Shilshah
Ezra's wife who was sent away
Also known as: Shilshah
Shilshah was one of the foreign women married to Israelite men after the return from exile in Babylon. She is mentioned in the book of Ezra as one of the women who were sent away during Ezra's reforms to preserve Israel's religious purity.
Family
Key events
Ezra's reform against mixed marriages
Ezra discovered that many Israelites, including priests and Levites, had married foreign women. He implemented a reform to separate from these women and maintain the holiness of the people.
1While Ezra was praying and making this confession, weeping and lying prostrate before the house of God, a very large assembly of Israel gathered around him—men, women, and children—for the people were weeping bitterly.
וּכְהִתְפַּלֵּ֤ל עֶזְרָא֙ וּכְ֨הִתְוַדֹּת֔וֹ בֹּכֶה֙ וּמִתְנַפֵּ֔ל לִפְנֵ֖י בֵּ֣ית הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים נִקְבְּצוּ֩ אֵלָ֨יו מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֜ל קָהָ֣ל רַב־מְאֹ֗ד אֲנָשִׁ֤ים וְנָשִׁים֙ וִֽילָדִ֔ים כִּֽי־בָכ֥וּ הָעָ֖ם הַרְבֵּה־בֶֽכֶה׃ ס
2Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, spoke up and said to Ezra: "We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples of the land. Yet even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this.
וַיַּעַן֩ שְׁכַנְיָ֨ה בֶן־יְחִיאֵ֜ל מִבְּנֵ֤י *עולם **עֵילָם֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְעֶזְרָ֔א אֲנַ֙חְנוּ֙ מָעַ֣לְנוּ בֵאלֹהֵ֔ינוּ וַנֹּ֛שֶׁב נָשִׁ֥ים נָכְרִיּ֖וֹת מֵעַמֵּ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ וְעַתָּ֛ה יֵשׁ־מִקְוֶ֥ה לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עַל־זֹֽאת׃
3So let us now make a covenant with our God to send away all these women along with their children, according to the counsel of the Lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God. Let it be done according to the Law.
וְעַתָּ֣ה נִֽכְרָת־בְּרִ֣ית לֵ֠אלֹהֵינוּ לְהוֹצִ֨יא כָל־נָשִׁ֜ים וְהַנּוֹלָ֤ד מֵהֶם֙ בַּעֲצַ֣ת אֲדֹנָ֔י וְהַחֲרֵדִ֖ים בְּמִצְוַ֣ת אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וְכַתּוֹרָ֖ה יֵעָשֶֽׂה׃
4Rise up, for this matter rests on you, and we stand with you. Take courage and act."
ק֛וּם כִּֽי־עָלֶ֥יךָ הַדָּבָ֖ר וַאֲנַ֣חְנוּ עִמָּ֑ךְ חֲזַ֖ק וַעֲשֵֽׂה׃ פ
5So Ezra rose and made the leading priests, the Levites, and all Israel swear to do as had been said—and they took the oath.
וַיָּ֣קָם עֶזְרָ֡א וַיַּשְׁבַּ֣ע אֶת־שָׂרֵי֩ הַכֹּהֲנִ֨ים הַלְוִיִּ֜ם וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לַעֲשׂ֛וֹת כַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּ֖ה וַיִּשָּׁבֵֽעוּ׃
The people's confession
The people gathered and confessed their sin of taking foreign wives. They committed themselves to sending away the foreign women.
10Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have been unfaithful. You have married foreign women and so added to the guilt of Israel.
וַיָּ֨קָם עֶזְרָ֤א הַכֹּהֵן֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֔ם אַתֶּ֣ם מְעַלְתֶּ֔ם וַתֹּשִׁ֖יבוּ נָשִׁ֣ים נָכְרִיּ֑וֹת לְהוֹסִ֖יף עַל־אַשְׁמַ֥ת יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
11Now then, make confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do his will: separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from your foreign wives."
וְעַתָּ֗ה תְּנ֥וּ תוֹדָ֛ה לַיהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽי־אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֖ם וַעֲשׂ֣וּ רְצוֹנ֑וֹ וְהִבָּֽדְלוּ֙ מֵעַמֵּ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ וּמִן־הַנָּשִׁ֖ים הַנָּכְרִיּֽוֹת׃
12The whole assembly answered with a loud voice: "Yes! It is our duty to do as you say.
וַיַּֽעְנ֧וּ כָֽל־הַקָּהָ֛ל וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ ק֣וֹל גָּד֑וֹל כֵּ֛ן *כדבריך **כִּדְבָרְךָ֥ עָלֵ֖ינוּ לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃
The list of those who had taken foreign wives
Shilshah is mentioned among the names of those who had married foreign women and were required to separate from them.
2Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, spoke up and said to Ezra: "We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples of the land. Yet even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this.
וַיַּעַן֩ שְׁכַנְיָ֨ה בֶן־יְחִיאֵ֜ל מִבְּנֵ֤י *עולם **עֵילָם֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְעֶזְרָ֔א אֲנַ֙חְנוּ֙ מָעַ֣לְנוּ בֵאלֹהֵ֔ינוּ וַנֹּ֛שֶׁב נָשִׁ֥ים נָכְרִיּ֖וֹת מֵעַמֵּ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ וְעַתָּ֛ה יֵשׁ־מִקְוֶ֥ה לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עַל־זֹֽאת׃
Ezra's prayer and grief
Ezra grieved deeply over the people's unfaithfulness to God through mixed marriages, and he offered a heartfelt prayer for forgiveness on behalf of the people.
1When all this had been done, the officials came to me and said: "The people of Israel, along with the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the peoples of the lands and their detestable practices—from the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.
וּכְכַלּ֣וֹת אֵ֗לֶּה נִגְּשׁ֨וּ אֵלַ֤י הַשָּׂרִים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹֽא־נִבְדְּל֞וּ הָעָ֤ם יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְהַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים וְהַלְוִיִּ֔ם מֵעַמֵּ֖י הָאֲרָצ֑וֹת כְּ֠תוֹעֲבֹֽתֵיהֶם לַכְּנַעֲנִ֨י הַחִתִּ֜י הַפְּרִזִּ֣י הַיְבוּסִ֗י הָֽעַמֹּנִי֙ הַמֹּ֣אָבִ֔י הַמִּצְרִ֖י וְהָאֱמֹרִֽי׃
2They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy seed has been mingled with the peoples of the lands. And the officials and leaders have led the way in this unfaithfulness."
כִּֽי־נָשְׂא֣וּ מִבְּנֹֽתֵיהֶ֗ם לָהֶם֙ וְלִבְנֵיהֶ֔ם וְהִתְעָֽרְבוּ֙ זֶ֣רַע הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ בְּעַמֵּ֖י הָאֲרָצ֑וֹת וְיַ֧ד הַשָּׂרִ֣ים וְהַסְּגָנִ֗ים הָֽיְתָ֛ה בַּמַּ֥עַל הַזֶּ֖ה רִאשׁוֹנָֽה׃ ס
3When I heard this, I tore my garment and my robe, pulled hair from my head and my beard, and sat down appalled.
וּכְשָׁמְעִי֙ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה קָרַ֥עְתִּי אֶת־בִּגְדִ֖י וּמְעִילִ֑י וָאֶמְרְטָ֞ה מִשְּׂעַ֤ר רֹאשִׁי֙ וּזְקָנִ֔י וָאֵשְׁבָ֖ה מְשׁוֹמֵֽם׃
4Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles, while I sat appalled until the evening offering.
וְאֵלַ֣י יֵאָסְפ֗וּ כֹּ֚ל חָרֵד֙ בְּדִבְרֵ֣י אֱלֹהֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל עַ֖ל מַ֣עַל הַגּוֹלָ֑ה וַאֲנִי֙ יֹשֵׁ֣ב מְשׁוֹמֵ֔ם עַ֖ד לְמִנְחַ֥ת הָעָֽרֶב׃
5At the evening offering I rose from my fasting, and having torn my garment and my robe, I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the LORD my God.
וּבְמִנְחַ֣ת הָעֶ֗רֶב קַ֚מְתִּי מִתַּֽעֲנִיתִ֔י וּבְקָרְעִ֥י בִגְדִ֖י וּמְעִילִ֑י וָֽאֶכְרְעָה֙ עַל־בִּרְכַּ֔י וָאֶפְרְשָׂ֥ה כַפַּ֖י אֶל־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָֽי׃
6I prayed: "My God, I am ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens.
וָאֹמְרָ֗ה אֱלֹהַי֙ בֹּ֣שְׁתִּי וְנִכְלַ֔מְתִּי לְהָרִ֧ים אֱלֹהַ֛י פָּנַ֖י אֵלֶ֑יךָ כִּ֣י עֲוֺנֹתֵ֤ינוּ רָבוּ֙ לְמַ֣עְלָה רֹּ֔אשׁ וְאַשְׁמָתֵ֥נוּ גָדְלָ֖ה עַ֥ד לַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃
10And now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have abandoned your commandments,
וְעַתָּ֛ה מַה־נֹּאמַ֥ר אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ אֽ͏ַחֲרֵי־זֹ֑את כִּ֥י עָזַ֖בְנוּ מִצְוֺתֶֽיךָ׃
11which you gave through your servants the prophets when you said: 'The land you are entering to possess is a land defiled by the impurity of its peoples, by their detestable practices, which have filled it with their uncleanness from one end to the other.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוִּ֗יתָ בְּיַ֨ד עֲבָדֶ֣יךָ הַנְּבִיאִים֮ לֵאמֹר֒ הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אַתֶּ֤ם בָּאִים֙ לְרִשְׁתָּ֔הּ אֶ֤רֶץ נִדָּה֙ הִ֔יא בְּנִדַּ֖ת עַמֵּ֣י הָאֲרָצ֑וֹת בְּתוֹעֲבֹֽתֵיהֶ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר מִלְא֛וּהָ מִפֶּ֥ה אֶל־פֶּ֖ה בְּטֻמְאָתָֽם׃
12Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or their prosperity, so that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it as an inheritance to your children forever.'
וְ֠עַתָּה בְּֽנוֹתֵיכֶ֞ם אַל־תִּתְּנ֣וּ לִבְנֵיהֶ֗ם וּבְנֹֽתֵיהֶם֙ אַל־תִּשְׂא֣וּ לִבְנֵיכֶ֔ם וְלֹֽא־תִדְרְשׁ֧וּ שְׁלֹמָ֛ם וְטוֹבָתָ֖ם עַד־עוֹלָ֑ם לְמַ֣עַן תֶּחֶזְק֗וּ וַאֲכַלְתֶּם֙ אֶת־ט֣וּב הָאָ֔רֶץ וְהוֹרַשְׁתֶּ֥ם לִבְנֵיכֶ֖ם עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃