Lexical Summary Sharay: Sharai Original Word: שָׁרַי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Sharai Probably from sharar; hostile; Sharay, an Israelite -- Sharai. see HEBREW sharar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition an Isr. with a foreign wife NASB Translation Sharai (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs שָׁרָ֑י proper name, masculine one with foreign wife Ezra 10:40; Σαριου, א Σαρουε, ᵐ5L Σαρουα. שִׁרְיָה see III. שׁרה שִׁרְיוֺן. see IV. שׁרה. above שֵׁרִית see שְׁאֵרִית. שֵׁרִיתִךָ Jeremiah 15:11 see I. שׁרה. above, שְׁרֵמוֺת see [ שְׁדֵמָה] below שׁדם. שִׁרְיָ֑ן see below IV. שִׁרְיוֺןsub IV שׁרה . above Topical Lexicon Scriptural Appearance Ezra 10:40 records שָׁרַי in the roster of post-exilic Israelites who had taken foreign wives: “From the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, and Uel” (Ezra 10:40). Textual variants preserve the form Sharai among the sons of Bani; in the received Masoretic tradition the same consonants are vocalized as Uel. Either way, the individual is counted in the same family group and in the same circumstance of covenant transgression and subsequent reform. Historical Setting The incident belongs to the great revival under Ezra about 458 BC. After rebuilding the Temple, the remnant faced a deeper issue: the heart-level impurity that came from intermarriage with peoples who did not worship the LORD. Ezra 9–10 describes national brokenness, public confession, and a solemn covenant to correct the sin. Sharai’s name is preserved in that context: 1. The list demonstrates Ezra’s methodical pastoral leadership; wrongs were dealt with person by person, family by family. Covenant Themes 1. Separation unto Holiness: Deuteronomy 7:3–4 forbade alliances that would turn Israel’s heart after other gods. Sharai’s lapse and restoration illustrate that God’s standards had not changed after exile (Malachi 3:6). Lessons for Ministry Today • Personal holiness undergirds public worship. Sharai’s account reminds leaders that hidden compromise dilutes revival. Related Passages Deuteronomy 7:3–4; Malachi 2:11; Nehemiah 13:23–27; 2 Corinthians 6:14–18; 1 Peter 2:9. Sharai’s lone biblical appearance therefore speaks volumes about fidelity to the covenant, the cost of disobedience, and the hope of reform grounded in God’s unwavering faithfulness. Forms and Transliterations שָׁרָֽי׃ שרי׃ šā·rāy šārāy shaRaiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezra 10:40 HEB: מַכְנַדְבַ֥י שָׁשַׁ֖י שָׁרָֽי׃ NAS: Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, KJV: Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, INT: Machnadebai Shashai Sharai |
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