The Head of a Family of Returning Exiles
The Identity: A Name in the Census
Bebai is an ancestral figure in the Old Testament, representing the head of a large and influential family clan. His significance lies solely in the fact that his descendants were highly dedicated to the covenant and were among the first wave of Israelites to return to Judah from the seventy-year Babylonian captivity.
Bebai’s family is listed in the official census taken by Zerubbabel and later by Nehemiah, documenting those who answered the call to return and rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple.
The Return: A Great Multitude
The clan of Bebai was one of the larger family groups that made the arduous, faith-driven journey back to the ruined city. Their numbers demonstrate the weight of their conviction and their commitment to the covenant community.
In the count of those who returned with Zerubbabel, the family is listed with a substantial total:
“The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and three.” (Ezra 2:11, KJV)
This figure is repeated in the later record taken by Nehemiah (Nehemiah 7:16, KJV). The presence of over six hundred individuals from a single ancestral line provided essential manpower and stability for the struggling, re-established community. Their return was a bold act of faith, trading the relative comfort and stability of life in Babylon for the dangerous and difficult task of rebuilding a ruined homeland.
The Legacy: Commitment to Purity and Reform
The family of Bebai continued to be prominent figures during the reforms instituted by Ezra and Nehemiah, demonstrating their commitment not just to returning physically, but to restoring spiritual purity.
- Covenant Signatories: The leaders of Bebai’s family were among the notable figures who officially sealed the renewed covenant with God under Nehemiah, promising obedience to the Mosaic Law (Nehemiah 10:15, KJV).
- Addressing Intermarriage: They were also specifically named among those who had taken foreign wives during the exile, a violation of the Law that threatened to dilute the covenant community. When Ezra instituted a massive reform to correct this, the sons of Bebai were among the first to comply:”Of the sons of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.” (Ezra 10:28, KJV)
Bebai’s legacy, therefore, is one of familial devotion, mass mobilization for faith, and a willingness to undergo painful personal reform to ensure the purity and survival of the restored people of God. His name stands for the collective faith of a devoted family committed to the Lord’s future in Jerusalem.