942. Bavvai

Lexical Summary

Bavvai: Bavvai

Original Word: בּוּי
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Bavvay
Pronunciation: bahv-VAI
Phonetic Spelling: (bav-vah'ee)
KJV: Bavai
NASB: Bavvai
Word Origin: [probably of Persian origin]

1. Bavvai, an Israelite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Bavai

Probably of Persian origin; Bavvai, an Israelite -- Bavai.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
perhaps of foreign origin
Definition
an Isr.
NASB Translation
Bavvai (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

בַּוַּי proper name, masculine a Jew of Nehemiah's time Nehemiah 3:18 = בִּנּוּי Nehemiah 3:24 which probably read also Nehemiah 3:18 (ᵐ5 Βεδει, Βενει, Βεζερ); cf, further Sm^{Listen 12}.

Topical Lexicon

Historical Setting

The lone appearance of בּוּי (Bavvai) occurs during Nehemiah’s project to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls after the Babylonian exile. The work took place around 445 BC, when the returned community was small and vulnerable, and the fortification of the city was essential for both security and covenantal identity (Nehemiah 1:3; Nehemiah 2:17). Chapter 3 lists the various work crews, assigning each a measured portion of the wall. Within that meticulously ordered record, Bavvai is named once, linking him to the House of Henadad and the district of Keilah.

Identity of Bavvai

1. Lineage: Bavvai is called “the son of Henadad,” a family also represented by Binnui (Nehemiah 3:24; Nehemiah 10:10). Henadad’s descendants were Levites (Nehemiah 9:4–5), suggesting Bavvai held Levitical status.
2. Position: He is styled “ruler of half the district of Keilah,” indicating civil authority in addition to priestly heritage. Keilah lay in the lowland region southwest of Jerusalem (see 1 Samuel 23:1–13), so Bavvai’s jurisdiction was outside Judah’s main urban center, yet he traveled to Jerusalem to serve.
3. Name Significance: While the etymology is debated, the context makes clear that Bavvai, like other post-exilic leaders, embodied covenant loyalty by offering himself and his people for the common good.

Role in the Reconstruction of Jerusalem

“Next to him, their fellow Levites made repairs under Bavvai son of Henadad, ruler of the other half of the district of Keilah” (Nehemiah 3:18).

• Placement in the roster: Bavvai appears midway through the catalog, sandwiched between Hashabiah (verse 17) and Ezer (verse 19). The alternating presentation of priestly and lay officials underscores the cooperative spirit that characterized the project.
• Assigned section: Though the exact span of wall is not specified for Bavvai’s team, the listing logically moves counterclockwise around the city, so his segment likely fell along the western side.
• Collaborative leadership: Bavvai led Levites—a tribe whose primary duties involved temple worship—into manual labor normally performed by craftsmen and soldiers. Their willingness to embrace unfamiliar work reveals a holistic model of ministry in which spiritual servants also meet practical needs (compare Acts 6:2–4).

Spiritual Lessons and Ministry Applications

1. Unity of Purpose. Bavvai exemplifies how regional leaders subordinated personal territories for the sake of God’s greater agenda (Philippians 2:4).
2. Servant Leadership. As a district ruler, he did not delegate from afar but stood “next to” fellow workers (Nehemiah 3:18). Hands-on involvement models Christlike leadership (John 13:14–15).
3. Sacred and Secular Integration. Levites, traditionally confined to temple service, wielded hammers and stones, illustrating that sacred calling extends into civic responsibility (Colossians 3:23–24).
4. Faith-Driven Security. Rebuilding the wall was an act of faith, asserting the Lord’s protection amid hostile neighbors (Nehemiah 4:14). Bavvai’s participation thus functioned as a testimony to God’s covenant faithfulness.

Intertextual Links and Symbolism

• Henadad Line. The repeated mention of Henadad’s house (Nehemiah 3:18, 24; Nehemiah 10:10) signals generational faithfulness. The same family appears during the covenant renewal ceremony, where Levites lead confession and worship, tying practical service to spiritual renewal (Nehemiah 9:5).
• Keilah Connection. David once rescued Keilah from Philistine attack but was later betrayed by its citizens (1 Samuel 23). Bavvai, a leader from the same town centuries later, demonstrates the city’s restored loyalty to Judah’s God and capital.
• Wall Imagery. Throughout Scripture, walls symbolize salvation and righteousness (Isaiah 60:18). Bavvai’s work therefore participates in a prophetic picture of a redeemed community secure in the Lord.

Legacy in Biblical History

Although Bavvai receives only one verse, his inclusion in Nehemiah’s record shows that Scripture honors even brief acts of obedience (Hebrews 6:10). His name stands as a witness that every labor done for God—no matter how small or forgotten—is inscribed in the divine chronicle. For pastors, lay leaders, and believers today, Bavvai’s example challenges each generation to shoulder its portion of the wall, guarding the integrity of God’s people and advancing His kingdom purposes.

Forms and Transliterations

בַּוַּ֖י בוי bavVai baw·way bawway

Englishman's Concordance

Nehemiah 3:18
HEB: הֶחֱזִ֣יקוּ אֲחֵיהֶ֔ם בַּוַּ֖י בֶּן־ חֵנָדָ֑ד
NAS: carried out repairs [under] Bavvai the son
KJV: their brethren, Bavai the son
INT: carried their brothers Bavvai the son of Henadad

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 942
1 Occurrence

baw·way — 1 Occ.