Sheal שְׁאָל
Israelite who divorced his foreign wife
Who is Sheal in the Bible?
Sheal was an Israelite mentioned in Ezra 10:29 who had married a foreign woman during the period following the Babylonian exile. When Ezra discovered that many Israelites, including priests and Levites, had intermarried with neighboring peoples in violation of God's law, he called for religious reform and urged the people to separate from their foreign wives. Sheal agreed to divorce his wife as part of this reformation effort to restore religious purity to the community. Though the biblical text provides no other details about Sheal's personal background, his compliance with Ezra's decree exemplifies the broader struggle within the post-exilic Jewish community to maintain their religious identity and covenant obligations.
Biography
Sheal, mentioned in Ezr.10.29, 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 an assembly of the people and urged them to confess their sins and separate themselves from their foreign wives. Sheal 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 Sheal'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 10:29
"From the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth."
Study Ezra →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | שְׁאָל |