Kelal
One Who Took a Foreign Wife in Exile
Kelal was one of the Israelites from the family of Pahath-Moab who had taken a foreign (non-Jewish) wife during the period following the return from the Babylonian exile. He is mentioned in the book of Ezra as one of those who committed to sending away their foreign wives as part of Ezra's religious reforms to preserve the purity of the people.
Événements clés
Listed Among Those Who Took Foreign Wives
Kelal is mentioned among the men from the family of Pahath-Moab who had married foreign women, which was contrary to God's law.
30From the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.
וּמִבְּנֵ֛י פַּחַ֥ת מוֹאָ֖ב עַדְנָ֣א וּכְלָ֑ל בְּנָיָ֤ה מַעֲשֵׂיָה֙ מַתַּנְיָ֣ה בְצַלְאֵ֔ל וּבִנּ֖וּי וּמְנַשֶּֽׁה׃ ס
Ezra's Call to Repentance
Ezra discovered that many Israelites, including Kelal, had taken foreign wives, and he urged the people to confess their sins to the Lord and separate themselves from the foreign women.
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 Pledge to Send Away Foreign Wives
The whole assembly answered with a loud voice that they would do as Ezra said and send away their foreign wives and their children.
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׃
13But the people are many, and it is the rainy season; we cannot stand out in the open. Besides, this is not the work of one day or two, for we have sinned greatly in this matter.
אֲבָ֞ל הָעָ֥ם רָב֙ וְהָעֵ֣ת גְּשָׁמִ֔ים וְאֵ֥ין כֹּ֖חַ לַעֲמ֣וֹד בַּח֑וּץ וְהַמְּלָאכָ֗ה לֹֽא־לְי֤וֹם אֶחָד֙ וְלֹ֣א לִשְׁנַ֔יִם כִּֽי־הִרְבִּ֥ינוּ לִפְשֹׁ֖עַ בַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃
14Let our leaders act for the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God over this matter is turned away from us."
יַֽעֲמְדוּ־נָ֣א שָׂ֠רֵינוּ לְֽכָל־הַקָּהָ֞ל וְכֹ֣ל ׀ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בֶּעָרֵ֗ינוּ הַהֹשִׁ֞יב נָשִׁ֤ים נָכְרִיּוֹת֙ יָבֹא֙ לְעִתִּ֣ים מְזֻמָּנִ֔ים וְעִמָּהֶ֛ם זִקְנֵי־עִ֥יר וָעִ֖יר וְשֹׁפְטֶ֑יהָ עַ֠ד לְהָשִׁ֞יב חֲר֤וֹן אַף־אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ עַ֖ד לַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃ פ
Investigative Commission Appointed
A commission was established to investigate all cases of marriage to foreign women, and the process was completed within three months.
16So the returned exiles did as had been proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were heads of families, each designated by name according to his father's house. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to examine the matter,
וַיּֽ͏ַעֲשׂוּ־כֵן֮ בְּנֵ֣י הַגּוֹלָה֒ וַיִּבָּדְלוּ֩ עֶזְרָ֨א הַכֹּהֵ֜ן אֲנָשִׁ֨ים רָאשֵׁ֧י הָאָב֛וֹת לְבֵ֥ית אֲבֹתָ֖ם וְכֻלָּ֣ם בְּשֵׁמ֑וֹת וַיֵּשְׁב֗וּ בְּי֤וֹם אֶחָד֙ לַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָעֲשִׂירִ֔י לְדַרְי֖וֹשׁ הַדָּבָֽר׃
17and by the first day of the first month they had finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women.
וַיְכַלּ֣וּ בַכֹּ֔ל אֲנָשִׁ֕ים הַהֹשִׁ֖יבוּ נָשִׁ֣ים נָכְרִיּ֑וֹת עַ֛ד י֥וֹם אֶחָ֖ד לַחֹ֥דֶשׁ הָרִאשֽׁוֹן׃ פ
18Among the descendants of the priests, these were found to have married foreign women: from the sons of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers—Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.
וַיִּמָּצֵא֙ מִבְּנֵ֣י הַכֹּהֲנִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֹשִׁ֖יבוּ נָשִׁ֣ים נָכְרִיּ֑וֹת מִבְּנֵ֨י יֵשׁ֤וּעַ בֶּן־יֽוֹצָדָק֙ וְאֶחָ֔יו מַֽעֲשֵׂיָה֙ וֽ͏ֶאֱלִיעֶ֔זֶר וְיָרִ֖יב וּגְדַלְיָֽה׃
19They pledged themselves to send away their wives, and being guilty, they presented a ram from the flock as their guilt offering.
וַיִּתְּנ֥וּ יָדָ֖ם לְהוֹצִ֣יא נְשֵׁיהֶ֑ם וַאֲשֵׁמִ֥ים אֵֽיל־צֹ֖אן עַל־אַשְׁמָתָֽם׃ ס