Bebai

(fatherly).

1. "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)

2. Father of Zechariah, who was the leader of the twenty-eight men of his tribe mentioned above.

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).

(3) An unknown town (Judith 15:4). Omitted in Codex Vaticanus and Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A. D.)