1084. Bilgay

Lexical Summary

Bilgay: Bilgai

Original Word: בִּלְגַּי
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Bilgay
Pronunciation: bil-GAH-ee
Phonetic Spelling: (bil-gah'ee)
KJV: Bilgai
NASB: Bilgai
Word Origin: [from H1082 (בָּלַג - cheerful)]

1. desistant
2. Bilgai, an Israelite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Bilgai

From balag; desistant; Bilgai, an Israelite -- Bilgai.

see HEBREW balag

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from balag
Definition
an Isr.
NASB Translation
Bilgai (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

בִּלְגַּי proper name, masculine (id.) priest with Nehemiah Nehemiah 10:9.

Topical Lexicon

Name and Identity

Bilgai is listed among the post-exilic priests who affixed their seals to the renewal covenant in Jerusalem under Nehemiah’s leadership. His inclusion places him within the core of spiritual leadership that guided the restored community after the Babylonian captivity.

Biblical Occurrence

Nehemiah 10:8 records his name: “Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah; these were the priests.” (Berean Standard Bible) Although the text supplies no additional personal details, the single mention is sufficient to associate him with the solemn pledge recorded in Nehemiah 10.

Historical Context

1. The covenant ceremony took place shortly after the completion of Jerusalem’s wall (Nehemiah 6) and the corporate reading of the Law (Nehemiah 8).
2. Nehemiah 9 details a national confession of sin, culminating in written and sealed commitment (Nehemiah 9:38). Bilgai’s seal signifies priestly endorsement of that act.
3. The agreement bound the people to separate from pagan influence, observe Sabbaths and Sabbatical years, support Temple service, and provide firstfruits and tithes (Nehemiah 10:28-39).

Priestly Lineage and Division

The form “Bilgah” appears elsewhere (1 Chronicles 24:14; Nehemiah 12:7). In 1 Chronicles the name designates the twenty-third priestly division organized by King David. Many scholars treat Bilgai as a later representative or descendant of that division, underscoring continuity between pre-exilic and post-exilic priestly service.

Ministry Significance

• Representative Seal: By sealing the covenant, Bilgai affirmed that the priesthood would model obedience and teach the Law (cf. Malachi 2:5-7).
• Covenant Custodian: His signature reminds readers that priests guarded both spiritual purity and communal accountability.
• Link to Worship Restoration: The return to sacrificial order and Sabbath observance depended on priests like Bilgai who committed publicly to uphold God’s statutes.

Lessons for Today

1. Spiritual leaders must lead by example, willingly binding themselves to God’s revealed Word.
2. Public commitments grounded in Scripture strengthen community resolve and guard against syncretism.
3. Continuity of faithful witness—spanning from David’s divisions through the exile to Nehemiah—demonstrates God’s preservation of a priestly remnant for His purposes.

See Also

Nehemiah 9; Nehemiah 12:7; 1 Chronicles 24:14; Malachi 2:5-7

Forms and Transliterations

בִלְגַּ֖י בלגי ḇil·gay ḇilgay vilGai

Englishman's Concordance

Nehemiah 10:8
HEB: מַֽעַזְיָ֥ה בִלְגַּ֖י שְׁמַֽעְיָ֑ה אֵ֖לֶּה
NAS: Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah. These
KJV: Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah:
INT: Maaziah Bilgai Shemaiah These

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 1084
1 Occurrence

ḇil·gay — 1 Occ.