Shelemiah שֶׁלֶמְיָהוּ
Israelite who married a foreign wife
Who is Shelemiah in the Bible?
Shelemiah was an Israelite who married a foreign wife during the time of Ezra's religious reforms following the return from Babylonian exile. He is mentioned in Ezra 10:39 as one of several men who had taken non-Israelite wives, which violated the covenant standards that Ezra sought to restore in the community. As part of Ezra's reform movement, Shelemiah agreed to send away his foreign wife to purify the Israelite community from outside influences. Though his name appears in this list of those who complied with the separation decree, no other details about his life or family are recorded in Scripture. Shelemiah's inclusion in this account illustrates both the challenge of maintaining religious identity during the post-exilic period and the willingness of some community members to submit to Ezra's strict reforms.
Biography
Shelemiah is mentioned in Ezr.10.39 as one of the Israelites who had married foreign women during the time of Ezra. After the return from Babylonian exile, Ezra led a reform to purify the community and separate from foreign influences. As part of this reform, the Israelites who had married foreign wives were required to send them away. Shelemiah was among those who agreed to do so, but no further details are given about his life or family.
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentEzra 1 verse
- Ezra 10:39
"Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,"
Study Ezra →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | שֶׁלֶמְיָהוּ |
Shelemiah
9), called "Selemias" in 1 Esdras 9:34.
(2) Father of Hananiah who restored part of the wall of Jerusalem (Ne 3:30) (Codex Vaticanus Telemia, ..., Telemias). (3) A priest who was appointed one of the treasurers to distribute the Levitical tithes by Nehemiah (Ne 13:13).
(4) The father of Jehucal (or Jucal) in the reign of Zedekiah (Jer 37:3; 38:1; in the second passage the name is Shelemyahu).
(5) The father of Irijah, the captain of the ward, who arrested Jeremiah as a deserter to the Chaldeans (Jer 37:13).
(6) 1Ch 26:14.
See MESHELEMIAH.
(7) Another of the sons of Bani who married foreign wives in the time of Ezra (Ezr 10:41). It is of interest to note that the order of names in this passage--Sharai, Azarel, and Shelemiah--is almost identical with the names in Jer 36:26, namely, Seraiah, Azriel, Shelemiah.
(8) Ancestor of Jehudi (Jer 36:14).
(9) Septuagint omits.) Son of Abdeel, one of the men sent by Jehoiakim to seize Baruch and Jeremiah after Baruch had read the "roll" in the king's presence (Jer 36:26).
Horace J. Wolf
she'-lef (shaleph, in pause; Septuagint Saleph): Son of Joktan (Ge 10:26; 1Ch 1:20). Sheleph is the name of a Yemenite tribe or district, named