← H892 H894 →

בֵּבַי

𐤁𐤁𐤉

Bevay

H893 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain proper name, personal name

Definition

A proper noun designating 'Bebai,' an Israelite male personal name, and by extension, his descendants or clan. In biblical records, it refers specifically to an individual and his family line that returned from Babylonian exile.

Semantic Range

personal name designating an Israelite individual, name of a post-exilic clan or family, name attested in returnee genealogies

Root / Etymology

etymology uncertain

Historical & Contextual Notes

בֵּבַי (Bêbay) appears as a proper name in lists of post-exilic returnees (Ezra 2:11, 8:11; Nehemiah 7:16, 10:16, etc.), where it designates members of a family or clan tracing descent from an individual named Bebai. Its precise etymology is unclear and is often considered of non-Hebrew, possibly Aramaic or other Near Eastern origin, reflecting possible integration of foreign names into the post-exilic Israelite community. This name is distinct from commonly attested Hebrew names built upon verbal roots, and it offers no directly discernible meaning in Hebrew. In English Bible versions, it is usually transliterated as 'Bebai,' and does not convey an occupational, descriptive, or religious significance. In later Second Temple texts and translations, descendants of Bebai are associated with the larger Israelite restoration community but not with Judahite or Judean identities per se. The term functions exclusively as a proper noun without broader semantic uses.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably of foreign origin; Bebai, an Israelite; Bebai.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

בבי (b-b-y) — proper name, personal name

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H893-02 בֵבָ֔י vevay HNp Bebai Bebai 3
H893-01 בֵּבָ֑י bevay HNp Bebai Bebai 3

Occurrences in Scripture

6 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H893-02 Ezra 2:11 בֵבָ֔י vevay HNp Bebai Bebai
H893-02 Ezra 8:11 בֵבַ֔י vevay HNp Bebai Bebai
H893-01 Ezra 8:11 בֵּבָ֑י bevay HNp of Bebai Bebai
H893-01 Ezra 10:28 בֵּבָ֑י bevay HNp Bebai Bebai
H893-02 Nehemiah 7:16 בֵבָ֔י vevay HNp Bebai Bebai
H893-01 Nehemiah 10:16 בֵּבָֽי bevay HNp Bebai Bebai
← H892 Hebrew Lexicon H894 →