Original Word: כְּלוּהַיֹ
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Kluwhay
Pronunciation: keh-loo-hee
Phonetic Spelling: (kel-oo-hah'-ee)
KJV: Chelluh
NASB: Cheluhi
Word Origin: [from H3615 (כָּלָה - finished)]

1. completed
2. Keluhai, an Israelite

Chelluh

From kalah; completed; Keluhai, an Israelite -- Chelluh.

see HEBREW kalah

Word Origin
from kalah
Definition
an Isr.
NASB Translation
Cheluhi (1).

כלוהי Kt, כְּלוּהוּ Qr proper name, masculine (? √ I. כלה) — one of those who had strange wives Ezra 10:35, ᵐ5 Ξελκεια, A Ξελια, ᵐ5^L Ξελιασονβ.

Context within Ezra

The single biblical appearance of כְּלוּהַיֹ̣ (Keluhai, rendered “Cheluh” or “Cheluhi” in English versions) is found in Ezra 10:35, where he is listed among “the sons of Bani” who had taken pagan wives during the early years of the restored community in Jerusalem. Ezra’s reform occurred about 458 BC, some eight decades after the first return under Zerubbabel (Ezra 1–6). The reading of the Law (Ezra 9) exposed covenant unfaithfulness; public confession (Ezra 10:1–4) led to an investigation lasting three months (Ezra 10:16–17). Keluhai’s name is preserved as one who acknowledged the transgression and participated in the required separation.

Historical Significance

1. Post-exilic Purity: The remnant’s identity was threatened by intermarriage that blurred the distinct calling of Israel (Deuteronomy 7:3-4). By including individuals like Keluhai, Scripture illustrates how even obscure persons mattered in restoring covenant boundaries.
2. Community Accountability: The list in Ezra 10 is not punitive shaming but a record of collective repentance. Each family name underscores personal responsibility—showing that holiness is never merely institutional.
3. Documentation Practices: Persian-period Judah kept careful genealogical rolls (Ezra 2; Nehemiah 7). Recording Keluhai verifies administrative thoroughness and provides later generations with an auditable record of reform.

Theological Themes

• Covenant Faithfulness: “Our unfaithfulness has been great” (Ezra 9:13). Keluhai’s inclusion embodies the principle that God expects separation from idolatry for His people (Malachi 2:11).

• Repentance and Grace: While Ezra’s prayer rehearses Israel’s failures, the subsequent action reveals grace extended through obedience. Keluhai’s decision to dismiss the foreign wife models repentance bearing fruit (Luke 3:8).

• Holiness of Marriage: The narrative anticipates New Testament teaching on spiritual compatibility (2 Corinthians 6:14) and underscores that marriage affects worship integrity.

Ministry and Pastoral Lessons

1. Leadership Response to Sin: Ezra did not ignore widespread compromise. Modern shepherds are likewise charged to confront sin lovingly yet decisively (Galatians 6:1).
2. Corporate Repentance: Public acknowledgment—names and all—illustrates that revival is not merely emotional but evidential, leading to measurable change (James 2:17).
3. Record-Keeping: Accurate church rolls, membership covenants, and minutes are not bureaucratic trivia; they echo biblical precedent for accountability.

Related Biblical Motifs

• Lists of Returnees: Ezra 2; Nehemiah 7.
• Reforms Concerning Marriage: Nehemiah 13:23-27.
• Consequences of Intermarriage: Numbers 25:1-9; 1 Kings 11:1-8.
• Call to Separate from Idolatry: Deuteronomy 7:1-6; 1 Peter 2:9-12.

Key Verse

Ezra 10:35 “Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluh, Vaniah, Meremoth, and Eliashib.”

Takeaway for Today

Keluhai’s solitary mention reminds believers that no act of obedience is insignificant. The God who notices the sparrow also records the quiet courage of a man willing to reorder his household for covenant fidelity.

כְּלֽוּהוּ׃ כלוהו׃ kə·lū·hū keLuhu kəlūhūInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts