Machnadebai is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Machnadebai was one of the men of Israel who, in the days of Ezra, had taken a foreign wife. He is named only once in the King James Bible, in a list of offenders recorded in Ezra 10:40. The setting is the period after the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem. The people had come back to rebuild the temple and reestablish covenant life in the land, and Ezra the priest had arrived to teach the Law of God and reform the community.
During that time, the leaders reported to Ezra that the people of Israel, including priests and Levites, had not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands and had married women from the surrounding nations. This was a direct violation of God’s covenant, which had warned Israel against intermarriage with the idolatrous nations because it would lead their hearts away from the Lord. Ezra was deeply grieved, and he prayed a public prayer of confession on behalf of the people.
In response, the people agreed to make a covenant to put away their foreign wives and the children born to them, according to the counsel of Ezra and those who trembled at the word of God. A formal inquiry was conducted, and those found guilty were named in a written list. Machnadebai appears in that list, among the men of Israel who were called to repent and to separate themselves from their unlawful marriages. Scripture records his name as one who stood among the guilty and was summoned to obey the call to repentance.
The Name
The meaning of the name Machnadebai is not clearly established. Like many Hebrew names in the post-exilic lists of Ezra and Nehemiah, its etymology is uncertain, and scholars have proposed various possibilities without firm agreement. Because the meaning is not well attested, it would be speculative to assign one. What is clear is that this name belonged to a real man whose name was recorded in Scripture as a witness to the repentance of his generation.
A Closing Thought
Machnadebai’s name appears in a list of men who had done wrong—yet the very fact that his name is preserved in Scripture is a quiet testimony that he was included in the call to repentance rather than left in silence. God’s word does not hide the failures of His people, but it also shows us that no one is beyond the reach of His mercy when they humble themselves and obey. May we, like those who trembled at God’s word, respond to correction with soft hearts and ready hands.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- Ezra 10:40 — Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,