation from non-believing peoples. When Ezra called for religious reform, he urged those who had taken foreign wives to separate from them, and Eliashib was among those who responded by pledging to put away his foreign wife and children. His inclusion in this biblical account illustrates both the widespread nature of intermarriage among the returned exiles and the community's commitment to restoring covenant faithfulness under Ezra's leadership.
Biography
Eliashib is mentioned in Ezr.10.27 as one of the descendants of Zattu who had married foreign women. During the time of Ezra, many Israelites had intermarried with the pagan inhabitants of the land. Ezra called for a reform, urging those who had married foreign wives to separate from them. Eliashib was among the Israelites who had taken foreign wives, contrary to God's law. As part of the reform, Eliashib and the other Israelites pledged to put away their foreign wives and children.
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentEzra 1 verse
- Ezra 10:27
"From the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza."
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | אֶלְיָשִׁיב |