Ezra 10:38 — Word Study
WLCוּבָנִ֥י וּבִנּ֖וּי שִׁמְעִֽי׃
BSAFrom the descendantsBânîy [sons, clan] of BinnuiBinnûwy [built up, restored] ShimeiShimʻîy [heard by God, a common Israelite name]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וּבָנִ֥י | and Bani | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
| וּבִנּ֖וּי | and Binnui | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
| שִׁמְעִֽי׃ | Shimei | Noun proper masculine |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | From the descendants of Binnui: Shimei, |
| KJV | And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei, |
| ASV | and Bani, and Binnui, Shimei, |
| YLT | and Bani, and Binnui, Shimei, |
| WEB | Bani, Binnui, Shimei, |
| BBE | And Bani and Binnui, Shimei; |
Translations agree here, presenting a consistent rendering of the names and lineage.
The sentence is straightforward, focusing on the lineage of Binnui with a single main clause.
2 commentators on this verse
Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Ezra 10:38
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Returnees from Exilegenerated
Ezra 10:38 is part of a list of names of those who returned from Babylonian exile to Jerusalem. This verse specifically mentions the descendants of Binnui, highlighting their role in the restoration of the community and the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the exile. The genealogies serve to establish identity and continuity for the returning exiles, emphasizing their connection to Israel's heritage.
Cross References
The Key Word — בִּנּוּי, u.vi.Nuigenerated
The name בִּנּוּי (Binnui) means "built up" and refers to a man noted for his involvement in the restoration of Jerusalem's walls under Nehemiah. The parsing indicates that it is a proper masculine noun, showing that Binnui was a significant figure during the return from exile.
Binnui appears in contexts related to rebuilding efforts and is sometimes identified with the name Bani. His mention in genealogies underscores the importance of lineage in the post-exilic community.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of the verse is straightforward, with a noun phrase serving as the subject: וּבָנִ֥י (and Bani) followed by וּבִנּ֖וּי (and Binnui) and concluding with שִׁמְעִֽי׃ (Shimei). This simple structure emphasizes the lineage being documented.
The noun phrases are coordinated, presenting a list of names that collectively represent the descendants of Binnui, which is typical in genealogical records.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint uses the Greek word υἱοὶ to translate בִּנּוּי, indicating a straightforward rendering of the concept of descendants or sons. This choice aligns with the genealogical context of the verse.
The translation reflects a consistent understanding of lineage and heritage, maintaining the focus on the family structure of the returning exiles.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Ezra 10:38 lists the descendants of Binnui, specifically naming Shimei. This verse is part of a larger genealogical record that emphasizes the importance of family lineage among those who returned to Jerusalem after the exile.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Binnui was an Israelite who played a role in rebuilding Jerusalem's wall under Nehemiah, and his name means 'built up'.
Shimei means 'heard by God' and was a common name among Israelites, with several notable figures sharing it.
Genealogies establish identity and continuity for the returning exiles, highlighting their connection to Israel's heritage.
Binnui's descendants, including Shimei, were part of the community that returned to Jerusalem and contributed to its rebuilding.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How does understanding the genealogies in Ezra help us appreciate the history of Israel?
- What significance do names hold in your own family history?
- In what ways can we see the theme of restoration in our own lives?
- How can we honor our heritage while also looking towards the future?
Commentators on this verse — 2 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Ezra 10:38 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(18-44) List of the transgressors. (19) They gave their hands.—The four members of the high priest’s family were peculiarly dealt with. They gave their distinct pledge, and offered each a special trespass offering. It is one among a multitude of similar tokens of authenticity in the history; and inventor would have given some reason for the peculiarity. (22) Pashur.—Comparing Ezra 2:36-39, we find that all the priestly families that returned with Zerub-babel were implicated in the national offence. (25) Of Israel.—Of the laity eighty-six are mentioned, belonging to ten races which returned with Zerubbabel. (34) Bani.—Probably this should be some other name, as Bani occurs before. The…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Ezra 10 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges18–44. The List of those who ‘had married strange women’The record of the names was probably one of the documents officially preserved. The publicity of such a list was in itself a punishment to the offenders and a warning to others. As in chap. 2, the list falls into the three groups of Priests, Levites, and Israel (or Laity), i.e. 17 Priests, 10 Levites, 86 ‘of Israel’—113 in all.
Read Cambridge on Ezra 10 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
From the descendants of Binnui: Shimei,
Bani, Binnui, Shimei,
From the descendants of Binnui: Shimei,
From the descendants of Binnui: Shimei,
Tyndale line
And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,
and Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,
and Bani, and Binnui, Shimei;
And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,
And Banni, and Bennui, Shimei,
Strictly literal
and Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,
and Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,
and Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,
And Bani, and Binnui, and Shim'i,
Among the descendants of Binnui: Shimei,
From the Latin
And Bani, and Bennui, Semei,
Simplified
From the sons of Binnui: Shimei,
And Bani and Binnui, Shimei;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads: 'וּבָנִ֥י וּבִנּ֖וּי שִׁמְעִֽי׃', which translates to 'From the descendants of Binnui: Shimei.' The Septuagint, while not providing a direct translation, matches three of the words from the Masoretic Text, indicating agreement in the core elements of the verse. There are no significant differences noted between these witnesses for this specific verse.
וּבָנִ֥י וּבִנּ֖וּי שִׁמְעִֽי׃
3 of the 3 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Ezra 10:38
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
בָּנִי (Bani) is a Hebrew name meaning "built." It refers to several individuals in the Old Testament, including a Gadite warrior, Levites, and a man from Judah. Bani appears in various contexts, such as during the time of David and the return from Babylonian exile, with mentions in passages like 2 Samuel 23:36 and Ezra 10:34.
בָּנִי n.pr.m.
one of David’s heroes
Levites
a man of Judah
rd.
heads of families of Isr.
an Israelite
base
H1137 בָּנִי
1137 Baniy baw-nee'
from 1129; built; Bani, the name of five Israelites:--Bani.
see HEBREW for 01129
בָּנִי (ba.ni) — Bani.
A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at 2Sa.23.36
§ Bani = "built"
1) a Gadite, one of David's mighty warriors
2) a Levite of the line of Merari, and forefather to Ethan
3) a man of Judah of the line of Pharez
4) "children of Bani" returned from captivity with Zerubbabel
5) one or up to three Levites in Nehemiah's time
בָּנִי (ba.ni) — Bani.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.6.46;
son of: Shemer (H8106);
father of: Amzi (H0557)
§ Bani = "built"
1) a Gadite, one of David's mighty warriors
2) a Levite of the line of Merari, and forefather to Ethan
3) a man of Judah of the line of Pharez
4) "children of Bani" returned from captivity with Zerubbabel
5) one or up to three Levites in Nehemiah's time
בָּנִי (ba.ni) — Bani.
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
ba'-ni (bani, "posterity"):
(1) A Gadite, one of David's mighty men (2Sa 23:36).
(2) A Levite whose son was appointed for service in the tabernacle at David's time (1Ch 6:46).
(3) A Judahite whose son lived in Jerusalem after the captivity (1Ch 9:4).
(4) The descendants of Bani (called Binnui, Ne 7:15) returned with Zerubbabel (Ezr 2:10) and had taken "strange wives" (Ezr 10:29).
(5) Bani who had taken a "strange wife" (Ezr 10:38) mentioned with his brothers, the sons of Bani who also had taken "strange wives" (
Bani
Built. (1.) 1 Chr. 6:46. (2.) One of David’s thirty-seven warriors, a Gadite (2 Sam. 23:36). (3.) Ezra 2:10; 10:29,34,38. (4.) A Levite who was prominent in the reforms on the return from Babylon (Neh. 8:7; 9:4,5). His son Rehum took part in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem (Neh. 3:17).
(built). A Gadite, one of David’s mighty men. (2 Samuel 23:36) (B.C. 1046.) A Levite of the line of Merari, and forefather to Ethan. (1 Chronicles 6:46) A man of Judah of the line of Pharez. (1 Chronicles 9:4) "Children of Bani" returned from captivity with Zerubbabel. (Ezra 2:10; 10:29,34; Nehemiah 10:14) 1 Esd. 5:12. [BINNUI; MANI] An Israelite "of the sons of Bani." (Ezra 10:38) A Levite. (Nehemiah 3:17) A Levite. (Nehemiah 8:7; 9:4,5; 10:13) Another Levite…
בִּנּוּי (Binnui) means "built up" and refers to a man from the time of the Exile and Return. He is noted as an exile returnee with Zerubbabel and a Levite during Ezra's time, with several individuals sharing this name, some of whom took foreign wives. The name appears in various contexts, particularly in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.
בִּנּוּי n.pr.m.
head of family that returned with Zerubbabel
a Levite of Ezra’s time
Israelites of Ezra’s time
base
H1131 בִּנּוּי
1131 Binnuwy bin-noo'-ee
from 1129; built up; Binnui, an Israelite:--Binnui.
see HEBREW for 01129
בִּנּוּי (bin.nuy) — Binnui.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.2.10; also called Binnui at Neh.7.15;
Another spelling of ba.ni (בָּנִי "Bani" H1137Q)
§ Binnui = "built up"
1) an exile returnee with Zerubbabel, son of Henadad, who assisted at the reparation of the wall of Jerusalem, under Nehemiah
2) a Levite in time of Ezra, father of Noadiah
3) another Levite in time of Ezra, who took a foreign wife
4) still another Levite in time of Ezra, who took a foreign wife
בִּנּוּי (bin.nuy) — Binnui.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Ezr.8.33;
father of: Noadiah (H5129)
§ Binnui = "built up"
1) an exile returnee with Zerubbabel, son of Henadad, who assisted at the reparation of the wall of Jerusalem, under Nehemiah
2) a Levite in time of Ezra, father of Noadiah
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
(familyship). A Levite, father of Noadiah. (Ezra 8:33) One who had taken a foreign wife. (Ezra 10:30) Another Israelite who had also taken a foreign wife. (Ezra 10:38) Altered from BANI in the corresponding list in Ezra. (Nehemiah 7:15) A Levite, son of Henadad, who assisted at the reparation of the wall of Jerusalem, under Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 3:24; 10:9)
building
The Hebrew word שִׁמְעִי (*Shim'i*) means 'renowned' and refers to various individuals in the Old Testament, primarily from the tribes of Benjamin and Levi. It is associated with several notable figures, including a Levite and a Benjamite, and appears in contexts ranging from the time of David to the post-exilic period. The entries highlight multiple bearers of the name, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicographers.
שִׁמְעִי 43 n.pr.m.
in Benj.
a Ramathite
Levites
brother of Zerub.
in Simeon
in Reuben
1
post-ex. names
grandfather of Mordecai
2
base
H8096 שִׁמְעִי . in Benj.
. a Ramathite
. Levites
. brother of Zerub.
. in Simeon
. in Reuben
. 1
. post-ex. names
. grandfather of Mordecai
. 2
8096 Shim`iy shim-ee'
from 8088; famous; Shimi, the name of twenty
Israelites:--Shimeah (from the margin), Shimei, Shimhi,
Shimi.
see HEBREW for 08088
שִׁמְעִי (shim.i) — Shimei.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.6.17;
son of: Gershon (H1648);
brother of: Libni (H3845G);
father of: Jahath (H3189I), Zizah (H2126), Jeush (H3266J) and Beriah (H1283J)
Also named: shim.i (שִׁמְעִי "Shimeite" H8097)
§ Shimei or Shimhi or Shimi or Shimea = "renowned"
1) a Benjamite, son of Gera of the house of Saul in the time of David
2) a Benjamite, son of Elah and commissariat officer in the time of Solomon
3) the Ramathite in charge of the vineyards of David
4) son of Gershon and grandson of Levi
5) a Levite, son of Jeduthun and chief of the 10th division of singers in the time of David
6) a Levite of the sons of Heman who took part in the purification of the temple in the time of king Hezekiah of Judah
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
shim'-e-i (shim`i, possibly "hear me (El)" or "(Jah)"; Semeei, Semei): A name of frequent occurrence throughout the Old Testament records, sometimes varying slightly in form in English Versions of the Bible. The King James Version has "Shimi" in Ex 6:17; "Shimhi" in 1Ch 8:21; "Shimeah" in 2Sa 21:21. the Revised Version (British and American) has "Shimeites" in Zec 12:13, where the King James Version has "Shimei," and Nu 3:21 for the King James Version "Shimites." English Versions of the Bible has "Shema" in 1Ch 8:13,21 margin for the "Shimei" of 8:21. In all others…
Shimei
Famous. (1.) A son of Gershon, and grandson of Levi (Num. 3:18; 1 Chr. 6:17, 29); called Shimi in Ex. 6:17.
(2.) A Benjamite of the house of Saul, who stoned and cursed David when he reached Bahurim in his flight from Jerusalem on the occasion of the rebellion of Absalom (2 Sam. 16:5-13). After the defeat of Absalom he “came cringing to the king, humbly suing for pardon, bringing with him a thousand of his Benjamite tribesmen, and representing that he was heartily sorry for his crime, and had hurried the first of all the house of Israel to offer homage to the king” (19:16-23). David forgave him; but on his death-bed he gave Solomon special instructions regarding Shimei…
(renowned). Son of Gershon the son of Levi, (Numbers 3:18; 1 Chronicles 6:17,29; 23:7,9,10; Zechariah 12:13) called SHIMI in (Exodus 6:17) (B.C. after 1706.) Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of the house of Saul, who lived at Bahurim. (B.C. 1023.) When David and his suite were seen descending the long defile, on his flight from Absolom, (2 Samuel 16:5-13) the whole feeling of the clan of Benjamin burst forth without restraint in the person of Shimei. He ran along the ridge, cursing and throwing stones at the king and is companions. The next meeting was very different. The king was now returning from his successful…
Shimi, that hears or obeys; my reputation; my fame