Chosamaeus
Chosamaeus in 1 Esdras
Chosamaeus appears in 1 Esdras 9:32 as one of the sons of Annas who had married foreign wives during the post-exilic period. The book of 1 Esdras (also known as Greek Ezra or 3 Esdras in some traditions) is a parallel account to the canonical books of Ezra and Nehemiah, covering the period of Israel's return from Babylonian exile and the reforms that followed.
The Parallel in Ezra 10:31
The corresponding passage in the canonical book of Ezra (Ezra 10:31) lists the sons of Harim who had taken foreign wives. Where 1 Esdras has "Chosamaeus," Ezra 10:31 simply reads "Shimeon" (or Simeon), followed by three additional names: Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. These three names are notably absent from the 1 Esdras version, suggesting that the text of 1 Esdras may have been based on a manuscript that was either damaged or different from the one underlying the canonical Ezra.
How the Discrepancy Arose
Scholars have proposed several explanations for the difference between Chosamaeus and Shimeon. One possibility is that a scribe copying the text of 1 Esdras mistakenly combined or corrupted several names into the single name Chosamaeus. Another explanation is that the translator of 1 Esdras was working from a Hebrew manuscript that differed from the standard text used in the canonical version. The Septuagint version of Ezra 10:31 has "Semeon" followed by the three additional names, supporting the reading in canonical Ezra.
The Context: Foreign Marriages
Both 1 Esdras and Ezra describe one of the most significant crises of the post-exilic community. When Ezra arrived in Jerusalem, he discovered that many Israelite men, including priests and Levites, had married women from the surrounding nations (Ezra 9:1-2). This practice violated the covenant regulations that prohibited intermarriage with the peoples of the land (Deuteronomy 7:3-4). Ezra led a painful process of reform in which these marriages were dissolved to preserve the religious identity of the community (Ezra 10:10-12).
The Value of Textual Comparison
The case of Chosamaeus demonstrates why comparing parallel biblical and apocryphal texts is valuable for understanding the transmission of Scripture. While the name differences can seem confusing, they actually help scholars trace the history of how texts were copied, translated, and preserved across centuries. The canonical text of Ezra, supported by the Septuagint and other witnesses, provides the more reliable reading, while 1 Esdras preserves a variant tradition that illuminates the complex history of biblical manuscript transmission.
Biblical Context
Chosamaeus appears only in 1 Esdras 9:32, in the list of those who had married foreign wives. The parallel passage in Ezra 10:31 gives the name as Shimeon along with Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. The context is the post-exilic reform led by Ezra to address intermarriage with foreign peoples, a crisis described in Ezra 9-10.
Theological Significance
While Chosamaeus himself is a minor textual variant, the broader narrative addresses the serious theological issue of covenant faithfulness. The reform of foreign marriages under Ezra reflected Israel's commitment to maintaining its distinct identity as God's covenant people. The painful dissolution of these marriages demonstrated that obedience to God's commands sometimes requires difficult sacrifices, a theme that runs throughout Scripture.
Historical Background
1 Esdras is a Greek text that parallels portions of 2 Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah. It exists in the Septuagint and is considered canonical by some Christian traditions while classified as apocryphal by others. The book was likely compiled in the 2nd century BC and draws on the same historical sources as the canonical books. The foreign marriage crisis it describes occurred around 458 BC when Ezra returned to Jerusalem with a commission from the Persian king Artaxerxes to enforce the Torah among the returned exiles.