BENJAMIN

The youngest son of Jacob and Rachel, Ge 35:16-18. Rachel died immediately after he was born, and with her last breath named him Ben-oni, the son of my sorrow; but Jacob called him Benjamin, son of my right hand. He was a great comfort to his father, who saw in him the beloved wife he had buried, and Joseph whose loss he mourned. He could hardly be persuaded to let him go with his brethren to Egypt, Ge 42:38. The tribe of Benjamin was small at first and was almost exterminated in the days of the Judges, Jud 20:1-48, but afterwards greatly increased, 2Ch 14:8 17:17. It was valiant, Ge 49:27, and "beloved of the Lord," dwelling safely by him, De 33:12; for its territory adjoined Judah and the Holy City on the north. At the revolt of the ten tribes, Benjamin adhered to the cause of Judah; and the two tribes were ever afterwards closely united, 1Ki 11:13 12:20 Ezr 4:1 10:9. King Saul and Saul of Tarsus were both Benjamites, Php 3:5.

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Benjamin. Benjamin
Son of my right hand. (1.) The younger son of Jacob by Rachel (Gen. 35:18). His birth took place at Ephrath, on the road between Bethel and Bethlehem, at a short distance from the latter place. His mother died in giving him birth, and with her last breath named him Ben-oni, son of my pain, a name which was changed by his father into Benjamin. His posterity are called Benjamites (Gen. 49:27; Deut. 33:12; Josh. 18:21).

The tribe of Benjamin at the Exodus was the smallest but one (Num. 1:36, 37; Ps. 68:27). During the march its place was along with Manasseh and Ephraim on the west of the tabernacle. At the entrance into Canaan it counted 45,600 warriors. It has been inferred by some from the words of Jacob (Gen. 49:27) that the figure of a wolf was on the tribal standard. This tribe is mentioned in Rom. 11:1; Phil. 3:5.

The inheritance of this tribe lay immediately to the south of that of Ephraim, and was about 26 miles in length and 12 in breadth. Its eastern boundary was the Jordan. Dan intervened between it and the Philistines. Its chief towns are named in Josh. 18:21-28.

The history of the tribe contains a sad record of a desolating civil war in which they were engaged with the other eleven tribes. By it they were almost exterminated (Judg. 20:20, 21; 21:10). (See GIBEAH.)

The first king of the Jews was Saul, a Benjamite. A close alliance was formed between this tribe and that of Judah in the time of David (2 Sam. 19:16, 17), which continued after his death (1 Kings 11:13; 12:20). After the Exile these two tribes formed the great body of the Jewish nation (Ezra 1:5; 10:9).

The tribe of Benjamin was famous for its archers (1 Sam. 20:20, 36; 2 Sam. 1:22; 1 Chr. 8:40; 12:2) and slingers (Judge. 20:6).

The gate of Benjamin, on the north side of Jerusalem (Jer. 37:13; 38:7; Zech. 14:10), was so called because it led in the direction of the territory of the tribe of Benjamin. It is called by Jeremiah (20:2) “the high gate of Benjamin;” also “the gate of the children of the people” (17:19). (Comp. 2 Kings 14:13.)

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Benjamin. son of the right hand

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BENJAMIN. 1. Son of Jacob by Rachel Ge 35:18,24; 46:19
* Taken into Egypt Ge 42; 43; 44; 45
* Prophecy concerning Ge 49:27
* Descendants of Ge 46:21; Nu 26:38-41

2. TRIBE OF Census of
* At Sinai Nu 1:37
* On the plain of Moab Nu 26:41
* Clans of Nu 26:38-40; 1Ch 7:6-12; 8
* Position of, in camp and march Nu 2:18,22
* Moses' benediction upon De 32:12
* Allotment in the land of Canaan Jos 18:11-28
* Reallotment Eze 48:23
* Did not exterminate the Jebusites Jud 1:21
* Join Deborah in the war against Sisera Jud 5:14
* Territory of, invaded by the Ammonites Jud 10:9
* Did not avenge the crime of the Gibeonites against the Levite's concubine, the war that followed Jud 19; 20
* Saul, the first king of Israel, from 1Sa 9:1,17; 10:20,21
* Its rank during the time of Samuel 1Sa 9:21
* Jerusalem within the territory of Jer 6:1
* A company of, joins David at Ziklag 1Ch 12:1,2,16
* Not enrolled by Joab when he took a census of the military forces of Israel 1Ch 21:6
* Loyal to Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul 2Sa 2:9,15,31; 1Ch 12:29
* Subsequently joins David 2Sa 3:19; 19:16,17
* Loyal to Rehoboam 1Ki 12:21; 2Ch 11:1
* Military forces of

During the reign of Asa 2Ch 14:8 During the reign of Jehoshaphat 2Ch 17:17
* Skill in archery and as slingers of stones Jud 3:15; 20:16; 1Ch 8:40; 12:2
* Return to Palestine from the exile in Babylon Ezr 1:5
* Saints of, seen in John's vision Re 7:8
* Paul, of the tribe of Ro 11:1; Php 3:5
* See ISRAEL

3. Grandson of Benjamin 1Ch 7:10 4. A son of Harim Ezr 10:32
* Probably identical with the man mentioned in Ne 3:23

5. A Jew who assisted in purifying the wall of Jerusalem Ne 12:34 6. A gate of Jerusalem Jer 20:2; 37:13; 38:7; Zec 14:10

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(son of the right hand, fortunate). The youngest of the children of Jacob. His birth took place on the road between Bethel and Bethlehem, near the latter, B.C. 1729. His mother, Rachel, died in the act of giving him birth, naming him with her last breath Ben-oni (son of my sorrow). This was by Jacob changed into Benjamin. (Genesis 35:16,18) Until the journeys of Jacob’s sons and Jacob himself into Egypt we hear nothing of Benjamin. Nothing personal is known of him. Henceforward the history of Benjamin is the history of the tribe. A man of the tribe of Benjamin, son of bilhan, and the head of a family of warriors. (1 Chronicles 7:10) One of the "sons of Harim," an Israelite in the time of Ezra who had married a foreign wife. (Ezra 10:32)

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son of Jacob Ge 35:18; 42:36; 43:34; 45:22; 46:21; 49:27

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Ben″ja‐min (�), n. [[Corrupted from benzoin.]] See Benzoin.