Hebrew word · H1137

בָּנִי

vani

Bani

A personal name from b-n-h, "to build". It is most likely short for Benaiah ("the LORD has built"), meaning that God has built up the family by giving it a child.

Appears 15 times in 14 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Neh.8.7; also called Binnui at Neh.10.9; 12.8;

Also named: bin.nuy (בִּנּוּי "Binnui" H1131L)

§ Bani = "built"

1) a Gadite, one of David's mighty warriors

2) a Levite of the line of Merari, and forefather to Ethan

3) a man of Judah of the line of Pharez

4) "children of Bani" returned from captivity with Zerubbabel

5) one or up to three Levites in Nehemiah's time

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of 1 Chronicles 6:46

Range of meaning

A personal name from b-n-h, "to build". It is most likely short for Benaiah ("the LORD has built"), meaning that God has built up the family by giving it a child.

Against the English

Spelled Bani in every version.

Used elsewhere in the period

The name was very common. It belongs to one of David's warriors (2 Sam 23:36), a man of Judah (1 Chr 9:4), and several Levites and family heads after the return from exile (Ezra 2:10; Neh 3:17; 8:7; 9:4–5).

From the study of Ezra 10:38

Range of meaning

As a name, Bani means 'built' or '(the LORD) has built.' It is a short form related to Benaiah ('the LORD has built'). In Ezra–Nehemiah it names a returning clan (Ezra 2:10; 10:29; 10:34), several Levites (Neh 3:17; 8:7; 9:4), and individuals. The same consonants without vowels (בני) also spell bənê, 'sons of.' With a mem added (מבני) they spell 'from the sons of,' the formula that heads every family sub-list in Ezra 10:18–43.

Against the English

KJV, YLT, WEB, ESV and NASB print 'Bani' as a separate man. BSB, NIV and NRSV print 'From the descendants of Binnui,' following the emendation, which is a scholar's correction of a word thought to have been miscopied.

Used elsewhere in the period

The heading formula ūmibbənê X, 'and from the sons of X,' recurs throughout Ezra 10:18–43 (e.g. 10:18, 20, 21, 25, 29, 34). Commentators such as Williamson (WBC) note that the Greek translation of Ezra–Nehemiah (called 2 Esdras in the Greek Bible) reads 'sons' here. The parallel list in 1 Esdras 9 is arranged and spelled differently enough that it does not settle the question.

Where it appears

2 Samuel · 1

  1. 2 Samuel 23:36 בָּנִ֖י Bani

    Igal son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,

1 Chronicles · 2

  1. 1 Chronicles 6:46 בָּנִ֖י Bani

    the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer,

    Here: A Merarite ancestor. The name comes from the verb "to build" and is probably short for Benaiah, "the LORD has built". It was a common name, and several different men called Bani appear in Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah.

  2. 1 Chronicles 9:4 בָּנִ֔י מִן Bani from

    Uthai son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, a descendant of Perez son of Judah.

Ezra · 4

  1. Ezra 2:10 בָנִ֔י Bani

    the descendants of Bani, 642;

  2. Ezra 10:29 בָּנִ֑י Bani

    From the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth.

  3. Ezra 10:34 בָנִ֔י Bani

    From the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,

  4. Ezra 10:38 וּבָנִ֥י and Bani

    From the descendants of Binnui: Shimei,

    Here: In the standard Hebrew text this is the man's name Bani, a short form meaning roughly '(the LORD) has built.' But a family called Bani already heads this section (10:34), so many scholars read the same consonants as 'and from the sons of,' turning what follows into a new family heading. The supplied data's gloss 'sons' points the same way.

Nehemiah · 8

  1. Nehemiah 3:17 בָּנִ֑י Bani

    Next to him, the Levites made repairs under Rehum son of Bani, and next to him, Hashabiah, ruler of a half-district of Keilah, made repairs for his district.

  2. Nehemiah 8:7 וּבָנִ֡י and Bani

    The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law as they stood in their places.

    Here: Probably short for Benaiah, 'YHWH has built'. A Bani turns up again among the Levites who lead the prayer in Neh 9:4–5.

  3. Nehemiah 9:4 וּבָנִ֜י בָּנִ֣י and Bani, Bani

    And the Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani—stood on the raised platform and cried out in a loud voice to the LORD their God.

  4. Nehemiah 9:5 בָּנִ֨י Bani

    Then the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah—said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting: Blessed be Your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.

    Here: A Levite name, probably a short form meaning '(God) has built'. It appears twice in the list in v. 4.

  5. Nehemiah 10:13 בָנִ֖י Bani

    Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.

  6. Nehemiah 10:14 בָּנִֽי׃ Bani

    And the leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

  7. Nehemiah 11:22 בָּנִי֙ Bani

    Now the overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica. He was one of Asaph’s descendants, who were the singers in charge of the service of the house of God.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.