Nehemiah 10:15 — Word Study
WLCבֻּנִּ֥י עַזְגָּ֖ד בֵּבָֽי׃
BSAheadrôʼsh Amawʻam ParoshParʻôsh Pahath-moabPachath Môwʼâb Pahath-moabPachath Môwʼâb ElamʻÊylâm ZattuZattûwʼ BaniBânîy
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| בֻּנִּ֥י | Bunni | Noun proper masculine |
| עַזְגָּ֖ד | Azgad | Noun proper masculine |
| בֵּבָֽי׃ | Bebai | Noun proper masculine |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, |
| KJV | Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, |
| ASV | Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, |
| YLT | Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, |
| WEB | Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, |
| BBE | Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, |
The translations agree on the names listed, with no significant differences.
The verse consists of a simple enumeration of names without additional clauses.
2 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, 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 — Nehemiah 10:15
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 Covenant with Nehemiah's Leadersgenerated
Nehemiah 10:15 lists leaders who participated in sealing a covenant with Nehemiah. This covenant was significant for the restoration of the community after the Exile. The names mentioned reflect the leadership and organization of the returning exiles, emphasizing their commitment to rebuild and restore their identity as God's people.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nehemiah 7:16–17 | the descendants of Bebai, 628; |
| 2 | Ezra 2:11–12 | the descendants of Bebai, 623; |
| 3 | Ezra 8:11–12 | from the descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him 28 men; |
| 4 | Ezra 10:28 | From the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — בֻּנִּ֥י, bu.Nigenerated
The name בֻּנִּ֥י (Bunni) is a proper noun meaning "built". It identifies a Levite who played a role during the time of Nehemiah, specifically mentioned in the context of the covenant renewal. The parsing indicates it is a masculine noun, highlighting its use as a personal name.
Bunni is noted as a chief leader among the Levites, indicating a position of significance within the community. His name appears in other passages, reinforcing his identity and role in the restoration efforts of the Israelites.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is presented in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the name Bunni.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of the verse is straightforward, consisting of a noun phrase that lists the names of leaders. The finite verb is absent, as this is a simple enumeration of individuals.
The names are presented in a series, with each name functioning as a proper noun, indicating the leaders involved in the covenant with Nehemiah.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates בֻּנִּ֥י as ἄρξοντες, meaning "leaders". This choice broadens the understanding of Bunni's role, emphasizing leadership rather than simply identifying him as a name.
This translation choice suggests a focus on the function of these individuals within the community rather than solely on their identities.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Nehemiah 10:15 lists three leaders: Bunni, Azgad, and Bebai. These individuals were important figures during the time of the Exile and Return, sealing a covenant with Nehemiah to restore the community.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
They were leaders among the Israelites during the time of Nehemiah, involved in the covenant renewal.
Bunni means "built" and identifies a Levite leader.
The covenant represented a commitment to restore the community and their relationship with God after the Exile.
These names highlight the leadership and organization necessary for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the reestablishment of the community.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What role do leaders play in restoring a community after a crisis?
- How can understanding these names help us appreciate the history of Israel's return from exile?
- In what ways can we commit to our communities today, similar to the leaders in Nehemiah's time?
- What significance do names hold in our own communities and histories?
Commentators on this verse — 2 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Nehemiah 10:15 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentarySeraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on Nehemiah 10 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges3–8, Priests: 9–13, Levites: 14–28, Chiefs of the peopleThe 21 names here given are those of the priestly houses. The list of Neh 12:1-3 agrees with it in 16 names. The number 21 is peculiar; in chap. 12 the number is larger by one. In Ezra 2, Nehemiah 7, only four priestly houses are recorded, viz. Jedaiah, Immer, Pashur and Harim, as having returned with Zerubbabel. Pashur is mentioned in Nehemiah 10:3; Harim in Nehemiah 10:5. The other priestly families had either developed themselves out of these first four, or had arrived from time to time from Babylon. That 21 and not 24 are recorded, is noteworthy. Various conjectures have been hazarded, e.g. that names have dropped out from the…
Read Cambridge on Nehemiah 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
Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
Tyndale line
Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
Bunni, Azgad, Bebai;
Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
Strictly literal
Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
(10:16) Bunni, 'Azgad, Bebai,
Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
From the Latin
Bonni, Azgad, Bebai,
Simplified
Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
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 and the Septuagint agree on the names listed: בֻּנִּ֥י עַזְגָּ֖ד בֵּבָֽי׃. The Septuagint matches all three names but presents them in a different order, reflecting its own syntactical structure.
בֻּנִּ֥י עַזְגָּ֖ד בֵּבָֽי׃
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 Nehemiah 10:15
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.
בֻּנִּי (Bunniy) refers to a name meaning "built" and identifies a Levite mentioned during the time of the Exile and Return in the Old Testament, specifically in Nehemiah 9:4, 10:15, and 11:15. The entries indicate that Bunni was a chief among the Levites, but they do not provide further details on his significance.
בֻּנִּי n.pr.m.
Levites
a chief of people
base
H1138 בֻּנִּי
1138 Bunniy boon-nee'
or (fuller) Buwniy {boo-nee'}; from 1129; built; Bunni or
Buni, an Israelite:--Bunni.
see HEBREW for 01129
בֻּנִּי (bun.ni) — Bunni.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.9.4
§ Bunni = "built"
1) a Levite in the time of Nehemiah
2) another Levite of earlier date
בֻּנִּי (bun.ni) — Bunni.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.10.15
§ Bunni = "built"
1) a Levite in the time of Nehemiah
2) another Levite of earlier date
בֻּנִּי (bun.ni) — Bunni.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.11.15;
father of: Hashabiah (H2811H)
§ Bunni = "built"
1) a Levite in the time of Nehemiah
2) another Levite of earlier date
HNpm — Noun proper masculineHNpm
bun'-i (bunni, buni, bunni; compare BANI):
(1) A Levite (Ne 9:4). The repetition of Bani's name in this passage is probably a scribal error. The Syriac version for the second "Bani" reads "Binnui"; but as, in Ne 10:9 and Ne 12:8, Binnui's name comes, as here, between those of Jeshua and Kadmiel, we should substitute Binnui here for the first Bani. The Septuagint renders all three names as if the Hebrew in each case had been bene, "sons of," reducing the proper names in the verse to five. The names probably stand for chief Levitical houses rather than individuals.
(2) Another Levite, one of the overseers of the temple, father of Hashabiah, according to Ne 11:15; but, according…
(my understanding). One of the Levites in the time of Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 9:4) Another Levite, but of earlier date than the preceding. (Nehemiah 11:15)
building me
עַזְגָּד (Azgad) refers to a man from the time of the Exile and Return, specifically mentioned in Ezra 2:12 and Nehemiah 10:15. The name means "Gad is mighty" and denotes an ancestor of a family that returned with Zerubbabel, as well as a signatory of the covenant with Nehemiah.
עַזְגָּד n.pr.m.
head of family returning with Zerub.
returning with Ezra
one of those sealed
base
H5803 עַזְגָּד
5803 `Azgad az-gawd'
from 5794 and 1409; stern troop; Azgad, an
Israelite:--Azgad.
see HEBREW for 05794
see HEBREW for 01409
עַזְגָּד (az.gad) — Azgad.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.2.12
§ Azgad = "Gad is mighty"
1) ancestor of a family of laymen who returned from exile with Zerubbabel
2) a man who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah
עַזְגָּד (az.gad) — Azgad.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.10.15
§ Azgad = "Gad is mighty"
1) ancestor of a family of laymen who returned from exile with Zerubbabel
2) a man who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah
HNpm — Noun proper masculineHNpm
az'-gad (`azgadh, "strong is Gad"): In the list of those who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel are mentioned "the children of Azgad" (1,222, Ezr 2:12; 2,322, Ne 7:17). 110 males with their chief returned with Ezra (Ezr 8:12). Azgad was among the leaders who signed the Covenant after Nehemiah (Ne 10:15).
(strength of fortune). The children of Azgad, to the number of 1222 (2322 according to) (Nehemiah 7:17) were among the laymen who returned with Zerubbabel. (Ezra 2:12; 8:12) With the other heads of the People they joined in the covenant with Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 10:15) (B.C. 536.)
a strong army; a gang of robbers
בֵּבַי (bebay) refers to a man named Bebai, a leader among the returning exiles during the time of the Exile and Return. The name is thought to mean "my cavities." He is mentioned in Ezra 2:11, Ezra 8:11, and Nehemiah 10:15.
בֵּבַי n.pr.m. a chief of returning exiles
base
H893 בֵּבַי
893 Bebay bay-bah'ee
probably of foreign origin; Bebai, an Israelite:--Bebai.
בֵּבַי (be.vay) — Bebai.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.2.11
§ Bebai = "my cavities"
a leader of the returning exiles
בֵּבַי (be.vay) — Bebai.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.8.11b;
father of: Zechariah (H2148R)
§ Bebai = "my cavities"
a leader of the returning exiles
בֵּבַי (be.vay) — Bebai.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.10.15
§ Bebai = "my cavities"
a leader of the returning exiles
HNpm — Noun proper masculineHNpm
be'-ba-i, beb'-a-i (bebhay; Septuagint Bebai, "fatherly"):
(1) Descendants of B: returned with Ezra to Jerusalem (Ezr 8:11 called Babi; 1 Esdras 8:37); one of these is Zechariah, the son of Bebai (Ezr 8:11, Zaeharias; 1 Esdras 8:37). 623 returned with Zerubbabel to Jerusalem (Ezr 2:11; 1 Esdras 5:13; Ne 7:16 gives the number 628); some of these had married "strange wives" (Ezr 10:28; 1 Esdras 9:29).
(2) A chief of the people who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah (Ne 10:15).
(fatherly). "Sons of Bebai," 623 (Nehe 6:28) in number, returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel, (2:11; Nehemiah 7:16) (B.C. 536), and at a later period twenty-eight more under Zechariah, son of Bebai, returned with Ezra. (Ezra 8:11) Four of this family had taken foreign wives. (Ezra 10:28) The name occurs also among those who sealed the covenant. (Nehemiah 10:15) Father of Zechariah, who was the leader of the twenty-eight men of his tribe mentioned above.
void, empty