In Semite usage a term used to designate a male descendant, without being limited to the father-son association of the west. Thus, Uzziah (Azariah) can be represented as Joram’s son, despite the intervening generations (<bibleref ref="Matt.1.8">Matt.1.8</bibleref>). The term Ben is also used in connection with a clan, in plural only, as in the children of (sons of) Israel, children of (sons of) Ammon, etc. It is used also in prefixes of proper names such as Benjamin, Ben-Hadad, etc. It is found also connoting a class, as “sons of the prophets” (<bibleref ref="2Kgs.2.15">2Kgs.2.15</bibleref>, <span class="small-caps">niv</span> “company of the prophets”).A Levite appointed by David to serve in a musical capacity before the ark of the Lord (<bibleref ref="1Chr.15.18">1Chr.15.18</bibleref>). The text is doubtful, because Ben is not mentioned in <bibleref ref="1Chr.15.20">1Chr.15.20</bibleref> and receives no reference at all in the LXX. NIV omits it.<br /><br />

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<strong>BEN</strong> <strong>bĕn</strong> (<span class="hebrew">בֵּ֡ן</span>, <em>son of</em>). A Levite musician (<bibleref ref="1Chr.15.18">1 Chron 15:18</bibleref>; KJV, ASV). The LXX omits the name and both the MT and the LXX omit it in <bibleref ref="1Chr.15.20">v. 20</bibleref>. The RSV omits it in <bibleref ref="1Chr.15.18">v. 18</bibleref>.<br /><br />

<h2>International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)</h2>

A Levite appointed to assist as musician in the temple service (<bibleref ref="1Chr.15.18">1Ch 15:18</bibleref>). The text seems to be doubtful, since the name is omitted in <bibleref ref="1Chr.15.20">1Ch 15:20</bibleref> and not mentioned at all in the Septuagint.<br /><br />
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Ben (prefix) (singular ben, "son of"; plural bene, "sons of" = Aramaic bar): This word is used in the singular or plural to express relationship of almost any kind:<br /><br />

(1) to a person; as such it is found as part of many compound names like Benjamin, Benhur, etc. (compare Bar);<br /><br />

(2) to a clan; in this connection it is found in the plural only: "children of Israel," "children of Ammon," etc.;<br /><br />

(3) to a town; perhaps as place of birth ("son of Jabesh"; <bibleref ref="2Kgs.15.10">2Ki 15:10</bibleref> ff);

(4) to occupation, state of life, age, character, quality even of things;<br /><br />

(5) peculiarly employed in the sense of "scholar disciple" ("son of prophet"), or in phrases like "son of death," etc.;<br /><br />

(6) in poetry, "sons of flame" for "sparks" (<bibleref ref="Job.5.7">Job 5:7</bibleref> margin), etc. The frequent metaphorical use of the word indicates that it was rarely used to express the relation of father to son like the Arabic Ibn. Compare HPN, 64 ff.