Nehemiah 12:9 — Word Study
WLCוּבַקְבֻּֽקְיָ֨ה וְעֻנִּ֧י אֲחֵיהֶ֛ם לְנֶגְדָּ֖ם לְמִשְׁמָרֽוֹת׃
BSABakbukiahBaqbuqyâh [a Levite leader] and UnniʻUnnîy [a Levite minister] their associatesʼâch [brethren, close relatives] [stood] across from themneged [before, in front of] in the servicesmishmereth [charges, watches, acts of preservation]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וּבַקְבֻּֽקְיָ֨ה | and Bakbukiah | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
| וְעֻנִּ֧י | and Unni | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
| אֲחֵיהֶ֛ם | brothers their | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| לְנֶגְדָּ֖ם | [were] to before them | Preposition, suffix |
| לְמִשְׁמָרֽוֹת׃ | to duties | Preposition, noun common feminine plural absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood across from them in the services. |
| KJV | Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, were over against them in the watches. |
| ASV | Also Bakbukiah and Unno, their brethren, were over against them according to their offices. |
| YLT | and Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, [are] over-against them in charges. |
| WEB | Also Bakbukiah and Unno, their brothers, were close to them according to their offices. |
| BBE | And Bakbukiah and Unno, their brothers, were opposite them in their watches. |
Where they part company is אֲחֵיהֶם — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is structured around the main subject, with additional phrases providing context about their position and responsibilities.
5 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & 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 12:9
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 Role of Levites in the Temple Servicegenerated
Nehemiah 12:9 describes the Levites, including Bakbukiah and Unni, who played significant roles in the temple service after the return from exile. This passage illustrates the organization and responsibilities of the Levites as they restored worship practices in Jerusalem, emphasizing their commitment to the service of God and the community.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 134:1–3 | Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who serve by night in the house of the LORD! |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — בַּקְבֻּקְיָה, u.vak.buk.Yahgenerated
The name בַּקְבֻּקְיָה (Bakbukiah) is a proper noun referring to a Levite leader. It is derived from roots meaning 'emptying' or 'wasting', suggesting a connection to Jehovah. The parsing indicates that it is a masculine noun, specifically a name, which highlights Bakbukiah's identity as a leader during the time of Nehemiah.
Bakbukiah's role as a Levite leader points to his involvement in the community's religious life, particularly in rebuilding Jerusalem and restoring worship. He is mentioned alongside Unni, indicating collaboration among the Levites in their duties.
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 main clause is governed by the subject, which consists of two noun phrases: וּבַקְבֻּֽקְיָ֨ה and וְעֻנִּ֧י — and Bakbukiah and Unni. This is followed by a prepositional phrase indicating their position: לְנֶגְדָּ֖ם — before them, and another prepositional phrase describing their duties: לְמִשְׁמָרֽוֹת — to duties.
The structure highlights the Levites' roles and their placement during the service, emphasizing their function in the temple worship and the importance of their duties.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint does not provide a direct translation for this verse, as indicated by the absence of corresponding Greek words. However, the Hebrew terms convey the roles and relationships of the Levites in the service, which may have been understood similarly in the Greek-speaking Jewish community.
The lack of a direct Greek equivalent for some of the Hebrew terms suggests that the translators may have faced challenges in conveying the specific cultural and religious nuances of the Levite roles.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Nehemiah 12:9 tells us that Bakbukiah and Unni, along with their associates, stood in front of the other Levites during the temple service. This verse highlights the organization of the Levites and their commitment to their duties in worship after returning from exile.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Bakbukiah and Unni were Levite leaders who played significant roles in the temple service during the time of Nehemiah.
The term 'associates' refers to the brothers or close relatives of Bakbukiah and Unni who assisted them in their duties.
The Levites had various responsibilities, including leading worship, maintaining the temple, and ensuring the proper conduct of religious services.
The organization of the Levites is important as it reflects the restoration of worship practices and community life after the return from exile.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What roles do I see in my own community that are similar to those of the Levites in the temple?
- How can I support those who serve in leadership and ministry roles?
- What does it mean to me to have associates or brethren in my spiritual journey?
- In what ways can I contribute to the duties of my community, as the Levites did?
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Nehemiah 12:9 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAlso Bakbukiah and Unni,.... Two other Levites; the first is mentioned in Ne 11:17, their brethren, were over against them in the watches; the Levites were divided into twenty four wards, and these
Read John Gill on Nehemiah 12 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAlso Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, were over against them in the watches.
Read Robert Jamieson on Nehemiah 12 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Biblei.e. In the places where they were appointed to stand, and wait, and perform their office, one standing over against another, as it is explained, , ward over against ward; for the Hebrew word is the same there and here. Others, according to their turns, or courses, of which see .
Read Matthew Poole on Nehemiah 12 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsNehemiah 12:9 Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, [were] over against them in the watches.Ver. 9. In the watches] In the order of their functions, taking their turns.
Read John Trapp on Nehemiah 12 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges9. and Unni] R.V. and Unno. The K’ri reads ‘and Unni,’ the C’thib ‘and Unno.’ The C’thib reading might, however, be rendered as the verb which occurs in Ezra 3:11, ‘And they sang one to another’ (cf. Deuteronomy 21:7; Deuteronomy 27:14), with the sense of ‘And their brethren responded to them in choral antiphon.’ This suggestion, however, apart from grammatical objections, requires us to suppose that Bakbukiah’s name has been interpolated. For this there is no evidence; and so far as the sense is concerned, the idea of antiphonal singing is sufficiently expressed in our own text. The confusion between ‘Unno’ and ‘Unni’ arises from the commonest source of variation in the Hebrew text, the…
Read Cambridge on Nehemiah 12 →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
Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood across from them in the services.
Also Bakbukiah and Unno, their brothers, were close to them according to their offices.
Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood across from them in the services.
Bakbukiah and Unni, their colleagues, stood opposite them in the services.
Tyndale line
Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, were over against them in the watches.
Also Bakbukiah and Unno, their brethren, were over against them according to their offices.
Also Bakbukiah and Unno, their brethren, were over against them in wards.
Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, were over against them in the watches.
And Bakbukiah and Vnni, and their brethren were about them in the watches.
Strictly literal
and Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, were over against them as watches.
and Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, [are] over-against them in charges.
and Bakbukiah and Unni, their brothers, [are] opposite them in charges.
And Bakbukyah and 'Unni, their brethren, were opposite to them in the watches.
Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood opposite them during the service.
From the Latin
And Becbecia, and Hanni, and their brethren every one in his office.
Simplified
Two other Levites, Bakbukiah and Unni, stood opposite them in the service.
And Bakbukiah and Unno, their brothers, were opposite them in their watches.
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, "וּבַקְבֻּֽקְיָ֨ה וְעֻנִּ֧י אֲחֵיהֶ֛ם לְנֶגְדָּ֖ם לְמִשְׁמָרֽוֹת׃" which translates to "Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood across from them in the services." The Septuagint has a similar structure, with four out of five words matching the Masoretic Text, indicating a strong agreement between these two witnesses. However, the Septuagint's word order and articles differ, reflecting its own syntactical style rather than a direct translation. There are no significant differences noted in the Samaritan Pentateuch or the Dead Sea Scrolls for this verse, which suggests consistency across these ancient texts regarding this particular passage.
וּבַקְבֻּֽקְיָ֨ה וְעֻנִּ֧י אֲחֵיהֶ֛ם לְנֶגְדָּ֖ם לְמִשְׁמָרֽוֹת׃
4 of the 5 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 12:9
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.
בַּקְבֻּקְיָה (Bakbukiah) refers to a Levite mentioned in the context of the Exile and Return, specifically in Nehemiah 11:17. The name is derived from roots meaning 'emptying' or 'wasting' and is associated with Jehovah. The entries consistently identify Bakbukiah as an Israelite, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
בַּקְבֻּקְיָה n.pr.m. a Levite
base
H1229 בַּקְבֻּקְיָה
1229 Baqbukyah bak-book-yaw'
from 1228 and 3050; emptying (i.e. wasting) of Jah;
Bakbukjah, an Israelite:--Bakbukiah.
see HEBREW for 01228
see HEBREW for 03050
בַּקְבֻּקְיָה (baq.buq.yah) — Bakbukiah.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Neh.11.17
§ Bakbukiah = "wasting of Jehovah"
a Levite in the time of Nehemiah
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
(wasting of Jehovah), a Levite in the time of Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 11:17; 12:9) (B.C. before 536.)
→ A Levite Ne 11:17; 12:9,25
עֻנִּי (Unniy) means 'afflicted' and refers to two Levite doorkeepers mentioned in the Old Testament. One lived during the time of King David (1 Chronicles 15:18), while the other is noted after the Babylonian exile (Nehemiah 12:9). The name is derived from the root word for 'afflicted' (H6031).
עֻנִּי n.pr.m. Levites
base
H6042 עֻנִּי
6042 `Unniy oon-nee'
from 6031; afflicted; Unni, the name of two
Israelites:--Unni.
see HEBREW for 06031
עֻנִּי (un.ni) — Unni.
A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.15.18
§ Unni = "afflicted"
1) a Levite doorkeeper in the time of David
2) a Levite concerned in the sacred office after the return from exile in Babylon
עֻנִּי (un.ni) — Unni.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.12.9
§ Unni = "afflicted"
1) a Levite doorkeeper in the time of David
2) a Levite concerned in the sacred office after the return from exile in Babylon
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
Unni
Afficted. (1.) A Levite whom David appointed to take part in bringing the ark up to Jerusalem from the house of Obed-edom by playing the psaltery on that occasion (1 Chr. 15:18, 20).
(2.) A Levite who returned with Zerubbabel from the Captivity (Neh. 12:9).
(depressed). One of the Levite doorkeepers in the time of David. (1 Chronicles 15:18,20) (B.C. 1043.) A second Levite (unless the family of the foregoing be intended) concerned in the sacred office after the return from Babylon. (Nehemiah 12:9) (B.C. 535.)
poor; afflicted; that answers
אָח (ach) means 'brother' and encompasses a broad range of relationships, including literal siblings, half-brothers, and metaphorical kinship. It can refer to any male relative or compatriot, and it may also imply resemblance or reciprocal relationships. The term is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, highlighting both familial and figurative connections.
אָח 630 n.m. brother
brother, born of same mother (& father)
indef. = relative
fig. of resemblance
in phr. one … another
base
H251 אָח brother
251 'ach awkh
a primitive word; a brother (used in the widest sense of
literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance
(like 1)):--another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other.
Compare also the proper names beginning with "Ah-" or "Ahi-".
see HEBREW for 01
אָח (ach) — brother: male-sibling.
: male-sibling
1) brother
1a) brother of same parents
1b) half-brother (same father)
1c) relative, kinship, same tribe
1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship)
1e) (fig.) of resemblance
אָח (ach) — brother: male-relative.
: male-relative
1) brother
1a) brother of same parents
1b) half-brother (same father)
1c) relative, kinship, same tribe
1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship)
1e) (fig.) of resemblance
אָח (ach) — brother: compatriot.
: compatriot
1) brother
1a) brother of same parents
1b) half-brother (same father)
1c) relative, kinship, same tribe
1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship)
1e) (fig.) of resemblance
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3mp
נֶ֫גֶד (neged) refers to something that is conspicuous or in front, functioning as both a noun and an adverb. It denotes a position opposite or before someone, often used to indicate presence or visibility. The word can imply a counterpart or mate, and it appears in contexts emphasizing sight or proximity.
נֶ֫גֶד 151 subst. what is conspicuous or in front, always as adv. or prep. in front of, in sight of, opposite to
base
H5048 נֶ֫גֶד subst. what is conspicuous or in front, always as adv. or prep. in front of, in sight of, opposite to
5048 neged neh'-ghed
from 5046; a front, i.e. part opposite; specifically a
counterpart, or mate; usually (adverbial, especially with
preposition) over against or before:--about, (over) against,
X aloof, X far (off), X from, over, presence, X other side,
sight, X to view.
see HEBREW for 05046
נֶ֫גֶד (ne.ged) — before.
subst
1) what is conspicuous, what is in front of
adv
2) in front of, straight forward, before, in sight of
3) in front of oneself, straightforward
4) before your face, in your view or purpose
with prep
5) what is in front of, corresponding to
6) in front of, before
7) in the sight or presence of
8) parallel to
9) over, for
10) in front, opposite
11) at a distance
prep
12) from the front of, away from
13) from before the eyes of, opposite to, at a distance from
14) from before, in front of
15) as far as the front of
Aramaic equivalent: ne.ged (נֶ֫גֶד "before" H5049)
Prep | Prep | Suff — Preposition · suffixHR/Acmsc/Sp3mp
מִשְׁמֶ֫רֶת (mishmereth) refers to a guard or watch, encompassing the concepts of duty, function, and preservation. It can denote a specific role, such as a sentry or an office, and implies the act of keeping or safeguarding. The term appears in contexts related to obligation and service, highlighting its multifaceted use in the Old Testament.
מִשְׁמֶ֫רֶת 78 n.f. guard, watch, also charge, function
base
H4931 מִשְׁמֶ֫רֶת guard, watch, also charge, function
4931 mishmereth mish-mer'-reth
fem. of 4929; watch, i.e. the act (custody), or (concr.) the
sentry, the post; obj. preservation, or (concr.) safe; fig.
observance, i.e. (abstr.) duty or (obj.) a usage or
party:--charge, keep, or to be kept, office, ordinace,
safeguard, ward, watch.
see HEBREW for 04929
מִשְׁמֶ֫רֶת (mish.me.ret) — charge.
1) guard, charge, function, obligation, service, watch
1a) guard, watch, house of detention or confinement
1b) keeping, preserving
1c) charge, injunction
1d) office, function (ceremonial)
Prep | N-fp — Preposition · noun common feminine plural absoluteHR/Ncfpa