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בֵּן

𐤁𐤍

bên

H1123 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Male offspring; in a broad sense, a descendant, member, or affiliate of a family, group, or category. Used both literally for a biological son and metaphorically for descendant, member of a profession, class, or people; also signifies youth or young man in certain contexts. The semantic range extends to designate an individual with a particular relationship of belonging, association, or derivation within a lineage, tribe, nation, or collective.

Semantic Range

son, male offspring, descendant, member of a family, child (in some contexts), youth, young man, member/affiliate of a group or class (e.g., 'sons of the prophets'), person of a particular characteristic or occupation (e.g., 'sons of valor'), member of a people or nation

Root / Etymology

בנה (Aramaic form of the Hebrew root בנה) meaning 'to build.' The noun בֵּן derives from the concept of 'one who is built' (i.e., offspring or descendant), reflecting the role of children in establishing and continuing the family or lineage. While this term is Aramaic, it remains closely related in meaning and form to the Hebrew בֵּן, sharing the same core derivation.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Daniel, Ezra), בֵּן functions directly as the standard term for 'son,' identical in meaning to the Hebrew בֵּן. Beyond its literal use, it often appears in patronymic formulas (e.g., 'son of X'), in tribal designations (e.g., 'sons of Israel' meaning 'Israelites'), or in expressions of group identity (e.g., 'sons of the prophets' for prophetic disciples). The term is also used idiomatically to indicate youth or someone belonging to a particular vocation. English translations as 'son' or 'child' capture the foundational meaning, but the full breadth—genealogical, social, and metaphorical—is sometimes missed, especially in collective, idiomatic, or figurative uses. No major semantic shift is evident between the Hebrew and Aramaic uses in the context of the Hebrew Bible; however, distinctions should be observed between literal, collective, and figurative referents. The English term 'Jew' occasionally appears in translations for collective identities (e.g., 'sons of Judah'), but this is a later development and should not replace the lexical sense tied to descent or group identity in the First and Second Temple periods.

Translation Consistency

primary "son" 11 occurrences

'son' is the natural, primary English equivalent for בֵּן. It covers the literal male offspring sense and the common metaphorical uses (descendant, member of a group or class, 'sons of ...', young man). Choosing the singular base form allows consistent inflection for number or phrasing while matching the typical semantic range and idiom of the Hebrew.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) corresponding to בֵּן; {a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense}; child, son, young.

Bantu Hebrew

Language Bantu Word Transliteration Meaning
Bemba umwana child, son, daughter
Chichewa mwana child
Chichewa (Nyanja) mwana child, son, offspring
Chokwe muana child
Chokwe mwana child, son, daughter

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Root Family

בנה (Bayit) — to build, construct, establish

Root בנה to build, to construct, to establish family
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1004 בַּיִת in the houses
H1005 בַּיִת the built-house
H1121 בֵּן sons
H1122 בֵּן son
H1124 בְּנָא the ones building

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H1123-01 בְּנֵ֤י beney ANcmpc sons of sons of sons of 6
H1123-04 וּ/בְנֽוֹ/הִי uvenohi AC/Ncmpc/Sp3ms and his sons and his sons and his sons 2
H1123-02 בְּנֵי/ה֣וֹן beneyhon ANcmpc/Sp3mp their sons their sons their sons 1
H1123-03 וּ/בְנֵ֣י uveney AC/Ncmpc and-sons-of and sons of and sons of 1
H1123-05 בְנֵֽי veney ANcmpc the sons of sons of sons of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

11 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H1123-01 Daniel 2:25 בְּנֵ֤י beney ANcmpc sons-of sons of sons of
H1123-01 Daniel 2:38 בְּֽנֵי beney ANcmpc sons of sons of sons of
H1123-01 Daniel 5:13 בְּנֵ֤י beney ANcmpc sons sons of sons of
H1123-01 Daniel 5:21 בְּנֵי֩ beney ANcmpc sons of sons of sons of
H1123-01 Daniel 6:14 בְּנֵ֨י beney ANcmpc sons-of sons of sons of
H1123-02 Daniel 6:25 בְּנֵי/ה֣וֹן beneyhon ANcmpc/Sp3mp their sons their sons their sons
H1123-03 Ezra 6:9 וּ/בְנֵ֣י uveney AC/Ncmpc and-sons-of and sons of and sons of
H1123-04 Ezra 6:10 וּ/בְנֽוֹ/הִי uvenohi AC/Ncmpc/Sp3ms and his sons and his sons and his sons
H1123-05 Ezra 6:16 בְנֵֽי veney ANcmpc the sons of sons of sons of
H1123-01 Ezra 6:16 בְּנֵי beney ANcmpc the sons of sons of sons of
H1123-04 Ezra 7:23 וּ/בְנֽוֹ/הִי uvenohi AC/Ncmpc/Sp3ms and his sons and his sons and his sons
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