Lexical Summary
ben: Son, descendant, member of a group
Original Word:בֵּן
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:ben
Pronunciation:ben
Phonetic Spelling:(bane)
NASB:sons, children, young
Word Origin:[(Aramaic) corresponding toH1121 (בֵּן - sons)]
1. child, son, young
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
child, son, young
(Aramaic) corresponding toben -- child, son, young.
see HEBREWben
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to
ben, see
barDefinitionson
NASB Translationamong* (1), children (1), exiles* (4), sons (4), young (1).
Topical Lexicon
OverviewStrong’s Hebrew 1123 בֵּן (ben) appears in the Aramaic sections of Ezra and Daniel to denote a male descendant, a member of a collective group, or, by extension, an item characterized by youthful quality (“young bulls”). Though numerically limited to eleven occurrences, these texts span royal court records, temple-building edicts, and narrative history, offering a compact yet theologically rich window into covenant identity, dynastic responsibility, and communal worship in the post-exilic era.
Literary Range and Semantic Nuance
1. Literal offspring: “pray for the lives of the king and his sons” (Ezra 6:10).
2. Corporate identity: “one of the exiles from Judah” (Daniel 6:13); lit. “one of the sons of the captivity,” underscoring solidarity among returned or displaced Jews.
3. Sacrificial language: “young bulls” (Ezra 6:9) where ben functions as “calf,” linking youthfulness with acceptable offerings.
4. Representative progeny: “their wives and children” (Daniel 6:24), showing generational reach of justice.
Sonship in the Post-Exilic Community
Ezra’s narrative is set within Persian decrees that financed temple reconstruction. The repeated appeal for priestly intercession “for the king and his sons” (Ezra 6:10; 7:23) highlights two truths:
• The Gentile empire acknowledged Israel’s God as “the God of heaven,” demonstrating divine sovereignty over nations.
• Royal sons are portrayed as covenant beneficiaries whose welfare is bound to proper worship in Jerusalem—an echo ofGenesis 12:3 where blessing hinges on God’s people.
Royal Consequences and Dynastic Continuity
Daniel’s court tales contrast wise, faithful “sons of the captivity” (Daniel 2:25; 6:13) with complacent royal heirs (Daniel 5:13, 21). Nebuchadnezzar’s madness and Belshazzar’s downfall reveal that human dynasties stand or fall under God’s hand regardless of lineage. Yet the same term “son” that marks their fragility also preserves hope: God can raise faithful sons from exile to influence empires.
Temple Worship and Intercession
The word appears twice in a single verse that recounts the joyous dedication of the rebuilt temple (Ezra 6:16). While the term itself does not surface in English translation of that clause, the Aramaic idiom “sons of Israel” underlines covenant continuity from pre-exilic worship to the restored altar. Sacrificial “young bulls” (Ezra 6:9) reinforce that acceptable worship requires what is best and represents the future strength of the herd—an implicit call to dedicate one’s best and one’s next generation to the Lord.
Echoes in the Book of Daniel
Daniel 6:24—where accusers’ “children” share their fathers’ fate—demonstrates the sobering reach of sin. Yet the larger narrative arc points to deliverance of the truly faithful “son” in the lions’ den, prefiguring ultimate vindication in Christ. Similarly,Daniel 2:38 identifies Nebuchadnezzar as sovereign over “all mankind,” yet the kingdom is granted by the Most High who later entrusts dominion to “One like a Son of Man” (Daniel 7:13), bridging Aramaic ben-imagery with messianic expectation.
Typological Significance
• Covenant lineage: “sons of the captivity” become a living sign that God preserves a remnant.
• Priestly intercession: royal “sons” benefit from sacrifices offered on their behalf, foreshadowing the once-for-all intercession of the Son of God (Hebrews 7:25).
• Generational accountability:Daniel 6:24 warns that unbelief and opposition to God imperil not only oneself but one’s household (compareActs 16:31 for the positive counterpart).
Practical Ministry Insights
1. Encourage corporate identity: remind believers they are “sons” and daughters of the greater exodus, called to holiness within a foreign culture.
2. Prioritize intercessory prayer for leaders and their families as modeled inEzra 6:10.
3. Teach stewardship of the “next generation” in both worship and discipline, as the term ben inherently calls to mind lineage and legacy.
4. Highlight God’s sovereignty over earthly dynasties, assuring the congregation that fidelity, not genealogy or power, secures true significance.
In every occurrence, בֵּן underscores relationship—biological, communal, or sacrificial—pointing ultimately to the perfect Son whose faithfulness secures redemption for all who believe.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּֽנֵי־ בְּנֵ֤י בְּנֵ֨י בְּנֵי֩ בְּנֵי־ בְּנֵיה֣וֹן בְנֵֽי־ בני בני־ בניהון וּבְנֵ֣י וּבְנֽוֹהִי׃ ובנוהי׃ ובני bə·nê bə·nê- ḇə·nê- bə·nê·hō·wn bənê bənê- ḇənê- bənêhōwn benei beneiHon ū·ḇə·nê ū·ḇə·nō·w·hî ūḇənê ūḇənōwhî uveNei uveNohi venei
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
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