בְּנֵי יַעֲקָן

𐤁𐤍𐤉 𐤉𐤏𐤒𐤍

Bᵉnêy Yaʻăqân

H1142 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בן to be a son, to build up, to form a kin group

Definition

A place-name in the wilderness, meaning 'sons (descendants or people) of Ya‘aqan.' Refers both to a group descended from an individual named Ya‘aqan and to the encampment or locality associated with this group. Most often appears as a geographical designation for a stopping point during the Israelites' journey through the wilderness.

Semantic Range

descendants of Ya‘aqan (clan or people), place-name for an encampment or locality associated with that clan, designation for a wilderness station

Root / Etymology

Compound of בְּנֵי (b'nei, 'sons of, descendants of, members of') and the personal name יַעֲקָן (Ya‘aqan). Ya‘aqan is given as a descendant of Seir the Horite (Genesis 36:27; 1 Chronicles 1:42). Thus, the toponym means 'the descendants or clan of Ya‘aqan.' Derived directly from the root בן (b-n, to be a son or descendant) combined with a personal name.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, בְּנֵי יַעֲקָן is mentioned as a station during the wilderness wanderings (Numbers 33:31-32; Deuteronomy 10:6). The name combines a patronymic marker (בְּנֵי) with a personal or clan name (יַעֲקָן), a common pattern for places named after ancestral figures. The term distinguishes the site as associated with the group descended from Ya‘aqan, likely a clan dwelling in a specific region. English translations sometimes transliterate the name (Bene-jaakan); 'jaakanites' or similar forms also appear in some translations or commentaries, but these reflect attempts to express the group as a people, not merely a place. The linkage to the wilderness journey emphasizes its role as a geographic marker rather than a sovereign polity. Later geographic identifications are uncertain; the exact site is unknown. The Hebrew construction clarifies that it refers to a group identity, not an individual. In genealogical lists, the Ya‘aqan referenced is of Horite descent, not an Israelite or Judahite.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from the plural of בֵּן and יַעֲקָן; sons of Yaakan; Bene-Jaakan, a place in the Desert; Bene-jaakan.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

בנה (b-n-h) — to build, construct, establish family

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1004 בַּיִת in the houses
H1005 בַּיִת the built-house
H1006 בַּיִת the house
H1007 בֵּית אָוֶן house-of
H1008 בֵּית־אֵל in house of

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1142-03 יַעֲקָֽן yaaqan HNp Bene-jaakan Ya‘aqan 2
H1142-02 מִ/בְּנֵ֣י mibeney HR/Np from from sons of 1
H1142-01 בִּ/בְנֵ֥י biveney HR/Np in Benei among sons of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1142-01 Numbers 33:31 בִּ/בְנֵ֥י biveney HR/Np in Benei among sons of
H1142-03 Numbers 33:31 יַעֲקָֽן yaaqan HNp Jaakan Ya‘aqan
H1142-02 Numbers 33:32 מִ/בְּנֵ֣י mibeney HR/Np from from sons of
H1142-03 Numbers 33:32 יַעֲקָ֑ן yaaqan HNp Bene-jaakan Ya‘aqan