'Wives' in the Bible

Jehiel's son Shecaniah, one of Elam's descendants, responded to Ezra: "We have sinned against our God by marrying foreign wives from the people of the land, but even now there is hope in Israel, despite this.

So let's make a promise to our God by which we divorce all of these foreign wives as well as those born to them in accordance with the counsel of our Lord and of those who tremble at our God's command. Furthermore, let it be done according to the Law.

Ezra the priest stood up and spoke to them, "You have sinned by marrying foreign wives, thereby increasing the transgressions of Israel.

Now confess this to the LORD God of your ancestors, and separate yourselves from the nations of the land and from foreign wives."

So let's have our officials remain on behalf of the whole community. Then all who have married foreign wives are to come appear at specific times before the elders and judges of each city until the fierce anger of our God has been turned away from us in this matter."

By the first day of the first month they concluded their investigation of all of the men who had married foreign wives.

Pleading guilty, they promised to divorce their wives. Then they offered a ram from their flocks for their offense.

All of these had married foreign wives, and some of them had children by them.