Sharai שָׁרָ֑י
Israelite who divorced his foreign wife
Who is Sharai in the Bible?
Sharai was an Israelite mentioned in Ezra 10:40 who had married a foreign woman and agreed to divorce her during Ezra's religious reforms. Following the return from the Babylonian exile, Ezra discovered that many Israelites, including priests and Levites, had intermarried with neighboring peoples, which he considered a violation of God's law and a threat to the religious purity of the community. When Ezra called an assembly to address this issue, Sharai was among those who confessed their sin and consented to separate from their foreign wives. Though the biblical text provides no additional details about Sharai's personal background or circumstances, his willingness to comply with the reform demonstrates the community's commitment to restoring religious obedience after the exile.
Biography
Sharai, mentioned in Ezr.10.40, was one of the Israelites who had married a foreign woman during the time of Ezra. Following the Babylonian exile, when the Israelites returned to Jerusalem, Ezra discovered that many of them, including priests and Levites, had intermarried with the neighboring peoples. This was seen as a violation of God's law and a threat to the religious purity of the community. Ezra called for a assembly of the people and urged them to confess their sins and separate themselves from their foreign wives. Sharai was among those who agreed to divorce his foreign wife as part of this religious reform. The text does not provide any further details about Sharai's background or the specific circumstances of his marriage. However, his inclusion in the list of those who divorced their foreign wives highlights the importance of maintaining religious purity and the challenges faced by the Israelites in the post-exilic period.
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentEzra 1 verse
- Ezra 10:40
"Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,"
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | שָׁרָ֑י |