Who was Baana in the bible?

Baana (also spelled in transliteration as Ba’ana’) is a Hebrew name borne by multiple Israelites in Scripture. In the verses provided, the name identifies two men listed among regional officers, and it also appears as the father of a man named Zadok.

Baana in Scripture

The first Baana named appears in a list of officials described by their assigned districts. In the sequence of names and regions, Baana is identified by patronymic and territory:

“Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth Shean which is beside Zarethan, beneath Jezreel, from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah, as far as beyond Jokmeam;” (1 Kings 4:12, WEB)

The surrounding verses show this statement as part of a broader roster of district assignments, each naming a person and the area “belonged to him.” For example, immediately before Baana’s line:

“Ben Hesed, in Arubboth (Socoh and all the land of Hepher belonged to him);” (1 Kings 4:10, WEB)

“Ben Abinadab, in all the height of Dor (he had Taphath, Solomon’s daughter, as wife);” (1 Kings 4:11, WEB)

After Baana son of Ahilud, the list continues with further officials and their jurisdictions:

“Ben Geber, in Ramoth Gilead (the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead, belonged to him; and the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars, belonged to him);” (1 Kings 4:13, WEB)

“Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim;” (1 Kings 4:14, WEB)

“Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon as wife);” (1 Kings 4:15, WEB)

Within this same roster, a second man named Baana is introduced, again with his father’s name and a territorial assignment:

“Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth;” (1 Kings 4:16, WEB)

The list continues onward with additional district heads and regions, which further frames Baana son of Hushai as one officer among others:

“Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar;” (1 Kings 4:17, WEB)

“Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin;” (1 Kings 4:18, WEB)

“Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer who was in the land.” (1 Kings 4:19, WEB)

The third occurrence of the name appears in a different setting: a record of repairs made by various individuals “next to” one another. In that sequence, Baana is not the worker named, but the father of the worker:

“Next to them, Meremoth the son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz made repairs. Next to them, Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel made repairs. Next to them, Zadok the son of Baana made repairs.” (Nehemiah 3:4, WEB)

The surrounding lines keep the focus on a continuous chain of adjacent work assignments, helping place Zadok son of Baana among other repairers:

“Next to him the men of Jericho built. Next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.” (Nehemiah 3:2, WEB)

“The sons of Hassenaah built the fish gate. They laid its beams, and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars.” (Nehemiah 3:3, WEB)

“Next to them, the Tekoites made repairs; but their nobles didn’t put their necks to the Lord’s work.” (Nehemiah 3:5, WEB)

“Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the old gate. They laid its beams, and set up its doors, and its bolts, and its bars.” (Nehemiah 3:6, WEB)

“Next to them, Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, repaired the residence of the governor beyond the River.” (Nehemiah 3:7, WEB)

Multiple bearers

The lexicon identity gloss states that Baana is “the name of four Israelite,” meaning the name is shared by more than one person. In the verses provided, three distinct references appear:

(1) Baana son of Ahilud is associated with a defined set of locations: “in Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth Shean… from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah, as far as beyond Jokmeam” (1 Kings 4:12).

(2) Baana son of Hushai is associated with a different region: “in Asher and Bealoth” (1 Kings 4:16).

(3) Baana, father of Zadok, is known through the identification “Zadok the son of Baana” among those who “made repairs” (Nehemiah 3:4).

Name and Meaning

In Hebrew script the name is written בַּעֲנָא, transliterated Ba’ana’, and pronounced bah-an-aw’. Strong’s derivation notes that it is “the same as H1196,” and identifies a related component form, Ba’anah (בַּעֲנָה), described as “Baanah, the name of four Israelites.”

Observation

Across the passages, the name Baana is linked to public work described in two ways: territorial responsibility (“Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo…,” 1 Kings 4:12; “Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth,” 1 Kings 4:16) and hands-on rebuilding through his son (“Zadok the son of Baana made repairs,” Nehemiah 3:4).

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the name Baana mean?

Baana is given as the name of four Israelites.

How many times does Baana appear in the Bible?

Baana appears 3 times.

Who was Baana in the Bible?

Baana is the name of four Israelites, including “Baana the son of Ahilud” (1 Kings 4:12) and “Baana the son of Hushai” (1 Kings 4:16).

Which Baana is mentioned in connection with Taanach and Megiddo?

“Baana the son of Ahilud” is mentioned “in Taanach and Megiddo” (1 Kings 4:12).

Explore Further

If you found this page about Baana interesting and would like to discover more about other biblical characters, explore our comprehensive Encyclopedia of Biblical Characters. For those looking to delve deeper into the Greek origins of these names and terms, our Greek Lexicon is an invaluable resource.

Sources: Name and occurrence data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and STEPBible reference data (CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).