896. Babelay
Lexical Summary
Babelay: Babylonians

Original Word: בּבְלִי
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: Babliy
Pronunciation: BAH-vel
Phonetic Spelling: (bab-lee')
KJV: Babylonia
NASB: Babylonians
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) patrial from H89 (אָגֵא - Agee)5]

1. a Babylonian

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Babylonia

(Aramaic) patrial from Babel; a Babylonian -- Babylonia.

see HEBREW Babel

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
(Aramaic) from Babel
Definition
inhab. of Bab.
NASB Translation
Babylonians (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[בָּֽבְלַי] adjective, of a people plural emphatic as substantive בָּֽבְלָיֵא Ezra 4:9 the Babylonians.

Topical Lexicon
Entry Heading: Babli (Babylonians)

Historical Setting

The single biblical use of בּבְלִי occurs in the Persian-period narrative found in Ezra 4:9. Cyrus the Great had already allowed the first group of Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and begin rebuilding the temple (Ezra 1:1–4). By the reign of Artaxerxes I, various ethnic groups transplanted throughout the former Assyrian and Babylonian empires were living in the province “Beyond the River” (west of the Euphrates). These settlers—including the Babylonians—formed a coalition to hinder the restoration work in Jerusalem.

Occurrence in Scripture

Ezra 4:9 names the Babylonians among those who signed a letter of accusation to Artaxerxes:

“From Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues—the judges and officials, the administrators and supervisors, the Persians, the men of Erech, and Babylon, the Susanchites (that is, the Elamites)—” (Berean Standard Bible).

The term is a gentilic describing people whose ancestral origin was Babylon. Though resident in Samaria or its environs, they retained an ethnic identity distinct enough to be listed separately.

Babylonian Presence in the Post-Exilic Province

After successive deportations under the Assyrian and Babylonian monarchies (2 Kings 17:24; 2 Kings 24:14–16), transplanted populations were strategically settled to secure imperial control. By Persian times these groups, loyal to their imperial patrons and wary of a resurgent Judah, opposed the rebuilding of both temple and city walls. Their letter contributed to the temporary cessation of the project (Ezra 4:23–24). Thus, even in the Persian era, Babylonian influence remained an obstacle to covenant restoration in the land.

Continuity of the Babylon Motif

1. Babel/Babylon begins as a symbol of human pride and organized rebellion against God at the tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1–9).
2. Historical Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar becomes the instrument of Judah’s exile (2 Kings 25:1–21; Jeremiah 25:8–11).
3. Post-exilic Babylonians, though fewer in number, still represent resistance to God’s redemptive plan (Ezra 4:9).
4. Prophetically, “Babylon” develops into the archetype of worldly power opposed to God, culminating in the downfall of “Babylon the Great” (Revelation 17–18).

The rare appearance of בּבְלִי in Ezra 4:9 gently reminds the reader that Babylon’s opposition, while mutating across eras, persists until the final victory of God’s kingdom.

Theological Reflections

• God’s sovereign purposes advance despite opposition. The pause forced by the Babylonians and their allies only set the stage for renewed prophetic encouragement through Haggai and Zechariah, leading to completion of the temple (Ezra 6:14–15).
• Exile and return illustrate both judgment and mercy. The same Babylon that once exiled Judah later supplies settlers who oppose the returnees; nevertheless, the Lord overturns their schemes.
• The people of God must expect resistance from entrenched worldly systems, yet trust the Lord’s faithfulness. As the psalmist declares, “The LORD foils the plans of the nations; He frustrates the devices of the peoples” (Psalm 33:10).

Ministry Applications

1. Perseverance: When modern believers face bureaucratic, cultural, or ideological pressure, Ezra 4 shows that setbacks do not nullify divine mandates.
2. Discernment: Like post-exilic Judah, the church must distinguish between collaboration that furthers God’s mission and alliances that compromise it (Ezra 4:1–3).
3. Hope: Babylon’s recurring role as antagonist underscores the certainty of God’s ultimate triumph. “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Related Topics

• Babel—origin of the Babylon motif (Genesis 11:1–9)
• Exile and Return (2 Chronicles 36; Ezra 1–6)
• Opposition to God’s Work (Nehemiah 4; Acts 4:18–31)

Forms and Transliterations
בָבְלָיֵא֙ בבליא ḇā·ḇə·lā·yê ḇāḇəlāyê vavelaYe
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Ezra 4:9
HEB: (אַרְכְּוָיֵ֤א ק) בָבְלָיֵא֙ שֽׁוּשַׁנְכָיֵ֔א [דִּהוּא
NAS: the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa,
KJV: the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites,
INT: the secretaries Archevite the Babylonians the men forasmuch

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 896
1 Occurrence


ḇā·ḇə·lā·yê — 1 Occ.

895
Top of Page
Top of Page