bil´shan ( בּלשׁן , bilshān ): An Israelite who returned with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:2 = Nehemiah 7:7 ). The name may be explained as "inquirer" (new Hebrew and Aramaic), בלשׁ , bālash , the (ב "b" being an abbreviation of בּן , ben , as in בּדקר , bidhḳar , and בּמהל , bimhāl ̌ . Bilshan would then be a compound of בּן , ben , and לשון , lāshōn ̌ . J. Halévy (Revue études juives , X, 3) translates the name "père de la langue," אב לשׁון , 'abh lāshōn ̌ . In 1 Esdras 5:8, he is called "Beelsarus," which is akin to the form "Belshar" = "Belshar -uṣṣur " or "O Bel, protect the king." Bilshan points to "Belšun ," "his lord." The rabbis take Bilshan as a surname to the preceding Mordecai.
Source
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source-manifest/isbe— ISBE (PD)