Vaniah וַנְיָה
Israelite who married a foreign wife
Who is Vaniah in the Bible?
Vaniah was an Israelite man mentioned in Ezra 10:36 as one of those who had married a foreign wife during the Babylonian exile. When Ezra the priest and scribe returned to Jerusalem, he discovered that many Israelites had intermarried with the pagan peoples of the land, violating God's command against such unions. In response to Ezra's call for repentance and reform, Vaniah agreed to put away his foreign wife and children to help restore the spiritual and ethnic purity of the Jewish community. His inclusion in this list underscores the post-exilic Jewish community's commitment to separating themselves from foreign influences and recommitting to their covenant relationship with God.
Biography
Vaniah 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. Vaniah was one of those who had violated God's command not to intermarry with foreigners. In response to Ezra's call for repentance, Vaniah 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 10:36
"Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,"
Study Ezra →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | וַנְיָה |