Bible Encyclopedias
Bilgah; Bilgai

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

bil´ga bil´gā̇ -ı̄ ( בּלגּה , bilgāh ; בּלגּי , bı̄lgay , "cheerfulness"): A priest or priestly family in the time of the Return (Nehemiah 12:5 ), and (under the form of "Bilgai," Nehemiah 10:8 ) in the time of Nehemiah. According to 1 Chronicles 24:14 , Bilgah is the 15th of the 24 divisions of the priests who officiated in the Temple. In the Septuagint, the names read Βελγάι , Belgái , Belgá and Balgás ̌ . The traditional explanation of the name is "rejuvenation"; modern exegetes explain it as "cheerfulness.»