Eliezer אֱלִיעֶ֫זֶר
An Israelite who married a foreign woman.
Who is Eliezer in the Bible?
Eliezer was an Israelite descendant of Harim who married a foreign woman during the Babylonian exile, as recorded in Ezra 10:31. When Ezra led the people in a covenant renewal after their return to Jerusalem, he discovered that many Israelites had violated God's command against intermarriage with pagan nations. Eliezer was among those who agreed to put away his foreign wife as part of this religious reform. Though the Bible provides no further details about his life or family, Eliezer's inclusion in this account illustrates the struggle of the post-exile community to maintain ritual purity and obedience to God's law.
Biography
Eliezer is listed among the descendants of Harim who had married foreign women during the Babylonian exile (Ezr.10.31). After the return to Jerusalem, Ezra discovered that many of the Israelites had intermarried with the neighboring peoples. This was a violation of God's command not to intermarry with the pagan nations. Eliezer was one of those who had taken a foreign wife, but he agreed to put away his wife as part of the covenant renewal led by Ezra. The Bible does not provide any additional information about Eliezer's life or family.
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentEzra 1 verse
- Ezra 10:31
"From the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,"
Study Ezra →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | אֱלִיעֶ֫זֶר | ʾĕliyʿezer | Eliezer , the name of a Damascene and of ten Israelites |