Tikvah תִּקְוָה
Opposed Ezra's reforms regarding foreign wives
Who is Tikvah in the Bible?
Tikvah was a figure in post-exilic Judah whose son, Jahzeiah, opposed Ezra's religious reforms around the fifth century BCE. Mentioned in Ezra 10:15, Jahzeiah son of Tikvah was one of only two men who stood against Ezra's directive requiring Jewish men to divorce their foreign wives as part of a broader effort to restore religious purity after the Babylonian exile. While the assembly of returned exiles ultimately agreed to Ezra's reforms and the foreign wives were sent away, Tikvah's son represents the minority resistance to these controversial measures. Though his opposition was ultimately unsuccessful, Jahzeiah's stance illustrates the tension between maintaining strict religious identity and the practical complications of enforcing such sweeping social changes in the restored community.
Biography
Tikvah is mentioned in Ezr.10.15 as one of two men who opposed Ezra's reforms concerning Jewish men who had married foreign women. After the Babylonian exile, Ezra led a religious revival among the returned exiles, which included separating from foreign influences. When it was discovered that many Jewish men, including priests and Levites, had married women from other nations, Ezra called for a assembly and urged the people to confess their sin and divorce their foreign wives. The assembly agreed to Ezra's proposal, with the exception of Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, who opposed the plan. Despite their opposition, the reforms were carried out, and the foreign wives were sent away.
Family
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentEzra 1 verse
- Ezra 10:15
"(Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this plan.)"
Study Ezra →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | תִּקְוָה |