Lexical Summary
Binyamin: Benjamin
Original Word:בִּנְיָמִין
Part of Speech:Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration:Binyamiyn
Pronunciation:bin-yah-MEEN
Phonetic Spelling:(bin-yaw-mene')
KJV: Benjamin
NASB:Benjamin, Benjamin's
Word Origin:[fromH1121 (בֵּן - sons) andH3225 (יָמִין - right hand)]
1. son of (the) right hand
2. Binjamin, youngest son of Jacob
3. also the tribe descended from him, and its territory
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Benjamin
Fromben andyamiyn; son of (the) right hand; Binjamin, youngest son of Jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory -- Benjamin.
see HEBREWben
see HEBREWyamiyn
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
ben and
yaminDefinition"son of (the) right hand," youngest son of Jacob, also the name of two other Isr .
NASB TranslationBenjamin (162), Benjamin's (4).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Genesis 35:18 +; usually
166 (
son of (the) right hand) —
, so called by him, but by Rachel, the mother, who died at Benjamin's birth, called (q. v.)Genesis 35:18; own brother of JosephGenesis 35:24;Genesis 42:4;Genesis 43:29;Genesis 45:12; compareGenesis 42:36;Genesis 45:15;Genesis 45:34 +; name of tribe of BenjaminNumbers 1:11;Deuteronomy 27:12;Deuteronomy 33:12;Judges 5:14 23t. Judges; 32t. Samuel Kings Chronicles;Hosea 5:8;Ezekiel 48:23; Obadiah 19;Psalm 68:28;Psalm 80:3; (literalGenesis 46:21) of tribeNumbers 1:36;Numbers 2:22;Numbers 7:60;Numbers 26:38,41;Joshua 18:20,28;Judges 20:3,14,15,18,21,23,24,28,30,31,32,36,48;Judges 21:18,20,23;2 Samuel 2:25;2 Samuel 4:2;2 Samuel 23:29;1 Chronicles 8:40;1 Chronicles 9:3,7;1 Chronicles 11:31;1 Chronicles 12:17;1 Chronicles 12:30;Nehemiah 11:4,7,31;Jeremiah 6:1;Judges 1:21 (twice in verse) (but in ""Joshua 15:63 compare BuRS 7); explicitlyNumbers 1:37;Numbers 2:22;Numbers 13:9;Numbers 34:21;Joshua 21:4;1 Chronicles 6:45 compareJoshua 21:17;Numbers 10:24;Joshua 18:11,21;1 Chronicles 6:50;1 Samuel 10:20,21;1 Kings 12:21; observe alsoJudges 20:12 compare1 Samuel 9:21;Judges 20:41;1 Samuel 4:12 compare1 Samuel 9:1;Judges 21:21;1 Samuel 9:16;2 Samuel 21:14;Jeremiah 1:1;Jeremiah 17:26;Jeremiah 32:44;Jeremiah 33:13;Jeremiah 37:12; compareJeremiah 32:8;1 Samuel 10:2;Ezekiel 48:22 (strike out Co)Ezekiel 48:24;2 Samuel 3:19;1 Kings 12:23; 2Chronicles 11:1; in name of a temple-gateJeremiah 20:2; compareJeremiah 37:13;Jeremiah 38:7;Ezekiel 48:32;Zechariah 14:10.
1 Chronicles 7:10.
Ezra 10:32 compareNehemiah 3:23;Nehemiah 12:34. —1 Chronicles 9:4 Kt read with Qr .
Topical Lexicon
Person of BenjaminThe seventeenth and last-born of the patriarch Jacob, Benjamin enters the narrative at Rachel’s fatal childbirth near Bethlehem (Genesis 35:16-20). Rachel’s dying words, “He is Ben-oni,” highlight her sorrow, yet Jacob immediately confers the redemptive name Benjamin, and from that moment his youngest son becomes an object of special affection. When famine drives Jacob’s family to Egypt, the brothers’ treatment of Benjamin exposes their repentance over past sins against Joseph (Genesis 42–45). The inclusion of Benjamin in Jacob’s final journey to Egypt (Genesis 46:19, 21) and in Joseph’s reconciliation scene underscores the unifying purpose God was bringing to the chosen family.
Patriarchal and Prophetic Blessings
Jacob’s dying oracle pictures Benjamin as “a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey and in the evening he divides the plunder” (Genesis 49:27). The tribe would prove fierce in battle yet generous in sharing spoils. Moses later prays: “May the beloved of the LORD dwell secure beside Him; He shields him all day long, and the one loved by Him rests on His shoulders” (Deuteronomy 33:12). The juxtaposition of bold aggression and tender protection will mark Benjamite history—a small people upheld by the right hand of God.
Territorial Inheritance
Joshua assigns Benjamin a compact yet strategic allotment between Ephraim to the north and Judah to the south (Joshua 18:11-28). The region straddles major north–south and east–west routes, explaining the tribe’s outsized influence. Cities include Jericho, Bethel, Gibeon, Mizpah, Gibeah, and the very border of Jerusalem, whose Temple Mount lies just within Judah while its northern extension is traditionally viewed as Benjamite ground (Joshua 18:28;Judges 1:21). This frontier position often places Benjamin at the epicenter of national events.
Historical Events Involving the Tribe
1. Period of the Judges
• Ehud, the left-handed deliverer, springs from Benjamin to strike Eglon of Moab (Judges 3:15-30).
• Civil war erupts when Gibeah’s atrocity brings judgment upon the tribe (Judges 19–21). Though reduced to six hundred men, Benjamin survives by divine mercy and the intercession of Israel, illustrating both the severity of sin and the commitment to covenant unity.
2. Rise of the Monarchy
• Saul, Israel’s first king, is a Benjamite of Gibeah (1 Samuel 9:1-2). His reign reflects the tribe’s martial prowess and mixed legacy.
• Jonathan’s covenant loyalty to David and the later defection of many Benjamites to David at Ziklag (1 Chronicles 12:1-7) display the tribe’s ultimate alignment with God’s chosen dynasty.
3. Divided Kingdom and Exile
• After Solomon, Benjamin remains with Judah in the southern kingdom (1 Kings 12:21-24). Shared custody of Jerusalem knits their destinies together.
• Jeremiah, himself from Anathoth in Benjamin (Jeremiah 1:1), repeatedly references the “land of Benjamin” and the “Benjamin Gate” (Jeremiah 7:2; 20:2; 37:13). The prophet’s personal ties amplify his calls for repentance.
• Exilic and post-exilic lists name Benjamites among the faithful remnant returning to rebuild Temple and walls (Ezra 1:5;Nehemiah 11:4-9).
Notable Benjamites
• Ehud the Judge (Judges 3)
• Saul the King and his son Jonathan (1 Samuel)
• Abner the commander (2 Samuel 3)
• Shimei son of Gera (2 Samuel 16)
• Mordecai and Queen Esther, whose obedience safeguards the Jewish people in Persia (Esther 2:5–7)
• The Apostle Paul, “of the tribe of Benjamin” (Romans 11:1;Philippians 3:5)
Prophetic and Poetic Motifs
Hosea’s cry, “Blow the horn in Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah; sound the alarm at Beth-aven… after you, Benjamin!” (Hosea 5:8), uses Benjamite towns to announce judgment on the northern kingdom. Jeremiah and Zechariah invoke Benjamin to speak of Jerusalem’s restoration (Jeremiah 33:11;Zechariah 14:10).Psalm 68:27 poeticizes Benjamin, “the least of them, their ruler,” marching before the sanctuary, affirming that God delights to elevate the humble.
Benjamin in Post-Exilic and New Testament Context
Genealogies in1 Chronicles 7–9 preserve Benjamite lines, confirming the tribe’s continuity. After exile, men of Benjamin, along with Judah, spearhead the rebuilding (Ezra 4:1;Nehemiah 12:34). Centuries later Paul testifies, “I ask then, has God rejected His people? Absolutely not! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin” (Romans 11:1). The apostle’s heritage counters any claim that God has annulled His promises to Israel, while his conversion showcases grace operating within Benjamin’s legacy.
Spiritual Themes and Ministry Applications
1. God’s Strength Perfected in Smallness
Benjamin is regularly called “little” (Psalm 68:27), yet rises to leadership in battle, royalty, and apostolic mission. His account assures believers that divine election, not human stature, secures victory.
2. Right-Hand Fellowship
The patriarch’s renaming signifies favor at the right hand. In Christ, all who trust Him are seated “at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1), enjoying the same covenant nearness symbolized by Benjamin.
3. Covenant Community and Restoration
The near-extinction of Benjamin and his later inclusion in Judah prefigure God’s ability to discipline yet preserve His people. This history undergirds confidence in the Lord’s promises to restore both Israel and the Church when they stray.
4. Zeal Redirected
From Saul’s misguided persecution of David to Paul’s former zeal against the Church, Benjamin’s narrative warns that passion divorced from obedience harms the body; yet once surrendered, such zeal becomes a powerful instrument for the gospel.
The approximately one hundred sixty-seven occurrences of Benjamin across the Old Testament weave a tapestry of divine faithfulness, human weakness, and ultimate redemption—threads that find their fulfillment in the Messiah who gathers all tribes, including Benjamin, into one eternal kingdom.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּבִנְיָמִֽן׃ בְּבִנְיָמִן֙ בְּנְיָמִ֥ן בִּנְיָמִ֑ין בִּנְיָמִ֑ן בִּנְיָמִ֔ן בִּנְיָמִ֖ן בִּנְיָמִ֗ין בִּנְיָמִ֗ן בִּנְיָמִ֛ן בִּנְיָמִ֜ן בִּנְיָמִ֣ין בִּנְיָמִ֣ן בִּנְיָמִ֥ן בִּנְיָמִ֨ן ׀ בִּנְיָמִֽין׃ בִּנְיָמִֽן׃ בִּנְיָמִין֒ בִּנְיָמִין֙ בִּנְיָמִן֙ בִּנְיָמִן֮ בִנְיָמִ֑ין בִנְיָמִ֑ן בִנְיָמִ֔ן בִנְיָמִ֖ין בִנְיָמִ֖ן בִנְיָמִ֗ן בִנְיָמִ֛ן בִנְיָמִ֜ן בִנְיָמִ֥ן בִנְיָמִ֧ן בִנְיָמִ֨ן ׀ בִנְיָמִֽין׃ בִנְיָמִֽן־ בִנְיָמִֽן׃ בִנְיָמִן֙ בִנְיָמִן֮ בִניָמִ֗ן בבנימן בבנימן׃ בנימין בנימין׃ בנימן בנימן־ בנימן׃ וּ֠בִנְיָמִן וּבְבִנְיָמִ֑ן וּבְבִנְיָמִ֖ין וּבְנְיָמִֽן׃ וּבִ֨נְיָמִ֔ן וּבִנְיָ֘מִ֤ן וּבִנְיָמִ֑ין וּבִנְיָמִ֑ן וּבִנְיָמִ֔ן וּבִנְיָמִ֖ן וּבִנְיָמִ֗ן וּבִנְיָמִ֛ן וּבִנְיָמִ֡ן וּבִנְיָמִ֨ן ׀ וּבִנְיָמִֽן׃ וּלְבִנְיָמִ֤ן וּמִבִּנְיָמִ֗ן ובבנימין ובבנימן ובנימין ובנימן ובנימן׃ ולבנימן ומבנימן לְבִ֨נְיָמִ֔ן לְבִנְיָמִ֑ן לְבִנְיָמִ֔ן לְבִנְיָמִ֖ן לְבִנְיָמִ֗ן לְבִנְיָמִ֣ן לְבִנְיָמִֽין׃ לְבִנְיָמִֽן׃ לבנימין׃ לבנימן לבנימן׃ מִבִּנְיָמִ֔ן מִבִּנְיָמִ֖ן מִבִּנְיָמִ֗ן מִבִּנְיָמִֽן׃ מִבִּנְיָמִן֒ מִבִּנְיָמִ֗ין מִן־ מבנימין מבנימן מבנימן׃ מן־ bə·ḇin·yā·min bə·nə·yā·min bəḇinyāmin beneyaMin bənəyāmin bevinyaMin ḇi·n·yā·min bin·yā·min bin·yā·mîn ḇin·yā·min ḇin·yā·mîn ḇin·yā·min- binyaMin binyāmin binyāmîn ḇinyāmin ḇinyāmîn ḇinyāmin- lə·ḇin·yā·min lə·ḇin·yā·mîn ləḇinyāmin ləḇinyāmîn leVinyaMin mib·bin·yā·min mib·bin·yā·mîn mibbinyaMin mibbinyāmin mibbinyāmîn min min- ū·ḇə·ḇin·yā·min ū·ḇə·ḇin·yā·mîn ū·ḇə·nə·yā·min ū·ḇin·yā·min ū·ḇin·yā·mîn ū·lə·ḇin·yā·min ū·mib·bin·yā·min ūḇəḇinyāmin ūḇəḇinyāmîn ūḇənəyāmin ūḇinyāmin ūḇinyāmîn ūləḇinyāmin ulevinyaMin umibbinyaMin ūmibbinyāmin uveneyaMin uvevinyaMin uvinyaMin vinyaMin
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