Encyclopedia entry
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).
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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.)
Also from Smith's (1884) +−
(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)
In the Bible
162
Verses where Benjamin is named. Berean Standard Bible (public domain).
- 1 Chronicles 2:2
Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
- 1 Chronicles 6:60
And from the tribe of Benjamin they were given Gibeon, Geba, Alemeth, and Anathoth, together with their pasturelands. So they had thirteen cities in all among their families.
- 1 Chronicles 6:65
They assigned by lot the cities named above from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
- 1 Chronicles 7:6
The three sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, and Jediael.
- 1 Chronicles 7:10
The son of Jediael: Bilhan. The sons of Bilhan: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar.
- 1 Chronicles 8:1
Benjamin was the father of Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, Aharah the third,
+156 more verses naming Benjamin.
Scripture on Benjamin
83
See all 83 +−
- Genesis 43Numbers 11 Samuel 92 Samuel 2Nehemiah 11Ezekiel 48Genesis 45Genesis 491 Samuel 101 Samuel 131 Chronicles 71 Chronicles 81 Chronicles 122 Chronicles 15Ezra 10Jeremiah 37Genesis 42Genesis 46Numbers 26Deuteronomy 33Joshua 212 Samuel 191 Kings 121 Chronicles 61 Chronicles 92 Chronicles 34Ezra 1Psalms 68Jeremiah 32Zechariah 14Romans 11Philippians 3Exodus 1Numbers 2Numbers 7Numbers 10Numbers 13Numbers 34Deuteronomy 27Judges 1Judges 5Judges 10Judges 191 Samuel 41 Samuel 141 Samuel 201 Samuel 222 Samuel 12 Samuel 32 Samuel 42 Samuel 212 Samuel 231 Kings 41 Kings 111 Kings 151 Chronicles 21 Chronicles 111 Chronicles 211 Chronicles 272 Chronicles 142 Chronicles 172 Chronicles 252 Chronicles 31Ezra 4Nehemiah 3Nehemiah 12Esther 2Psalms 80Jeremiah 1Jeremiah 6Jeremiah 17Jeremiah 20Jeremiah 33Jeremiah 38Hosea 5Obadiah 1Acts 13Revelation 7
Entries that reference Benjamin
188
See all 188 +−
- JacobJerusalemMordecaiPaulRachelRehoboamSaulSimeonAbdonAbia, Abiah, Or AbijahAbishua, Or AbishuaAharahAherAhihudAhiramAhishaharAhoahAijalon, Or AjalonAlamethAlemethAlmonAmasai, Or AmasaiAnaniahAnathothAnethothiteArchiArdArditesArimatheaAshbelAtarothAzmavethBaal-hazorBaal-tamarBaaraBahurimBecherBeerothBelaBenjamin, The Land OfBenjamin, The Tribe OfBenoniBeraiahBeth-arabahBeth-avenBetharabahBethavenBethbaalmavethBethhoglaBethhoronBohan, Stone OfBowCensusChenaanahChepharhaammonaiChephirahChildChislonDanDekarEben-ezerEberEhudElahElamEleazarElephElidadElielElienaiEliezarEliezerElioenaiElishamaEluzaiEn-shemeshEnrogelEnshemeshEphraimEphraim, MountEphraim, The tribe ofEphrainEzbonGabbaiGallimGebaThe GederathiteGedorGelilothGeraGibeahGibeathGibeonGittaimGittitesGoliathHadidHananHananiahHillHillsHinnomHodaviahHodeshHuphamThe HuphamitesIdolatryIphedeiahIrijahIrpeelIsrael, Kingdom ofJabesh-GileadJahazielJediaelJehuJeielJerichoJeushJonathanJosabadJudahJudah, Kingdom ofJudeaKezizKirjathKirjath-jearimKirjathjearimLeft-handedLishLuzLyddaMadmenahManahathManassehMatriMichmas Or MichmashMichmashMichriMizpahMoabMournMozahNaamanThe NaamitesNaarathNadabNamesNeballatNeboNephtoahNephtoah, Or NephtoahNobNohahOmriOnoOphniOphrahPalestina And PalestinePaltiParahPashurRamahRekemReubenRimmonRoshSamaria, Country OfSea, The SaltSeirathShebaShephuphanShimeiShual, The land ofShuppimTaralahUzziUzzielWolfZeboimZelahZelzahZemaraimZemira
Benjamin references
28
Voices on Benjamin
8
Surfaced by name match — accuracy varies by title clarity.
Sources · Hitchcock's Bible Names (1869) · Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884)
Public-domain text. Modernized only where archaic spelling impedes reading; original facts preserved. Verify against an authoritative modern reference before quoting.