THE FULL ARTICLE — from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915), general editor James Orr — public domain, printed whole.

bil'-ga bil'-ga-i (bilgah; bilgay, "cheerfulness"): A priest or priestly family in the time of the Return (Ne 12:5), and (under the form of "Bilgai," Ne 10:8) in the time of Nehemiah. According to 1Ch 24:14, Bilgah is the 15th of the 24 divisions of the priests who officiated in the Temple. In the Septuagint, the names read Belgai, Belga and Balgas. The traditional explanation of the name is "rejuvenation"; modern exegetes explain it as "cheerfulness."