Uzziah עֻזִּיָּהוּ
Israelite who married a foreign wife
Who is Uzziah in the Bible?
Uzziah was an Israelite who married a foreign wife during the Babylonian exile, as recorded in Ezra 10:21. When Ezra the priest and scribe returned to Jerusalem, he discovered that many Israelites had violated God's command against intermarrying with pagan peoples and called the people to repentance. Uzziah was among those who responded by agreeing to put away his foreign wife and children in order to restore the spiritual purity of the Jewish community. His story illustrates the challenge the returning exiles faced in maintaining their religious identity and covenant obligations after the exile.
Biography
Uzziah is mentioned in the list of men who had taken foreign wives during the Babylonian exile. This was discovered when Ezra, the priest and scribe, returned to Jerusalem and found that many Israelites had intermarried with the pagan peoples of the land. Uzziah was one of those who had violated God's command not to intermarry with foreigners. In response to Ezra's call for repentance, Uzziah and the others agreed to put away their foreign wives and children to maintain the purity of the Jewish people.
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentEzra 1 verse
- Ezra 10:21
"From the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah."
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | עֻזִּיָּהוּ | Uzzijah , the name of five Israelites |