Who was Elioenai in the Bible?

Elioenai was a priest who lived during the time of the Babylonian exile. He is specifically mentioned as one of the men who married a foreign woman, an act which was later addressed by Ezra (Ezra 10:22).

Why is Elioenai significant in the Book of Ezra?

Elioenai's significance lies in his inclusion on a list of priests who had taken foreign wives, which was considered a violation of God's law. His story highlights the community's struggle to maintain religious purity after returning from exile (Ezra 10:10-11, 18-22).

What happened to Elioenai for marrying a foreign woman?

The Bible records that Elioenai, along with the other priests who had married foreign women, pledged to put away their wives and make a sacrifice for their sin as part of a covenant to obey God's law (Ezra 10:19, 44).

Elioenai

Old TestamentExile & ReturnMalePriest

Elioenai was a priest who married a foreign woman during the Babylonian exile (Ezr.10.22).

Elioenai

Biography

This Elioenai was a priest, among the descendants of Pashhur, who was listed in Ezra's reform as having taken a foreign wife during the period of exile and return (Ezra 10:22). As part of the community-wide assembly convened by Ezra to address the crisis of intermarriage with surrounding peoples, those identified committed themselves to dissolving these unions in order to preserve the covenant community's integrity. The priestly identity of this Elioenai makes his situation especially weighty, priests were charged with maintaining the distinction between the holy and the common, and their own marriages were subject to stricter regulations under the Torah. His willingness to comply with Ezra's reform indicates a measure of repentance and covenant recommitment.

Significance

Elioenai the priest represents the sobering reality that spiritual office does not guarantee spiritual fidelity. The presence of priests among those who had taken foreign wives in Ezra 10 reflects how deeply the threat of assimilation had penetrated even the sacred leadership of the post-exilic community. The priestly reform demanded by Ezra was rooted in the Mosaic covenant's call for Israel to be a holy people set apart for God (Exodus 19:5-6; Leviticus 21). Elioenai's repentance, implied by his inclusion in the reform list, points to the ongoing need for covenant renewal within the leadership of God's people, a theme with enduring relevance for all who hold positions of spiritual responsibility.

Authority Records

Wikidata

FatherNeariahChildHodaiahChildEliashibChildPelaiahChildAkkubChildJohananChildDalaiahChildAnani

Verse Appearances (1)

Ezra

Ezra 10:22

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

View all sources & licensing →

See our editorial standards →

Content compiled from public domain scholarship, academic sources, and verified references. Editorial standards · View all sources