Izziah יִזִּיָּה
Descendant of Parosh; agreed to put away foreign wife.
Who is Izziah in the Bible?
Izziah was a descendant of Parosh who lived during the time of Ezra's religious reforms in the fifth century BCE. He is mentioned in Ezra 10:25 as one of the Israelites who had married foreign women and agreed to divorce them as part of Ezra's covenant to restore obedience to God's law. When Ezra discovered that many Jews, including priests and Levites, had intermarried with pagan peoples of the land in violation of God's commands, he led a movement calling the people to separate from their foreign wives. Izziah's compliance with this difficult decree demonstrates the widespread commitment among the returned exiles to renew their covenant with God and maintain religious purity during the post-exilic restoration period.
Biography
Izziah is mentioned briefly in Ezr.10.25 as one of the descendants of Parosh who had married foreign women. This occurred during the time of Ezra, who led a significant reform movement among the Jews who had returned from Babylonian exile.
Ezra discovered that many of the Israelites, including priests and Levites, had intermarried with the pagan peoples of the land, going against God's commands (Ezr.9.1-2). After Ezra's prayer of confession (Ezr.9.3-15), the people agreed to make a covenant to put away their foreign wives and children (Ezr.10.3).
Izziah is listed among those who complied with this decision (Ezr.10.25). No other details are provided about his life or family. His inclusion in this list highlights the widespread nature of the intermarriage problem and the importance of the reforms Ezra initiated to restore obedience to God's law.
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentEzra 1 verse
- Ezra 10:25
"And among the other Israelites, from the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah."
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | יִזִּיָּה |