זַבַּי (zab.bay)
zab.bay
Zabbai
N:N-M-PQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N-M-P
Word Overview
The name Zabbai, or זַבַּי, appears only twice in the Hebrew Bible, identifying two distinct men during the post-exilic period. In Ezra 10:28, it refers to a descendant of Bebai who had married a foreign wife and was required to send her away as part of Ezra’s religious reforms. This instance highlights the intense pressure on the returned community to maintain ethnic and religious separation.
The second mention occurs in Nehemiah 3:20, where Zabbai is identified as the father of Baruch. Baruch played a significant role in the physical restoration of Jerusalem by rebuilding a section of the city wall. Here, the name marks a family involved in the practical labor of civic renewal.
The meaning "pure" adds a layer of irony or perhaps ideal to these accounts. One Zabbai struggled with impurity through intermarriage, while his namesake’s son contributed to the purity and safety of the city’s defenses. The name serves as a brief but vivid snapshot of the complex challenges facing Jews rebuilding their lives in Jerusalem.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Zabbai appears in the Bible as a reminder that faithfulness often looks like ordinary obedience. In Ezra 10:28, we meet a man who faced a difficult choice during a time of great religious reform. He was part of a community trying to stay true to God’s commands by separating from foreign influences. This decision was not easy, but it showed his commitment to the covenant.
We also see another Zabbai in Nehemiah 3:20 as the father of Baruch, who helped rebuild Jerusalem’s walls. While the first Zabbai dealt with internal spiritual purity, his namesake’s family contributed to the physical safety of the city. Both stories show how individuals played their part in restoring God’s people.
These brief mentions encourage us that our daily faithfulness matters. Whether we are making hard personal choices or working alongside others for a common good, God sees our efforts. We can trust that He values our steady commitment to Him and our neighbors.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Zabbai1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- זַבַּ֥י1×
Key Verses
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Ezra 10:28
Of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
This verse lists Zabbai among those who separated from foreign wives, highlighting the personal cost of maintaining religious purity in the post-exilic community.