← H1144 H1146 →

בֶּן־יְמִינִי

𐤁𐤍־𐤉𐤌𐤉𐤍𐤉

Ben Yemini

H1145 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A member or descendant of the Israelite tribe of Benjamin. The term designates tribal affiliation to Benjamin, identifying a person as belonging to the clan lineage of Benjamin, whether by descent or, in certain contexts, by territorial association. Used with or without the definite article and sometimes with additional identifiers (such as 'man of Benjamin'), the term encompasses both individuals and collectives.

Semantic Range

member of the tribe of Benjamin, descendant of Benjamin, Benjaminite, person of Benjaminite lineage or association; collectively, the Benjaminites

Root / Etymology

Patronymic adjective derived from בִּנְיָמִין (Benjamin), the personal name of Jacob's youngest son and the eponymous ancestor of the tribe; the root of Benjamin, ב-נ-י-ן, conveys 'son of the right hand' or 'favored son,' but the adjectival form does not directly retain that sense.

Historical & Contextual Notes

בֶּן־יְמִינִי appears primarily in historical narratives concerning tribal identity, especially in the accounts of the united and divided monarchy. In 1 Samuel and elsewhere, variants like אִישׁ יְמִינִי ('man of Benjamin') or בֵּן־הַיּמִינִי ('the Benjaminite') are used interchangeably or in varying specificity, without significant change in meaning. In late biblical and Second Temple texts, the technical sense remains, though Greek translation traditions rendered the word as 'Benjamite' or later 'Jew' in certain contexts, which is anachronistic for early periods. The term contrasts with other tribal designators such as אֶפְרָתִי (Ephrathite, Ephraimite), indicating distinction within the confederation of Israelite tribes. English 'Benjamite' or 'Benjaminite' typically renders this word, but these forms sometimes mask the Hebrew's fluidity between individual and collective identities. The term should not be conflated with later ethnic, geographic, or religious labels (e.g., Judean, Yehudi, 'Jew'), which develop only in later biblical and post-biblical periods.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

sometimes (with the article inserted) בֵּן־הַיּמִינִי; with אִישׁ inserted (1 Samuel 9:1) בֶּן־אִישׁ ימִינִי; son of a man of Jemini; or shortened אִישׁ יְמִינִי; (1 Samuel 9:4; Esther 2:5) a man of Jemini, or (1 Samuel 20:1) simply יְמִינִיxlit Yᵉmînîy corrected to Yᵉmîynîy; a Jeminite; (plural) בְּנֵי יְמִינִיxlit Bᵉnîy corrected to Bᵉnêy; patron from בִּנְיָמִין; a Benjaminite, or descendent of Benjamin; Benjamite, of Benjamin.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

בנין (Ben Yemini) — son, to beget, build (as in offspring or lineage)

Root בנין son, to beget, build (as in offspring or lineage)

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H1145-01 בֶּן ben HNgmsc son of son Ben Yemini 4
H1145-03 הַ/יְמִינִי֮ hayemini HTd/Ngmsa the Benjaminite the Benjaminite the Ben Yemini 4
H1145-07 יְמִינִ֤י yemini HNgmsa Benjamin Benjaminite Ben Yemini 4
H1145-06 בֶן ven HNcmsc a son of son of son of 2
H1145-02 בְּנֵ֥י beney HNcmpc were sons of sons of 1
H1145-04 אִ֥ישׁ ish HNcmsa a man individual man individual man of Benjamin 1
H1145-05 ל/בנימיני lvnymyny HRd/Ngmsa of the Benjaminite Benjaminite to Ben Yemini 1

Occurrences in Scripture

17 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H1145-01 Judges 3:15 בֶּן ben-2 HNgmsc son of son Ben Yemini
H1145-03 Judges 3:15 הַ/יְמִינִ֔י hayemini HTd/Ngmsa the Benjaminite the Benjaminite the Ben Yemini
H1145-02 Judges 19:16 בְּנֵ֥י beney HNcmpc were sons of sons of
H1145-07 Judges 19:16 יְמִינִֽי yemini HNgmsa Benjaminites Benjaminite Ben Yemini
H1145-06 1 Samuel 9:21 בֶן ven HNcmsc a son of son of son of
H1145-07 1 Samuel 9:21 יְמִינִ֤י yemini HNgmsa Benjamin Benjaminite Ben Yemini
H1145-01 2 Samuel 16:11 בֶּן ben HNgmsc son of son Ben Yemini
H1145-03 2 Samuel 16:11 הַ/יְמִינִ֗י hayemini HTd/Ngmsa the Benjamite the Benjaminite the Ben Yemini
H1145-01 2 Samuel 19:17 בֶּן ben HNgmsc son-of son Ben Yemini
H1145-03 2 Samuel 19:17 הַ/יְמִינִ֔י hayemini HTd/Ngmsa the-right-hand the Benjaminite the Ben Yemini
H1145-06 1 Kings 2:8 בֶן ven-2 HNcmsc son of son of son of
H1145-03 1 Kings 2:8 הַ/יְמִינִי֮ hayemini HTd/Ngmsa the Benjaminite the Benjaminite the Ben Yemini
H1145-01 Psalms 7:1 בֶּן ben HNgmsc son of son Ben Yemini
H1145-07 Psalms 7:1 יְמִינִֽי yemini HNgmsa the Benjamite Benjaminite Ben Yemini
H1145-04 Esther 2:5 אִ֥ישׁ ish-2 HNcmsa a man individual man individual man of Benjamin
H1145-07 Esther 2:5 יְמִינִֽי yemini HNgmsa Benjaminite Benjaminite Ben Yemini
H1145-05 1 Chronicles 27:12 ל/בנימיני lvnymyny HRd/Ngmsa of the Benjaminite Benjaminite to Ben Yemini
← H1144 Hebrew Lexicon H1146 →