Asom
Identity
Asom appears in 1 Esdras 9:33 as the head of a family whose sons put away their foreign ("strange") wives during Ezra's religious reforms. In the canonical book of Ezra, this family is identified under the name Hashum (Ezra 10:33). The variation in name reflects the differences between the Greek text of 1 Esdras and the Hebrew text of Ezra.
The Intermarriage Crisis
When the Jewish exiles returned from Babylon, many men married women from the surrounding peoples, including Canaanites, Hittites, Ammonites, and Moabites (Ezra 9:1). This practice violated the Mosaic prohibition against intermarriage with pagan nations (Deuteronomy 7:1-4), which was intended to protect Israel from religious syncretism. When Ezra learned of the situation, he tore his garments in grief and led the people in a prayer of confession (Ezra 9:3-15).
The Family's Response
The sons of Asom (Hashum) were listed among those who responded to Ezra's call for repentance by agreeing to divorce their foreign wives (Ezra 10:33; 1 Esdras 9:33). In Ezra 10:33, seven individuals from this family are named: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. Their compliance with the reform decree shows the depth of the community's commitment to covenant renewal.
Significance of Communal Repentance
The story of Asom's family illustrates how covenant faithfulness operated at both the individual and communal levels in post-exilic Israel. The reforms were not imposed solely from above but required willing participation from families throughout the community. Each family that complied contributed to the spiritual restoration of the nation as a whole, ensuring that the newly rebuilt temple would be served by a people committed to holiness.
Biblical Context
Asom is mentioned in 1 Esdras 9:33 in the context of the mass divorce of foreign wives during Ezra's reforms. The canonical parallel is Hashum in Ezra 10:33, where seven sons are specifically named. The broader narrative in Ezra 9-10 describes the discovery of widespread intermarriage and the community's drastic response to restore covenant purity.
Theological Significance
The account of Asom's family highlights the serious consequences of disobedience and the demanding nature of repentance. The post-exilic community understood that maintaining covenant faithfulness required difficult sacrifices. This episode also demonstrates that sin is not merely personal but communal, and that restoration requires collective action. The priority placed on holiness over personal comfort underscores the biblical principle that relationship with God must take precedence.
Historical Background
The post-exilic reforms under Ezra took place around 458 BC, during the reign of the Persian king Artaxerxes I. The returning Jewish community was small and surrounded by peoples who practiced polytheistic religions. Intermarriage threatened to dissolve the distinct religious identity that the exile had paradoxically helped to strengthen. The Hashum family was a recognized clan in post-exilic Judah, also appearing in the list of returnees (Ezra 2:19; Nehemiah 7:22).