Who was Jeremoth in the Bible?

Jeremoth was a descendant of Elam who lived during the time of Ezra. He is noted as one of the men who had married foreign women, which was against God's law for Israel at that time, and he agreed to send his wife away to correct this.

Why is Jeremoth mentioned in the book of Ezra?

Jeremoth is mentioned in Ezra 10:26 as part of a list of men who confessed to intermarrying with foreign peoples. This was a significant act of communal repentance, as these marriages threatened Israel's covenant faithfulness and unique identity.

What did Jeremoth do when confronted about his foreign wife?

When confronted, Jeremoth agreed to the community's decision to separate from his foreign wife. This action, detailed in Ezra 10, was part of a broader covenant renewal to obey God's commands and purify the community (Ezra 10:44).

Jeremoth

Old TestamentExile & ReturnMaleWife

Jeremoth, a descendant of Elam, was among those who married foreign women during the time of Ezra and agreed to send them away.

Jeremoth

Biography

Jeremoth, a descendant of Elam, was among the Israelite men identified in Ezra 10:26 as having married foreign women during the period following the return from Babylonian exile. When Ezra the priest discovered the extent of intermarriage with surrounding peoples, he led a public assembly in Jerusalem in which those who had taken foreign wives were called to confess their transgression and commit to dissolving these unions in accordance with the covenant (Ezra 10:1-5). Jeremoth was listed among the family of Elam who agreed to this painful but necessary covenant act. The text records the names of these men individually, giving each one a measure of historical accountability for both their transgression and their subsequent repentance.

Significance

Jeremoth's inclusion in Ezra's roster of those who had married foreign women situates him within one of the most contested and theologically complex episodes of the restoration period. The covenant community's survival as a distinct people set apart for God's purposes required boundaries that Ezra's reform sought to reestablish. Jeremoth's willingness to respond to Ezra's call, however painful the personal cost, exemplifies the kind of communal accountability and covenantal seriousness that characterized genuine repentance in Israel. His case illustrates that God's redemptive story demands ongoing renewal and reformation, not merely initial return, reminding each generation that covenant faithfulness is an active, costly, and continuous commitment.

Verse Appearances (1)

Ezra

Ezra 10:26

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]

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