בְּנֵי יַעֲקָן
𐤁𐤍𐤉 𐤉𐤏𐤒𐤍
Beney Yaaqan
H1142 noun
SILEX Entry
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
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
בן (Beney Yaaqan) — to be a son, to build up, to form a kin group
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1148 | בְּנִינוּ | Our-son |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1142-03 |
יַעֲקָֽן | yaaqan | HNp |
Bene-jaakan | Ya‘aqan | Beney Yaaqan | 2 |
H1142-01 |
בִּ/בְנֵ֥י | biveney | HR/Np |
in Benei | among sons of | in Beney Yaaqan | 1 |
H1142-02 |
מִ/בְּנֵ֣י | mibeney | HR/Np |
from | from sons of | from Beney Yaaqan | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1142-01 |
Numbers 33:31 | בִּ/בְנֵ֥י | biveney | HR/Np |
in Benei | among sons of | in Beney Yaaqan |
H1142-03 |
Numbers 33:31 | יַעֲקָֽן | yaaqan | HNp |
Jaakan | Ya‘aqan | Beney Yaaqan |
H1142-02 |
Numbers 33:32 | מִ/בְּנֵ֣י | mibeney | HR/Np |
from | from sons of | from Beney Yaaqan |
H1142-03 |
Numbers 33:32 | יַעֲקָ֑ן | yaaqan | HNp |
Bene-jaakan | Ya‘aqan | Beney Yaaqan |