References (173)
And it came to pass, as her soul was departing, for she died, that she called his name Ben-Oni, but his father called him Benjamin. [Ben-Oni means son of my sorrow, Benjamin means son of my right hand.]
Rachel's [two] sons:
Joseph and Benjamin.
But Benjamin, Joseph's [younger] brother, Jacob did not send with his brothers, for he said (thinking to himself), "What if some misfortune befalls him?" [Benjamin and Joseph were full brothers. Rachel was their mother.]
Jacob, their father, said to them, "You have robbed me of my children. Joseph is gone, Simeon is gone, and now you want to take Benjamin away. All this has come upon me (all this has befallen me)."
May Almighty God (El Shaddai) grant you eternal grace (boundless mercy) before that man [who is Joseph—still hidden from them], so that he may release your other brother [Simeon, see , ] and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved (deprived of my children), I am bereaved (deprived)." [Jacob trusts that God's will shall be done, see ; .]
[This is the first time the Hebrew word rachamim appears in the Old Testament. It means eternal grace, unlimited mercy, boundless compassion, infinite compassion. When the word is in the plural, there is no beginning and no end, it is impossible to count, it has no limitations. Hence translations that express this in various ways with adjectives such as eternal, infinite, boundless, etc. The main meaning of the word is mercy, but Hebrew has five different roots for this word. This particular root emphasizes that mercy means compassion, sympathy, and compassion.
Rachamim also shares its root with the word for womb, rechem. This gives the grace in this expression an additional dimension of being nurturing and protective, in the same way that the womb is the protection of the small, helpless, and defenseless child. Just as the unborn child is also completely dependent on the umbilical cord for nourishment, this word for grace also has a dimension that shows that we are completely dependent on God's eternal grace in order to even survive! This gives mercy, compassion, and pity much deeper dimensions than general goodwill.]
The men (Hebr. enósh) [Joseph's brothers] took the gifts and double the amount of money in their hands, as well as Benjamin, and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his household [servants], "Bring the men into the house, slaughter an animal, and prepare the meat, for the men will dine with me today."
He lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his [own] mother's [Rachel's] son, and said, "Is this your youngest brother, whom you told me about?" He continued, "May God (Elohim) show mercy (undeserved love, faithfulness – ) to you, my son."
In front of him, portions were distributed to them, but Benjamin's portion was five times larger than any of the others. They drank and were happy with him.
[Why does Joseph give Benjamin more food, and later more money and five garments, see ? Was he following in his father's footsteps of favoring one of his brothers? No, Joseph was testing his brothers to see if they would become jealous again. If they had humbled themselves, could they rejoice even if one brother was more blessed, or would they get rid of Benjamin in the same way they had tried to get rid of Joseph?]
He searched, beginning with the eldest and continuing [in order of age] to the youngest... and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.
And behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you.
He threw himself on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept (embraced him, see ), and Benjamin wept on his neck.
To each man he gave a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave 300 shekels [3.45 kg] of silver and five changes of clothes.
The sons of Rachel, Jacob's wife:
Joseph and Benjamin.
The sons of Benjamin [10]:
Bela and Becher and Ashbel, Gera and Naman, Ehi and Rosh, Moppim and Hoppim and Ard.
[See also ; .]
Benjamin [meaning "right hand son" or "son of my right hand"] is a ravenous wolf,
in the morning he devours his prey
and in the evening he divides the spoil.
[Benjamin was the youngest and smallest of the sons of Israel. His territory is in northern Jerusalem. The Temple Mount belongs to Benjamin's territory along with an area to the north, while the Mount of Olives and the Western Mount in Jerusalem belong to Judah along with areas to the south that include Bethlehem and Hebron, among others. God thus chose an area for his dwelling, the temple here on earth, in the territory of the smallest tribe. God's right hand is also an expression of his strength. It can also refer to Jesus, who is at God's right hand and the part of the Godhead that will sit on the Temple Mount and reign from Jerusalem in the millennial kingdom.
The tribe of Benjamin was known for being warriors. A couple of examples of people from the tribe of Benjamin are Ehud () and King Saul (). In the New Testament, Saul is mentioned as a Benjaminite who fought the good fight of faith, see ; .]
Issachar (Hebr. Yissachar), Zebulun (Hebr. Zevulun), and Benjamin (Hebr. Binjamin);
From Benjamin: Avidan, son of Gidoni.
The sons of Benjamin, their generations, after their families, after the houses of their fathers, according to the number of names, every man by himself, every man from 20 years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war,
this was the number of them of the tribe of Benjamin, they were 35,400.
And the tribe of Benjamin.
The leader of the sons of Benjamin is Avidan, son of Gidon,
On the 9th day, Avidan, son of Gidoni, leader of the sons of Benjamin, offered his sacrifice.
And over the army of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin was Abidan, son of Gideoni.
From the tribe of Benjamin, Paltiel, son of Refa.
The sons of Benjamin by their families:
Of Bela, the family of the Belaites,
of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites,
of Achiram, the family of the Achiramites,
These are the sons of Benjamin by their families, those who were counted of them, 45,600.
[First count: 35,400, an increase of 10,200.]
From the tribe of Benjamin,
Elidad, son of Shishlon.
These [six tribes] shall stand on Mount Gerizim [present-day Jebel-et-Tur, to the south] and bless the people when you have crossed the Jordan:
Simeon (Shimon) and
Levi and
Judah (Jehoda) and
Issachar (Jisashchar) and
Joseph and
Benjamin (Binjamin).
To Benjamin he said: "The beloved of the Lord (Yahweh) shall dwell in safety by him. He shall cover (Hebr. chofaf) him all day long (all days), and he (God) shall dwell between his shoulders."
[The word cover is the same word used for the wedding canopy under which the bride and groom stand during the wedding ceremony. That God has his dwelling place between his shoulders refers to the fact that Mount Zion (the Temple Mount) in Jerusalem lies between two other mountains, the Mount of Olives and the Western Mountain. These two mountains belong to Benjamin's territory, while Mount Zion belongs to Judah's territory. This blessing thus prophetically describes how God's dwelling place on earth will be located!]
[The territory of Benjamin is the one described in most detail in 18 verses. This is probably due to its location between Judah in the south and Joseph (i.e., Ephraim) in the north.]
And the lot fell to the tribe of the sons of Benjamin according to their families, and their inheritance was between the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph.
And the Jordan was the border on its eastern side. This was the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin, with its borders all around according to their families.
The cities of the tribes of the sons of Benjamin were, according to their families [12 cities in the east]:
Jericho
and Beit-Chogla
and Emek-Ketsits
and Zela, Eleph
and Jevosi, that is Jerusalem,
Giva [later this becomes Saul's hometown]
and Kirjat. Fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin according to their families.
And the lot fell to the families of the Kohathites, the sons of Aaron the priest, who were Levites, and the lot fell to the tribe of Judah, and to the tribe of Simeon, and to the tribe of Benjamin, 13 cities.
And from the tribe of Benjamin, Givon with its open land around it, Geva with its open land around it,
And the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem were not driven out by the sons of Benjamin, but the Jebusites live with the sons of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.
But when the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord (Yahweh), the Lord (Yahweh) raised up a savior (deliverer), Ehud, the son of Gera, the son of Benjamin, a left-handed man, and the sons of Israel sent a gift with him to Eglon, king of Moab.
[The name Benjamin literally means "son of the right hand." The author notes that Ehud was left-handed, a trait that would prove decisive for the outcome of this story, see verses 16 and 21. The Benjaminites were known for their skill in using slings with their left hand ().]
Out of Ephraim came those whose roots are in Amalek,
after you Benjamin among your people,
out of Machir came princes, and out of Zebulun
those who wielded the scepter.
[There are no biological roots between Amalek and Ephraim; this refers to Joshua's defeat of Amalek. Joshua is an Ephraimite, and Amalek was the first enemy to fight against Israel in Rephidim after the exodus.]
And the sons of Ammon crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah and against Benjamin and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was in great distress.
So they passed [Jerusalem] and went on. The sun went down when they were at Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.
And behold, in the evening, an old man came in from his work in the field. The man was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he was staying in Gibeah, but the men of the place were the sons of Benjamin.
And the sons of Benjamin heard that the sons of Israel had gone up to Mizpah, and the sons of Israel said, "Tell us how this evil could happen (take place)?"
And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, "I came to Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin, with my concubine to spend the night.
And we will take 10 out of 100 men from all the tribes of Israel, and 100 out of 1,000, and 1,000 out of 10,000, to bring provisions for the people, to do (act, deal), when they come to Gibeah in Benjamin, after all the folly that has been done in Israel."
And the tribes of Israel sent men to the whole tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What evil is this that has been done among you?
Now therefore, deliver up the men, the sons of Belial [literally: the worthless, but also a Jewish name for Satan], who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and remove the evil from Israel." [Belial is also mentioned in .]
But the sons of Benjamin did not listen to the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel.
And the sons of Benjamin gathered from their cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle against the sons of Israel.
And the sons of Benjamin mustered that day from the cities 26,000 men who drew swords, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered 700 chosen men.
And the men of Israel mustered [together], except Benjamin, 400,000 men who draw swords. All these were warriors.
And they arose and went up to Bethel, and they inquired of God (Elohim), and the sons of Israel said, "Who among us shall go up first to fight against the sons of Benjamin?" The Lord (Yahweh) answered, "Judah first." [This is one of several examples in the Bible where Judah is to go first.]
And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel drew up in battle array at Gibeah.
And the sons of Benjamin went out from Gibeah and struck down 22,000 men of Israel that day.
And the sons of Israel went up and wept before the Lord (Yahweh) until evening, and they asked the Lord (Yahweh), saying, "Shall we again go out and fight against the sons of our brother Benjamin?"
The Lord (Yahweh) answered, "Go up against him."
And the sons of Israel came near to the sons of Benjamin on the second day.
And Benjamin went out to meet them from Gibeah on the second day. They struck down the sons of Israel, 18,000 men, all of them with drawn swords.
And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days and said, "Shall I go out again to battle against the sons of Benjamin, my brother, or shall I cease?" The Lord answered, "Go up, for tomorrow I will give him into your hand."
And the sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day and drew up in battle array against Gibeah as on the other days.
And the sons of Benjamin went out to meet the people, and they were drawn away from the city, and they began to strike down the people and kill them as before, by the main road that goes up to Bethel and another to Givata through the field, about 30 men of Israel.
And the sons of Benjamin said, "They are being struck down before us as before." But the sons of Israel said, "Let us flee and draw them away from the city to the main roads."
And the Lord (Yahweh) smote Benjamin before the face of Israel, and the sons of Israel destroyed in Benjamin that day 25,100 men, all of them drew the sword.
And the sons of Benjamin saw that they were defeated.
And the men of Israel gave Benjamin room, because they trusted in those who lay in ambush whom they had placed at Gibeah.
And the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to smite and kill the men of Israel, about thirty men, for they said, "They will surely be beaten down before us as in the first battle."
But when the torch began to rise like a pillar of smoke from the city, the Benjaminites looked behind them and saw that the whole city was rising in smoke to the heavens.
And the men of Israel turned back, and the men of Benjamin were terrified, for they saw that disaster was coming upon them.
They surrounded Benjamin, pursued them, and set foot on their resting place as far as Gibeah to the east (from the sunrise).
And from Benjamin fell 18,000 men, all of them warriors.
And all the fallen of Benjamin were 25,000 men who drew the sword that day, all of them warriors.
And the men of Israel returned to the sons of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword—all (everything in—Hebr. metom) the cities [all the people, men, women, and children] as far as [all] the livestock, everything they found. They also set fire to all the cities they found.
[It became a "holy war" with complete destruction (Hebr. charam) of both people and animals, see ; ; . This terrible revenge against their own brother people, which extended from Gibeah to the entire territory of Benjamin, was an impulsive act carried out in the heat of the moment.]
[A total of 25,000 men from the tribe of Benjamin had been killed, along with all the women and children; only 600 men had fled and were still alive. All this had happened based on an emotional decision when the Levite from Ephraim sent out the twelve mutilated parts of his wife, who had been raped by the Benjaminites in Gibeah. Out of hatred, all eleven tribes now felt compassion for the Benjaminites, who were about to be exterminated. Jacob's fear several hundred years earlier had come true, see .]
And the men of Israel had made a [hasty] oath at Mizpah, saying, "None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife."
[In connection with the meeting at Mizpah () when it was decided to take revenge on the Benjaminites in Gibeah, an oath had also been taken. See also where Jephthah took a rash oath, see .]
And the sons of Israel repented (literally comforted) over Benjamin, their brother, and said, "There is a tribe that has been cut off from Israel today.
And the whole assembly sent and spoke to the sons of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon and proclaimed peace (shalom) to them.
And Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had saved from Jabesh-Gilead, but they were not enough for them (there were too few). [There were a total of 600 Benjaminites (), so 200 remained who had not received a wife.]
And the people felt sorry for Benjamin because the Lord (Yahweh) had made a breach (a gap, a hole) in the tribes of Israel.
And the elders of the congregation said, "What shall we do to provide (literally, to remain) women, since the women are missing (are destroyed, exterminated) from Benjamin?"
And they said, "Those who have fled must become an inheritance to Benjamin. So that a tribe is not exterminated from Israel.
But we cannot give them wives from our daughters." For the sons of Israel had sworn an oath, saying, "Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin."
[Of the 600 Benjaminites who had fled, there were still 200 who had not received wives. The elders discussed how they could keep their rash promise and help the Benjaminites to continue to exist. This leads to yet another ungodly plan involving the kidnapping of young women. The festival in Shiloh is described vaguely; the only festival with dancing is Sukkot, but it is more likely a Canaanite fertility festival to celebrate the autumn grape harvest. The vague description of the festival also indicates the godlessness that prevailed at this time.]
And they commanded the sons of Benjamin [the 200 who lacked wives], saying, "Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,
and keep watch. When you see the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the festival (in the dances), then come out of the vineyards. Each one of you shall seize (capture) a wife from among the daughters of Shiloh, and then go home to the land of Benjamin.
And the sons of Benjamin did so and took wives according to their number from among those who danced whom they had taken with them. [In total, 200 young women were abducted, see ; .] And they went and returned to their inheritance and built cities and lived in them.
And a man from Benjamin ran (fled) from the army and came to Shiloh that same day with his clothes torn and dust on his head. [An expression of grief.]
Now there was a man in Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a valiant (honorable, strong) man.
And he went [northwest] through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the territory of Shalisha [Baal-Shalisha], but did not find them. Then he passed through the territory of Shaalim [the territory of the foxes], but they were not there, and he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but did not find them.
"Tomorrow at this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel, and he shall save the people from the hand of the Philistines, for I have looked upon my people, because their cry has come to me."
And Saul answered and said, "Am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And my family is the smallest of the families of the tribe of Benjamin. Why then do you speak to me in this way?"
When you leave me today, you will find two men at Rachel's tomb on the border of Benjamin at Tzelzach, and they will say to you, 'The donkeys you went to look for have been found, and your father has stopped worrying about the donkeys and is worried about you, saying, "What shall I do for my son?"
So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen [the lot fell on that tribe]. [Probably by casting lots, see ; .]
And he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families, and the family of Matri was chosen [the lot fell on that family], and Saul, the son of Kish, was chosen [the lot fell on him], but when they searched for him, they could not find him.
And Saul chose for himself 3,000 men from Israel, of whom 2,000 were with Saul in Michmash [meaning: "hidden place"; probably present-day Mukmas, 11 km northeast of Jerusalem] and in the hill country of Bethel, while 1,000 were with [his son] Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin [the city of Gibeah in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin, see also ]. He sent the rest of the people each to his tent.
Then Samuel got up and went from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin [the city of Gibeah in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin]. And Saul counted the people who were with him, about 600 men.
And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people who were with them stayed in Geva-Benjamin [here the masculine form Geva is used instead of the usual feminine Giva], but the Philistines were encamped in Michmash.
And Saul's watchmen in Givat-Benjamin looked, and behold, the crowds were melting (in disarray) and they were going here and there. [The word for "in disarray" is literally the word for melting and describes a change that cannot be resisted. The people are shaking with fear and cannot do anything about the situation. ]
And Saul said to his servants who stood around him, "Listen, I beg you, sons of Benjamin, should the son of Jesse [from the tribe of Judah] give fields and vineyards to all of you, should he make you leaders over 1,000 and leaders over 100,
and made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
And they stood up and crossed over in equal numbers:
Twelve for Benjamin and for Ish-Bosheth, Saul's son,
and twelve of David's servants.
And the sons of Benjamin gathered behind Abner and formed a troop and stood on the top of the hill.
But David's servants had struck down Benjamin, Avner's men—a total of 360 men had died. [In the duel (), 348 of Avner's men had died, compared to 7 of Joab's men.]
And Avner also spoke in Benjamin's ears [privately with the Benjaminites, out of earshot of the others], and Avner also went and spoke in David's ears in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel and to the whole house of Benjamin.
But Saul's son [Ish-Bosheth] had two men who were leaders of (separate) bands of robbers. [They had positions and duties similar to those of Joab in David's army, see .]
The name of one was Baana [meaning: "to torment"]
and the name of the other was Rechav [meaning: "one who rides"],
they were sons of Rimmon, the Beerothite of the tribe of Benjamin. For Beeroth was also counted among Benjamin,
And David said to Avishai and to all his servants, "Behold, my son, who came from my body, seeks my soul (my life). How much more now this Benjaminite? Leave him alone and let him curse, for the Lord (Yahweh) has told him.
And Shimei the Benjamite, the son of Gera, who was from Bahurim, hurried to come down with the men of Judah to meet King David.
And there were 1,000 men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba, the servant of the house, and his 15 sons and his 12 servants with him. And they hurried down to the Jordan [and crossed it] before the king.
And they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of his father Kish. And they did all that the king commanded. And afterward, God (Elohim) was propitiated toward the land.
Chelev, son of Baanah, the Netophathite,
Itaj, son of Ribi from Gibeah [Saul's hometown], of the sons of Benjamin.
And behold, there is with you Shimei, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day I went to Mahanaim [], but he came down and met me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord (Yahweh), saying, 'I will surely kill you with the sword.' []
Shimi, son of Ela – in Benjamin;
And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men who were warriors, gathered together to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom back to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon.
"Speak to Rehoboam, son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying,
And King Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah, no one was exempt, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timber with which Baasha had built, and King Asa built Geva in Benjamin with it and Mizpah.
Dan, Joseph, and Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
and from the tribe of Benjamin, Geva with pasture lands, Alemet with pasture lands, and Anatot with pasture lands. In total, they had thirteen cities with associated pasture lands.
By lot they were given the cities whose names are listed above from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
The sons of Benjamin were Bela, Becher, and Jediael, three in all.
Benjamin became the father of Bela, his firstborn, Ashbel, the second, and Ahara, the third.
The sons of Ulam were mighty men of valor, skilled in the use of the bow. They had many sons and grandsons, 150 in all. All these were of the children of Benjamin.
Some of the children of Judah, some of the children of Benjamin, and some of the children of Ephraim and Manasseh lived in Jerusalem, namely:
Utaj, son of Ammihud, son of Omri, son of Imri, son of Bani, of the children of Perets, son of Judah
of the children of Benjamin, Sallu, the son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah,
Itai, son of Ribai, from Gibeah in the tribe of Benjamin,
Benayah, the Pirgathonite,
They were armed with bows and skilled in slinging stones and shooting arrows from bows with either their right or left hands.
From Saul's kinsmen, the Benjaminites, came the following:
Some men of the children of Benjamin and Judah came to David in his stronghold.
of the sons of Benjamin, the kinsmen of Saul, 3,000—for at that time most of them still held fast to the house of Saul—
But he did not count Levi and Benjamin with the others, because Joab found the king's command detestable.
The ninth, who served during the ninth month [Kislev – Nov/Dec], was Abiezer the Anatotite, who belonged to the Benjaminites. There were 24,000 in his division.
for the other half of Manasseh, the one in Gilead, Jiddo, son of Zechariah,
for Benjamin Jaasiel, son of Abner,
When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he gathered the house of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against Israel and win back the kingdom for Rehoboam.
"Tell Rehoboam, son of Solomon, king of Judah, and all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin:
Tzorah, Ajalon, and Hebron (Hebr. Chevrón), fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin.
He supplied each of these cities with shields and spears. He fortified them very strongly. And Judah and Benjamin remained under his rule.
He acted wisely and settled all his sons throughout the land of Judah and Benjamin in all the fortified cities, providing them with ample support. He also provided them with many wives.
Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah, who carried large shields and spears. In addition to these, 280,000 men from Benjamin came, carrying small shields and drawing bows. All these were brave warriors.
He went out to Asa and said to him, "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord (Yahweh) is with you when you are with him, and if you seek him, he will be found by you. But if you forsake him, he will forsake you.
When Asa heard these words and this prophecy from the prophet Oded [his son Azariah], he took courage and removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He reestablished the altar of the Lord that stood before the Lord's tabernacle.
[It was Azariah, the son of Oded, who spoke the prophecy, see . The fact that the Hebrew text has Oded here may be a patronymic, where the father's name is used for the son. This spelling is not unusual. Jesus is called "the son of David" in and Moses is used for "the sons of Moses," see . The Greek translation Septuagint replaces Oded with Azariah, the Latin translation Vulgate and the Syrian translation add and translate "Azariah, son of Oded".]
And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, as well as the strangers from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who lived among them. Many from Israel had joined him when they saw that the Lord (Yahweh), his God (Elohim), was with him.
From Benjamin came Eliahda, a brave warrior, and with him 200,000 men armed with bows and shields.
Amasya gathered Judah and had them line up according to their families, their commanders, and their officers, all of Judah and Benjamin. Then he mustered those who were 20 years old and above and found that there were 300,000 chosen men who could use spears and shields.
When all this was finished, all the Israelites who had been there went out to the cities of Judah and broke down the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and demolished the high places and altars throughout Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh until they had destroyed them. Then all the children of Israel returned to their cities, each to his own inheritance.
They went to Hilkiah the high priest (Hebr. Chilqijaho) and gave him the money that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites who guarded the threshold had collected from Manasseh, Ephraim, and all the rest of Israel, as well as from all Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
He brought into the covenant all who were in Jerusalem and Benjamin. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem acted according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.
The leaders of Judah and Benjamin, together with the priests and Levites, all whose spirits God (Elohim) had stirred up, rose up and went to build the house of the Lord (Yahweh) in Jerusalem.
When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles had returned and were building a temple to the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim),
Within three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem. It was the 20th day of the 9th month [Kislev – Nov/Dec; when the rainy season has begun in Israel], and all the people sat in the open space before the house of God (Elohim), trembling (shivering) both because of the matter and because of the rain.
Benjamin, Malloch, Shemariah.
After them, Benjamin and Chashov repaired opposite their houses. After them, Azariah (Hebr. Azarjah), son of Maaseiah, repaired his own house. [These people are not mentioned elsewhere; they only repaired the wall near their own houses.]
Some of the children of Judah and some of the children of Benjamin lived in Jerusalem. [It is estimated that 4,800–8,000 people lived in Jerusalem at this time. The list here is similar to that in .]
Of the children of Judah: Ataiah, son of Uzziah, son of Zechariah, son of Amariah, son of Shephatiah, son of Mahalalel, of the children of Perez,
These were the children of Benjamin: Sallu, son of Meshullam, son of Joed, son of Pedaja, son of Kolaja, son of Maaseja, son of Itiel, son of Jeshajah [not the prophet Isaiah],
The children of
Benjamin had their settlements from Geva: in Mikmash and Aja, as well as in
Bethel with
[its] daughter towns,
Some divisions of the Levites from Judah were counted as belonging to Benjamin.
Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah
[Before Esther can be introduced, Mordecai is introduced. This is his Babylonian name and it probably originates from the Babylonian creator god Marduk, but the name may also have Persian origins meaning ‘little boy’. Probably he also had a Hebrew name, see ; .]
There was a certain Jew in the palace of Susa whose name was Mordecai. He was the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish [indicating that he was from the family of Saul, see ; ]. He was a Benjamite
Lord (Yahweh), my God (Elohim), in you I take refuge.
Help me from all my persecutors, save (deliver) me,
God (Elohim) has commanded your strength [that you should be strong – Israel],
be strong, O God (Elohim).
You who acted (worked) for us
[Chorus]
God (Elohim), establish us
and let your face shine [; ; ]
and we shall be saved (rescued).
[The opening phrase "The words of Jeremiah" recurs at the end of the book () before the final appendix. The phrase is a common introduction, see ; ; ; .]
Prov [an account] of Jeremiah (Hebr. Yirmeyahó), son of Hilkiah (Hebr. Chilqijaho), one of the priests [from the priestly family of Aaron] in Anathoth [a town a few kilometers northeast of Jerusalem, see ; ] in the land of Benjamin.
Seek refuge, sons of Benjamin,
[flee] from the midst of Jerusalem!
And blow the shofar in Tekoa [16 km south of Jerusalem]
and raise a warning signal (light a beacon) over Beit-Kerem [6 km south of Jerusalem],
because evil is looking out [threatening] from the north [Babylon]
with great destruction.
And they shall come from the cities of Judah and from the places around Jerusalem and from the land of Benjamin and from the Lowlands [Hebr. Shefelah – the lowlands between the Mediterranean coast and the hill country of Judah] and from the mountains and from the south, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of the Lord (Yahweh).
And Pashhur struck Jeremiah and put him in the stocks that were at the upper Benjamin gate in the house of the Lord (Yahweh).
And Chanamel, my uncle's son, came to me in the court of the guard, according to the word of the Lord (Yahweh), and said to me, 'Buy my field, I beg you, which is in Anathoth, which is in the land of Benjamin, for the right of inheritance is yours, and the redemption is yours. Buy it for yourself." And I knew that this was the word of the Lord (Yahweh).
Fields shall be bought for silver, and a deed shall be written and sealed, and witnesses called in the land of Benjamin and in the cities around Jerusalem and in the cities of Judah and in the cities of the hill country and in the cities of the lowlands (Hebr. Shefelas) and in the cities of the south, for I will restore their captives, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh).
In the cities of the hill country [Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron] and in the cities of the lowlands (Hebr. Shefelas) [Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Beit-Shemesh] and in the cities of the south and in the land of Benjamin and in the cities of Judah, the flocks will once again pass under the hand of the one who counts them, says the Lord (Yahweh).
and Jeremiah went out from Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to receive his portion among the people.
And he was at the gate of Benjamin, and there was a captain of the guard whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, and he seized the prophet Jeremiah and said, "You have defected to the Chaldeans."
Ebed-Melech, a Cushite [from Nubia, present-day Sudan and parts of Ethiopia], was one of the courtiers who was in the king's palace and heard that they [the other courtiers] had thrown Jeremiah into [the empty but muddy] cistern. At that time, the king [Zedekiah] was sitting in the Benjamin Gate [which served as the court of Jerusalem],
From the territory of the Levites and from the territory of the city, which lies between the territories of the prince, the area between the southern border of Judah and the northern border of Benjamin shall belong to the prince.
Then come the remaining [five] tribes.
First, Benjamin shall have a lot, from the east side to the west.
Next to Benjamin's territory, Simeon shall have a lot, from the east side to the west.
On the east side it shall also measure 4,500 cubits [2.3 km], and have three gates: the first is the gate of Joseph, the second the gate of Benjamin, and the third the gate of Dan.
Blow the shofar in Gibeah [Saul's hometown in the territory of Benjamin, see ] and the trumpet in Ramah [the hometown of the prophet Samuel, also in the territory of Benjamin, see ], sound the alarm (signal) in Beit Aven ["House of Wickedness," see ]: "Behind you, Benjamin!"
Those in the south (Negev) shall
occupy the mountains of Esau
and those from the lowlands of the Philistines
shall occupy the fields of Ephraim and the fields of Samaria
and Benjamin shall occupy Gilead.
The whole land shall be transformed
(turned around) like the Arava from Geva
[10 km northeast of Jerusalem] to Rimmon
[just over 50 km] south of Jerusalem. She
[Jerusalem] shall be lifted up and inhabited in her place, from
Benjamin's gate to the place of the first gate, to the Corner Gate, and from
Chananel's tower ("God's favor tower" – Hebr. migdal chananel) [; ; ] to the king's winepress.
They asked for a king, and God gave them Saul, the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for a period of 40 years.
[In summary, Paul has shown in chapter 9 that God is almighty and in chapter 10 that Israel has sinned. What does it mean now that the Gentiles have come to faith? Have they replaced the Jews as God's people?] I ask now: Has God completely rejected
(cast aside) his people?
Absolutely not!
I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and of the tribe of
Benjamin.
[Paul was a descendant of Abraham, see . Paul was from the tribe of Benjamin, see . Moses refers to Benjamin as "the beloved of the Lord," see . Benjamin was the only one of Jacob's sons who was born in Israel, see . Jerusalem was located in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin, and Israel's first king came from the family of Benjamin.] [1] Circumcised on the eighth day [according to ; in comparison with proselytes who were circumcised in adulthood],
[2] of the people of Israel [born a jew – not a proselyte, see verses 1-3],
[3] of the tribe of Benjamin [whose mother was Rachel – not a concubine; Saul was named after Israel's first king Saul – also a Benjaminite],
[4] a Hebrew born of Hebrews [Paul's parents were Hebrews; he was raised with the Hebrew language and culture],
[5] in terms of [following] the teaching [Gk. nomos – Torah] a Pharisee,
from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000 [],
from the tribe of Joseph 12,000 []
and of the tribe of Benjamin 12,000 [the youngest, see ] who received the seal. [The twelve tribes originate from Jacob's twelve sons. This is the only list of the tribes in the New Testament and is unusual in several respects. This is the only time Jude is mentioned first, perhaps because Jesus was of that tribe, see ; ; . Jacob's eldest son, Reuben, comes second, and last comes the youngest, Benjamin, but the others do not appear in order of birth. It is important to emphasize that neither numerical nor verbal symbolism is an exact science. It should not be used to create new doctrines, but can sometimes reinforce a message that is already clear in the text. See also the introduction to Revelation for more on numerical symbolism.]
