Lexical Definition
Βενιαμίν Beniamín (ben-ee-am-een') Benjamin N:N-M-P
of Hebrew origin (בִּנְיָמִין)
Benjamin.
- Benjamin, an Israelite
Abbott-Smith
Βενιαμίν, (Rec. -μίν), ὁ, indecl. (Heb. בֶּנְיָמִין),
Benjamin: Ac 13:21, Ro 11:1, Phl 3:5, Re 7:8.†
Abbott-Smith References
| Book | Refs |
|---|---|
| Acts | 13:21 |
| Romans | 11:1 |
| Philippians | 3:5 |
| Revelation | 7:8 |
Profile
Male • Son of Israel • Youngest son of Jacob and Rachel
Jacob's son living at the time of the Patriarchs
Benjamin, initially named Ben-oni by his mother Rachel, was the youngest son of Jacob.
- Jacob's son who founded the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.35.18;
- referred to as Benjamin or Benjaminite בִּנְיָמִין, or Ben-oni בֶּן־אוֹנִי, or [Ben]jamin יָמִין, or Benjaminite בֶּן־יְמִינִי, or [Ben]jaminite יְמִינִי, or [Ben]jaminite יְמִינִי, or Benjamin Βενιαμίν;
- son of Israel יִשְׂרָאֵל and Rachel רָחֵל;
- a brother of Joseph יוֹסֵף;
- half-brother of: Reuben רְאוּבֵן, Simeon שִׁמְעוֹן, Levi לֵוִי, Judah יְהוּדָה, Dan דָּן, Naphtali נַפְתָּלִי, Gad גָּד, Asher אָשֵׁר, Issachar יִשָּׂשכָר, Zebulun זְבוּלוּן and Dinah דִּינָה;
- father of Bela בֶּלַע, Becher בֶכֶר, Ashbel אַשְׁבֵּל, Gera גֵּרָא, Naaman נַעֲמָן, Ahiram אֲחִירָם, Rosh רֹאשׁ, Muppim מֻפִּים, Huppim חֻפִּים, Ard אַרְדְּ, Ahiram אֲחִירָם and Jediael יְדִיעֲאֵל.
Benjamin was the youngest son of Israel (or 'Jacob') and his beloved wife Rachel. Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin and named him Ben-oni, meaning "son of my sorrow," but Jacob renamed him Benjamin, meaning "son of the right hand" (Gen. 35:18,24). Benjamin was one of the twelve sons of Jacob who became the ancestors of the twelve tribes of Israel.
As a young man, Benjamin was kept at home by his father while his brothers went to Egypt to buy grain during a famine (Gen. 42:4). Later, when the brothers returned to Egypt with Benjamin, Joseph showed favoritism towards him (Gen. 43:34). After Joseph revealed his identity, he sent his brothers back to Canaan with gifts, giving Benjamin 300 pieces of silver and five sets of clothes (Gen. 45:22).
In Jacob's final blessing, he described Benjamin as a "ravenous wolf" (Gen. 49:27), possibly alluding to the tribe's fierceness in battle. During the Exodus, the tribe of Benjamin was led by Abidan son of Gideoni (Num. 1:11; 2:22). Notable Benjamites include Ehud, a left-handed judge who delivered Israel from Moabite oppression (Jdg. 3:15), and King Saul, the first king of Israel (1 Sam. 9:21).
The tribe of Benjamin was known for its military prowess and played a significant role in Israel's history, despite being one of the smallest tribes. They were loyal to David during Absalom's rebellion (2 Sam. 19:17) and later supported the southern kingdom of Judah after the division of the monarchy (1 Ki. 12:21). In the New Testament, the apostle Paul proudly identified himself as a Benjamite (Rom. 11:1; Phil. 3:5).
All entries for Benjamin or Ben-oni: בִּנְיָמִין ☩ בֶּן־אוֹנִי ☩ יָמִין ☩ בֶּן־יְמִינִי ☩ יְמִינִי ☩ יְמִינִי ☩ Βενιαμίν
Related Profiles:
- Israel (father)
- Rachel (mother)
- Reuben (sibling)
- Simeon (sibling)
- Levi (sibling)
- Judah (sibling)
- Dan (sibling)
- Naphtali (sibling)
- Gad (sibling)
- Asher (sibling)
- Issachar (sibling)
- Zebulun (sibling)
- Dinah (sibling)
- Joseph (sibling)
- Bela (child)
- Becher (child)
- Ashbel (child)
- Gera (child)
- Naaman (child)
- Rosh (child)
- Muppim (child)
- Huppim (child)
- Ard (child)
- Ahiram (child)
- Jediael (child)