Ancestor of temple servants who returned from exile
Besai
Named in 2 verses across 2 books, first in Ezra 2:49.
בֵּסַיBesai
The name means “a despising; dirty.” Hitchcock's Bible Names, 1869
About Besai Written by AI
Besai was the ancestor of a group of temple servants (Nethinim) who returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity (Ezr. 2:49; Neh. 7:52). The Nethinim were a class of people assigned to assist the Levites in the maintenance and service of the temple. They were likely descendants of the Gibeonites, who had been appointed by Joshua to serve as woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and the altar of the Lord (Josh. 9:27). The return of Besai's descendants, along with other Nethinim, demonstrates the restoration of temple worship and the importance of the Nethinim's role in supporting the Levites' ministry.
Drafted by an AI model for STEPBible's TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Check it against the verses below.
Where the Bible names him
- Ezra 2:49
the descendants of Uzza, the descendants of Paseah, the descendants of Besai,
- Nehemiah 7:52
the descendants of Besai, the descendants of Meunim, the descendants of Nephushesim,
From STEPBible's TIPNR, Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0): names, family, references and the AI written article. Verse text is the BSB.