Mattaniah מַתַּנְיָ֫הוּ
Descendant of Pahath-moab, who divorced his foreign wife.
Who is Mattaniah in the Bible?
Mattaniah was a descendant of Pahath-moab who lived during the time of Ezra's religious reforms following the Jewish return from Babylonian exile. According to Ezra 10:30, Mattaniah had married a foreign woman, which was considered incompatible with maintaining the spiritual purity of the Jewish community. As part of Ezra's sweeping reforms to restore faithfulness to God's covenant, Mattaniah was among those required to divorce their foreign wives. His compliance with this directive illustrates the communal effort to prevent the religious compromises that had contributed to Israel's exile in the first place.
Biography
Mattaniah was a man from the family of Pahath-moab who had married a foreign woman during the time of Ezra. As part of Ezra's reforms to purify the Jewish community after their return from Babylonian exile, Mattaniah and others who had married foreign wives were required to divorce them (Ezr.10.30). This action was taken to ensure that the Israelites remained faithful to the Lord and did not fall into the same sins that had led to their exile.
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentEzra 1 verse
- Ezra 10:30
"From the descendants of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh."
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | מַתַּנְיָ֫הוּ |