בִּלְגַּי
𐤁𐤋𐤂𐤉
Bilegay
H1084 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Bilgay is a personal name, identified as an Israelite man in the priestly lists of the post-exilic community. The name likely denotes an individual or the head of a priestly house or section, rather than describing a character trait or quality. There is no accepted definition for the name other than its use as an Israelite personal or familial name.
Semantic Range
proper name, personal name of an Israelite priest; designation for a priestly family or section
Root / Etymology
Root uncertain. Though Strong's associates בִּלְגַּי with the root בלג (balag), meaning 'to mix' or 'to confuse,' this etymology is uncertain and not widely supported in modern lexicography. The name is attested only in post-exilic priestly lists.
Historical & Contextual Notes
בִּלְגַּי (Bilgay) appears in Nehemiah 10:8 (English 10:9), listed among the Israelite priests who signed the post-exilic covenant. It is possible that Bilgay refers to the head of a priestly family or section (mishmar), as many such names do in lists from the Second Temple period. The name does not occur elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible, and its possible association with later priestly courses (mishmarot) is uncertain. English translations sometimes treat the name as 'Bilgai' or 'Bilgah,' but these reflect transliteration choices rather than lexical meaning. The association of the name with the idea of 'desistant' or 'mixed' has no direct support from context and probably reflects guesses based on uncertain roots. No wider connotation appears in the biblical text, and the name does not denote ethnic, religious, or geographic identity apart from its priestly association.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from בָּלַג; desistant; Bilgai, an Israelite; Bilgai.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בלג (b-l-g) — uncertain; possibly to mix, confuse
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1082 | בָּלַג | the strength-renewer |
| H1083 | בִּלְגַה | Bilgah |
| H4010 | מַבְלִיגִית | my utter ruin |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1084-01 |
בִלְגַּ֖י | vilegay | HNp |
Bilgai | Bilgay | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1084-01 |
Nehemiah 10:9 | בִלְגַּ֖י | vilegay | HNp |
Bilgai | Bilgay |