בֻּנִּי
𐤁𐤍𐤉
Bunnîy
H1138 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Bunnîy (בֻּנִּי or fuller form בּוּנִי) — a masculine personal name meaning 'built' or 'constructed,' designating at least two different individuals in post-exilic Israelite texts. The primary lexical sense denotes a person whose name reflects the root concept of construction or establishment. In context, used as the name of Israelite men listed among returnees from Babylonian exile and Levitical genealogies.
Semantic Range
personal name—'built' or 'constructed'; name of Israelite men in post-exilic community lists; appears exclusively as a proper noun in genealogies and communal registers
Root / Etymology
From the verbal root בנה (to build, construct, establish), with a personal name formation indicating 'one who is built' or 'built one.' The form is a passive participle or adjectival derivative. The fuller spelling (בוּנִי) preserves the original root vowel.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name בֻּנִּי occurs in post-exilic literature: Nehemiah 9:4 (a Levite involved in the prayer of confession following the exile) and Nehemiah 10:16 (a signatory to the renewed covenant). The occurrences are associated with genealogies and lists of community leaders among returning Israelites. The name itself is typical of theophoric and descriptive names used during the Second Temple period, reflecting familial or divine establishment. English renderings frequently transliterate the name rather than translating its meaning. The underlying verb בנה is widespread in Hebrew for building, but as a personal name, the noun form was primarily used in the late biblical or post-exilic periods, and does not denote an office or title. No evidence suggests the usage of this name for non-Israelites or outside post-exilic contexts. The English term 'Jew' appears in many translations to describe individuals such as Bunnîy in this period, but the more precise historical referent is 'Israelite' or 'member of the returned community.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or (fuller) בּוּנִי; from בָּנָה; built; Bunni or Buni, an Israelite; Bunni.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בנה (b-n-h) — to build, construct, establish
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1004 | בַּיִת | in the houses |
| H1005 | בַּיִת | the built-house |
| H1006 | בַּיִת | the house |
| H1007 | בֵּית אָוֶן | house-of |
| H1008 | בֵּית־אֵל | in house of |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1138-01 |
בֻּנִּ֥י | buni | HNp |
Bunni | Built One | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1138-01 |
Nehemiah 9:4 | בֻּנִּ֥י | buni | HNp |
Bunni | Built One |
H1138-01 |
Nehemiah 10:16 | בֻּנִּ֥י | buni | HNp |
Bunni | Built One |
H1138-01 |
Nehemiah 11:15 | בּוּנִּֽי | buni | HNp |
Bunni | Built One |