Lexical Definition

‎בִּנְיָמִין‎ Binyâmîyn (bin-yaw-mene') Benjamin ^N:N-M-P
from ‎בֵּן‎ and ‎יָמִין‎; son of (the) right hand

Benjamin.

• § Benjamin = "son of the right hand"
• Binjamin, youngest son of Jacob
• also the tribe descended from him, and its territory

1) Jacob's and Rachel's youngest son, Joseph's full brother
2) son of Bilhan, great-grandson of Benjamin
3) a Benjamite, one of the sons of Harim, in the time of Ezra who had taken a strange wife
4) the tribe descended from Benjamin, the son of Jacob

See Greek: Βενιαμίν

Extended Information

• A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.35.18
• son of: Israel (יִשְׂרָאֵל) and Rachel (רָחֵל)
• 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), Ehi (אֵחִי), Rosh (רֹאשׁ), Muppim (מֻפִּים), Huppim (חֻפִּים), Ard (אַרְדְּ), Ahiram (אֲחִירָם) and Jediael (יְדִיעֲאֵל); also called Jamin at 1Sa.9.1, 4 22.7 1x

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎בִּנְיָמִין‎ Gen 35:18 +; usually ‎בִּנְיָמִן‎ proper name, masculine₁₆₆ (son of (the) right hand) —

1. youngest son of Jacob, so called by him, but by Rachel, the mother, who died at Benjamin's birth, called ‎בֶּןאֿוֺנִי‎ (q. v.) Gen 35:18 own brother of Joseph Gen 35:24; Gen 42:4; Gen 43:29; Gen 45:12 compare Gen 42:36; Gen 45:15; Gen 45:34 +; name of tribe of Benjamin Num 1:11; Deut 27:12; Deut 33:12; Judg 5:14 + 23 t. Judges; 32 t. Samuel Kings Chronicles; Hos 5:8; Ezek 48:23; Obad 1:19; Ps 68:28*; Ps 80:3* ‎בְּנֵי בנימן‎ (literal Gen 46:21) of tribe Num 1:36; Num 2:22; Num 7:60; Num 26:38; Num 26:41; Josh 18:20; Josh 18:28; Judg 20:3; Judg 20:14; Judg 20:15; Judg 20:18; Judg 20:21; Judg 20:23; Judg 20:24; Judg 20:28; Judg 20:30; Judg 20:31; Judg 20:32; Judg 20:36; Judg 20:48; Judg 21:18; Judg 21:20; Judg 21:23; 2Sam 2:25; 2Sam 4:2; 2Sam 23:29; 1Chr 8:40; 1Chr 9:3; 1Chr 9:7; 1Chr 11:31; 1Chr 12:17*; 1Chr 12:30*; Neh 11:4; Neh 11:7; Neh 11:31; Jer 6:1; Judg 1:21 (twice in verse) (but ‎בני יהודה‎ in || Josh 15:63 compare Bu^{RS 7}); explicitly ‎מַטֵּה בִנְיָמִן‎ Num 1:37; Num 2:22; Num 13:9; Num 34:21; Josh 21:4; 1Chr 6:45* compare Josh 21:17 ‎מַטֵּה‎ ‎׳‎‎בְנֵי ב‎ Num 10:24; Josh 18:11; Josh 18:21; 1Chr 6:50* ‎׳‎‎שֵׁבֶט ב‎ 1Sam 10:20; 1Sam 10:21; 1Kgs 12:21 observe also ‎׳‎‎כָּלשִֿׁבְטֵי ב‎ Judg 20:12 compare 1Sam 9:21 ‎אִישׁ בִּנְיָמִן‎ Judg 20:41; 1Sam 4:12 compare ‎אִישׁ‎ ‎מִבִּןיָֿ֯מִין‎ 1Sam 9:1 ‎אֶרֶץ בִּנְיָמִן‎ Judg 21:21; 1Sam 9:16; 2Sam 21:14; Jer 1:1; Jer 17:26; Jer 32:44; Jer 33:13; Jer 37:12 compare Jer 32:8 ‎׳‎‎גְּבוּל ב‎ 1Sam 10:2; Ezek 48:22 (strike out Co) vEzek 48:24 ‎בֵּית בִּנְיָמִן‎ 2Sam 3:19 ‎בֵּית‎ ‎׳‎‎יְהוּדָה וּב‎ 1Kgs 12:23; 2Chr 11:1 in name of a temple-gate ‎הָעֶלְיוֺן‎ ‎׳‎‎שַׁעַר ב‎ Jer 20:2 compare Jer 37:13; Jer 38:7; Ezek 48:32; Zech 14:10.

2. a son of Bilhan and great-grandson of Benjamin

1. 1Chr 7:10.

3. a Jew of Ezra's time Ezra 10:32 compare Neh 3:23; Neh 12:34. — ‎בנימן בני פרץ‎ 1Chr 9:4 Kt read with Qr ‎׳‎‎בָּנִי מִןבְּֿנֵי פ‎.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

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)