Shimei
Shimei was an Israelite who had married a foreign wife during the Babylonian exile and agreed to send her away.
Biography
Shimei is listed among the Israelite men who had taken foreign wives during the period of the Babylonian exile and who, in response to Ezra's covenant-renewal initiative, agreed to divorce them (Ezra 10). Following the return of exiles to Judah, Ezra discovered that many Israelites, including priests and Levites, had intermarried with surrounding peoples in violation of Mosaic law. His public grief and prayer prompted a communal assembly that resolved to dissolve these marriages to preserve covenantal fidelity. Shimei's willingness to comply, however painfully, reflects the communal commitment to the terms of God's covenant as Israel sought to reestablish itself as a holy people in the land. His name is recorded as part of this solemn act of national repentance.
Significance
Shimei's compliance with Ezra's marriage reform illustrates the costly nature of covenant obedience in the post-exilic community. The dissolution of mixed marriages was not merely a cultural regulation but a theological act, affirming that Israel's identity as a holy people was grounded in exclusive devotion to the God of their ancestors. His participation in this collective repentance demonstrates the power of communal accountability in maintaining covenant fidelity. For later readers, Shimei's story speaks to the demanding reality that loyalty to God can require painful personal sacrifice, a theme that resonates throughout both Testaments in the call to undivided devotion.
Verse Appearances (1)
Ezra
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]