Adaiah
Who he was
Adaiah is mentioned in the book of Ezra as one of the men who had married foreign women during the post-exilic period (Ezra 10:29). He was among the descendants of Bani, a group that is listed along with other families who had taken foreign wives.
During this time, Ezra, a priest and scribe, led a religious reform that required the Israelites to separate themselves from the foreign wives they had married, as these marriages were considered a violation of God's law (Ezra 10:10–11).
Adaiah's name appears in the list of men who pledged to put away their foreign wives and children, demonstrating his commitment to follow Ezra's call for repentance and obedience to the law.
No additional details are provided about Adaiah's personal life, his specific role within the community, or the consequences he faced in separating from his foreign wife. His inclusion in the list serves to highlight the widespread nature of the issue and the collective response of the people to Ezra's reform.
Every mention
Ezra 1 mention
What the dictionary says
(adorned by Jehovah).
Sources
- STEPBible TIPNR · Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References · CC BY 4.0 · github.com/STEPBible/STEPBible-Data
- Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (1869) · Public domain