BILSHAN (bĭl’shăn). One of the eleven or twelve leaders of the Jews who returned from captivity in 536 b.c. (Ezra.2.2; Neh.7.7).
BILSHAN bĭl’ shăn (
בִּלְשָׁ֛ן, meaning perhaps
inquirer, or
their lord). One of the eleven or twelve leaders of those Jews who returned from captivity under leadership of Jeshua and Zerubbabel as a result of the decree of Cyrus, king of Persia (
Ezra 2:2;
Neh 7:7). In
1 Esdras 5:8 he is called Belsarus, bĕl sä’ rŭs (
Βεελσάρος; perhaps from Akkad.
Belshar, Bel is king; KJV, ASV Beelsarus, bē ěl’ se rŭs).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)
An Israelite who returned with Zerubbabel (Ezr 2:2 = Ne 7:7). The name may be explained as the "inquirer" (new Hebrew and Aramaic), balash, the ("b" being an abbreviation of ben, as in bidhqar, and bimhal. Bilshan would then be a compound of ben, and lashon. J. Halevy (Revue etudes juives, X, 3)) translates the name "pere de la langue," ’abh lashon. In 1 Esdras 5:8, he is called "Beelsarus," which is akin to the form "Belshar" = "Belshar-uccur" or "O Bel, protect king." Bilshan points to "Belsun," "his lord." The rabbis take Bilshan as a surname to the preceding
Mordecai. H. J. Wolf
