Shemariah

The name Shemariah is borne by three men in scripture: a Benjamite warrior who defects to David at Ziklag, and two of the men in Ezra's foreign-marriage list.

A Mighty Man of David

Among the Benjamites who came to David at Ziklag while he was still keeping clear of Saul, the muster includes a Shemariah: "Eluzai, and Jerimoth, and Bealiah, and Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite" (1Ch 12:5). He stands in a list of ambidextrous slingers and bowmen drawn from Saul's own tribe.

Two Men in Ezra's List

When Ezra reads out the men who had taken foreign wives and agreed to send them away, two separate Shemariahs appear, each in a different sub-group. The first is in the line of Harim: "Benjamin, Malluch, Shemariah" (Ezr 10:32). The second is in the line of Bani — or its variant — at the end of the catalog: "Azarel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah" (Ezr 10:41). Both are part of the assembly's resolution to put away the foreign marriages.