Bible Word Study
בַּוַּי
Bavvay · Bavvai, an Israelite
בַּוַּי
Bavvai, an Israelite
Definition
Bavvai is a proper noun identifying an individual in the post-exilic community of Israel. The name appears only in Nehemiah 3:18, where Bavvai (also spelled Bavai in the KJV) is listed as the son of Henadad. He was a leader or representative of a district who helped rebuild a section of Jerusalem's wall under Nehemiah's leadership. The name is likely of Persian origin, reflecting the cultural and political context of the Persian Empire, under whose rule the Jewish exiles returned and rebuilt Jerusalem.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Nehemiah 3:18. It functions strictly as a personal name within a historical list of builders who participated in the reconstruction of Jerusalem's walls. The context is administrative and genealogical, documenting the communal effort led by Nehemiah. No other usage patterns or variations exist in the biblical text.
Etymology
The etymology of בַּוַּי (Bavvay) is uncertain but is generally considered to be of Persian origin, not derived from a Hebrew root. This reflects the historical period after the Babylonian exile when Judah was under Persian rule, and Persian names and influences were present within the Jewish community. Its specific meaning in Persian is unknown.
Semantic Range
The name Bavvai exemplifies the cultural integration of the Jewish people following the exile. Living under the Persian Empire, it was not uncommon for Israelites to bear or encounter names of foreign origin. His mention highlights the detailed, communal nature of the wall rebuilding—a project that was both a physical restoration and a spiritual re-dedication for the returned exiles, where individuals from various families and districts were recorded for their contribution.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]