Who was Baana in the Bible?

Baana was a figure who helped rebuild Jerusalem's walls after the Babylonian exile. He is specifically identified as the son of Zadok and is mentioned for repairing a section of the wall (Nehemiah 3:4).

What did Baana do in the Book of Nehemiah?

Baana's key recorded action was making repairs to a specific section of Jerusalem's wall. This work was part of the communal effort led by Nehemiah to restore the city's defenses and identity (Nehemiah 3:4).

Why is Baana mentioned in the Bible?

Baana is mentioned to highlight the collective effort and individual contributions of many Israelites in the crucial project of rebuilding Jerusalem. His inclusion shows that even those with brief mentions played a vital role in God's restorative work for His people.

Baana

Old TestamentExile & ReturnMaleReturned builder

Baana son of Zadok made repairs to a section of Jerusalem's wall.

Baana

Biography

Baana son of Zadok was among the leaders and workers who participated in Nehemiah's great project to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem following the return from Babylonian exile (Nehemiah 3:4). He worked on a specific section of the wall, identified in Nehemiah 3 in the detailed roster of builders that the text preserves with remarkable specificity. His father Zadok may have been a priestly figure, given the name's association with the famous Zadokite priestly line. Baana's participation in the wall-building project placed him in the company of priests, nobles, merchants, and laypeople who together undertook the dangerous and arduous task of restoring Jerusalem's defenses under constant threat from hostile neighbors.

Significance

Baana son of Zadok represents the broad coalition of returning exiles who answered Nehemiah's call to rebuild Jerusalem's walls. The detailed listing of builders in Nehemiah 3 is itself a theological statement: God's restoration work is accomplished through the willing participation of his people across every social class and vocation. Baana's inclusion in this roster ensures that his contribution to the restoration of God's holy city is memorialized in Scripture. His service illustrates the New Testament principle anticipated in the Hebrew wisdom tradition, that ordinary, faithful work in service of God's community is honored by God (cf. Colossians 3:23–24). The rebuilt wall stood as a sign of divine favor and renewed covenant community.

Verse Appearances (1)

Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:4

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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