Word Study for H4012 (מְבֻנַּי)

Mᵉbunnay /meb-oon-hah'-ee/ Ask about this word

Meaningbuilt up; Mebunnai, an Israelite

KJV usageMebunnai.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of Mᵉbunnay — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word Mᵉbunnay, represented by H4012, is defined as built up. It appears 1 time in 1 unique verse in the Bible and is used as the name of an Israelite.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The single appearance of H4012 is in a list of names. In 2 Samuel 23:27, the text reads, "Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite." In this context, Mebunnai is identified as a Hushathite H2843 and is listed immediately after Abiezer H44.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide context for the sole occurrence of Mebunnai:

H2843 Chushâthîy (Hushathite): This is the patronymic descriptor used to identify Mebunnai, meaning "a Chushathite or descendant of Chushah" 2 Samuel 23:27.
H44 ʼĂbîyʻezer (Abiezer): The name of the Israelite listed directly before Mebunnai in 2 Samuel 23:27. The name means "father of help (i.e. helpful)."
H6069 ʻAnthôthîy (Anethothite): This describes Abiezer as an "inhabitant of Anathoth" and is used in the same verse, providing parallel structure to the identification of Mebunnai 2 Samuel 23:27.

Theological Significance

The significance of H4012 is tied exclusively to the identity of the individual it names within its single biblical mention.

Specific Identification: The name is not presented in isolation. Mebunnai is explicitly linked to a group or place as "the Hushathite" H2843, grounding his identity in the biblical record 2 Samuel 23:27.
Defined by Association: He is listed alongside Abiezer H44 the Anethothite H6069, placing him within a specific company of individuals.
Etymological Root: The name itself, meaning "built up," offers a descriptive quality, though its direct significance for the individual is not detailed in the surrounding text.

Summary

In summary, H4012 refers to a specific Israelite, Mebunnay. Its entire biblical presence is contained in 2 Samuel 23:27, where he is named as "the Hushathite" H2843 in a list with other men like Abiezer H44. While its definition is "built up," its primary function in scripture is to name this one individual.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 1 occurrence, inflected in 1 grammatical form — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

מְבֻנַּי

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

1 verse, all in 2 Samuel — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.