Shemariah שְׁמַרְיָ֫הוּ
Israelite who married a foreign woman
Who is Shemariah in the Bible?
Shemariah was an Israelite mentioned in Ezra 10:41 as one of several men who had married foreign women during the Babylonian exile. After the Jewish exiles returned to Jerusalem, the priest Ezra confronted this practice as a threat to the religious and ethnic identity of the community. In response to Ezra's call for separation, Shemariah agreed to divorce his foreign wife and send away any children from that marriage, demonstrating his commitment to the restoration of Jewish religious purity. His inclusion in this biblical list underscores the tension between cultural assimilation and religious preservation that characterized the post-exilic Jewish community.
Biography
Shemariah is mentioned in Ezr.10.41 as another Israelite who had married a foreign woman during the Babylonian exile. This verse is part of a list of men who had taken foreign wives, which was a significant issue addressed by Ezra after the return of the exiles to Jerusalem. Ezra called for the people to separate themselves from their foreign wives and children to preserve the identity and religious purity of the Jewish community. Shemariah, like the other men on this list, agreed to put away his foreign wife in compliance with Ezra's instruction.
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentEzra 1 verse
- Ezra 10:41
"Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,"
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | שְׁמַרְיָ֫הוּ |