בֵּבַי
𐤁𐤁𐤉
Bevay
H893 noun
SILEX Entry
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 recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
uncertain (Baleadan) — uncertain
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1002 | בִּירָה | the citadel |
| H105 | אֲגַרְטָל | bowls of |
| H1081 | בַּלְאֲדָן | Baladan |
| H1085 | בִּלְדַּד | Bildad |
| H1095 | בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר | Belteshatsar |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H893-01 |
בֵּבָ֑י | bevay | HNp |
Bebai | Bebai | Bevay | 3 |
H893-02 |
בֵבָ֔י | vevay | HNp |
Bebai | Bebai | Bevay | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H893-02 |
Ezra 2:11 | בֵבָ֔י | vevay | HNp |
Bebai | Bebai | Bevay |
H893-02 |
Ezra 8:11 | בֵבַ֔י | vevay | HNp |
Bebai | Bebai | Bevay |
H893-01 |
Ezra 8:11 | בֵּבָ֑י | bevay | HNp |
of Bebai | Bebai | Bevay |
H893-01 |
Ezra 10:28 | בֵּבָ֑י | bevay | HNp |
Bebai | Bebai | Bevay |
H893-02 |
Nehemiah 7:16 | בֵבָ֔י | vevay | HNp |
Bebai | Bebai | Bevay |
H893-01 |
Nehemiah 10:16 | בֵּבָֽי | bevay | HNp |
Bebai | Bebai | Bevay |