Shimei שִׁמְעִי
Levite who married a foreign wife during the exile.
Who is Shimei in the Bible?
Shimei was a Levite who married a foreign wife during the Babylonian exile and is mentioned in Ezra 10:23 as part of Ezra's religious reform. After the Israelites returned to Jerusalem, Ezra implemented a strict policy requiring Jewish men to separate from their foreign wives in order to preserve the nation's religious and cultural purity. Shimei, along with other priests and Levites, complied with this directive and agreed to send away his foreign wife and children. His willingness to obey God's law, despite the personal cost, exemplified the commitment required during this critical period of Jewish restoration and spiritual renewal.
Biography
Shimei is mentioned in Ezr.10.23 as one of the Levites who had married foreign women during the Babylonian exile. After the return to Jerusalem, Ezra the scribe led a religious reform that required the Israelites to separate themselves from their foreign wives to maintain the purity of the nation. Shimei, along with several other Levites, priests, and leaders, was found to have married a foreign woman. As part of the reform, Shimei agreed to send away his foreign wife and children, demonstrating his commitment to following God's law and maintaining the religious and cultural identity of the Israelites.
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentEzra 1 verse
- Ezra 10:23
"Among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer."
Study Ezra →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | שִׁמְעִי | Shimi , the name of twenty Israelites |