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Mattathah

Mattathah was a man of Judah who had married a foreign wife during the post-exilic period and was required to put her away according to Ezra's reform.

Overview

Mattathah appears in the biblical record as one of the descendants of Hashum who had taken a foreign wife during the Babylonian captivity and exile. When Ezra learned of these mixed marriages among the returning Jewish people, he initiated reforms to restore spiritual purity and obedience to God's law regarding separation from pagan influences.

Key Scriptures

"And of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei." (Ezra 10:33, ESV)

"These had taken foreign wives, and some of them had children by these wives." (Ezra 10:44, NASB)

Application

Mattathah's account reminds believers that obedience to God's Word sometimes requires difficult decisions and separation from worldly influences that compromise spiritual faithfulness.

Scripture References 1
Ezra 10:33
Full Topical Reference List 1 total — Nave's Topical Bible

One of the family of Hashum.

Ezra 10:33
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