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Benjamin
BENJAMIN (bĕn'ja-mĭn, Heb. binyāmîn, son of my right hand, Gen 35:17ff.). The youngest son of the patriarch Jacob whom his wife Rachel bore in her dying agony; named Ben-oni (“son of my sorrow”) by Rachel, his mother, but renamed Benjamin (“son of my right hand”) by his father Jacob. Of all the children of Jacob, he alone was born in Palestine, between Ephrathah and Bethel. Together with his elder brother Joseph, he appears as a special object of parental love and devotion, no doubt, in part at least, because of the sad circumstances surrounding his birth. He seems to have played no part in the sale of Joseph into Egypt. The intercession on the part of Judah in behalf of Benjamin (
2. A great-grandson of Benjamin, son of Jacob (
3. One of those who had married a foreign wife (

BENJAMIN bĕn já mĭn (בִנְיָמִֽין, or בִּנְיָמִ֑ן, LXX, Βενιαμιν, son of the right hand.
Jacob’s youngest son.
After Jacob’s meeting with Esau, when returning to the land of his father, Rachel gave birth to a son but died in childbirth. As she was dying she named the child Benoni (son of my sorrow) but Jacob named him Benjamin (
During the seven-year famine in Egypt and Pal. Jacob sent ten of his sons to Egypt to buy grain. Joseph, whom his brethren had sold into Egypt, was in charge of all the Egyp. storehouses, and recognized his brethren when they appeared. He sold them grain, but demanded to see their youngest brother before another purchase. Jacob was deeply distressed at this turn of events, but with no other choice he permitted Benjamin to make the journey into Egypt. After a bit of intrigue, Joseph revealed himself to his brethren and was reunited with Benjamin, whereupon Joseph sent for Jacob, and Israel’s descent into Egypt took place (
At the time of the descent Benjamin is reported to have had ten sons (
One of Israel’s tribes.
According to the census taken by Moses on Israel’s entrance into Canaan, Benjamin could supply 35,400 men of the proper age for battle (
In the territorial allotment the tribe received the land between Judah and Joseph (
In its history the tribe became both famous and infamous. It produced Ehud, the lefthanded judge, Saul, Israel’s first king (
A great-grandson of Benjamin, son of Jacob
(
One who had married a foreign wife in the time of Ezra
(
Bibliography
H. P. Smith, Old Testament History, 106, 107.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)
(binyamin, or binyamin; Beniaein, Beniamin):
1. The Patriarch:
The youngest of Jacob’s sons. His mother Rachel died in giving him birth. As she felt death approaching she called him Benoni, "son of my sorrow." Fearing, probably, that this might bode evil for the child--for names have always preserved a peculiar significance in the East--Jacob called him Benjamin, "son of the fight hand" (
2. The Tribe:
At the Exodus the number of men of war in the tribe is given as 35,400. At the second census it is 45,600 (
3. Territory:
The boundaries of the lot that fell to Benjamin are pretty clearly indicated (
4. Importance of Position:
It will be seen from the above that Benjamin held the main avenues of approach to the highlands from both East and West: that by which Joshua led Israel past Ai from Gilgal, and the longer and easier ascents from the West, notably that along which the tides of battle so often rolled, the Valley of Aijalon, by way of the Beth-horons. Benjamin also sat astride the great highway connecting North and South, which ran along the ridge of the western range, in the district where it was easiest of defense. It was a position calling for occupation by a brave and warlike tribe such as Benjamin proved to be. His warriors were skillful archers and slingers, and they seem to have cultivated the use of both hands, which gave them a great advantage in battle (
5. History:
(4) A great-grandson of Benjamin, son of Jacob (
(5) One of those who had married a foreign wife (