Maaseiah מַעֲשֵׂיָהוּ
Israelite who married a foreign woman during Ezra's time
Who is Maaseiah in the Bible?
Maaseiah was an Israelite listed in Ezra 10:21 who had married a foreign woman during the post-exilic period following the Jewish return from Babylon. He is identified as one of the descendants of Harim who were part of a larger group confronted by Ezra regarding intermarriage with non-Jewish women. After the exile, Ezra instituted a religious reform to address what he considered violations of God's commandments, requiring those who had married foreign women to separate from their wives and children (Ezra 10:44). Maaseiah's inclusion in this biblical account reflects the Jewish community's struggle to maintain religious and ethnic boundaries during the reconstruction of their nation and temple.
Biography
Maaseiah was an Israelite who was found to have married a foreign woman during the time of Ezra (Ezr.10.21). After the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon, Ezra led a religious reform to address the issue of intermarriage with foreign women, which was seen as a violation of God's commandments (Ezr.9-10). Maaseiah is listed among the descendants of Harim who had taken foreign wives (Ezr.10.21). As part of the reform, those who had married foreign women were required to separate from their wives and children (Ezr.10.44). This event highlights the importance of maintaining religious and ethnic purity within the Jewish community during the post-exilic period.
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentEzra 1 verse
- Ezra 10:21
"From the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah."
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | מַעֲשֵׂיָהוּ |