יְמִינִי
𐤉𐤌𐤉𐤍𐤉
Yᵉmîynîy
H3228 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A member or descendant of the family, clan, or lineage of Jamin, a personal name found among the Israelite tribes; specifically denotes affiliation with the ancestral house of Jamin, whether as an individual or as part of a collectivity. In some contexts, refers to the Jaminites as a distinct subgroup within a larger Israelite tribe, especially among the descendants of Simeon or Benjamin.
Semantic Range
descendant of Jamin, member of the clan of Jamin, Jaminites (as a group), belonging to or affiliated with the house of Jamin
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root י-מ-ן (ימן), meaning 'right hand' or 'south', but in this derived form, it is a patronymic adjective/noun formed from the personal name יָמִין (Yamin). Thus, the word means 'of Jamin' or 'descendant of Jamin'. The ending -י (i) forms gentilic or relational adjectives, often denoting descent or belonging.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the genealogical lists of the Hebrew Bible, יְמִינִי (Yemini) serves as a patronymic title, identifying individual Israelites as members of the extended family, clan, or descended from an ancestor named Jamin. This usage is typical in biblical lists that describe the tribal organization of Israelite society, such as those in Numbers and Chronicles. Jamin appears as a distinct clan within the tribes of Simeon (Numbers 26:12) and Benjamin (1 Chronicles 7:30), and the term יְמִינִי is used accordingly. English translations often use 'Jaminites,' which can obscure the personal and ancestral sense embedded in the Hebrew. This gentilic form is structurally similar to other patronymics in biblical Hebrew, where the suffix -י (i) is attached to a personal name. The usage of יְמִינִי should be distinguished from בֶּן־יְמִינִי (ben-yemini), which specifically means 'son of a Yemini' and is sometimes rendered 'Benjamite' in translation traditions. The term does not carry religious or later ethnic connotations, and during the biblical period, it simply designated familial or lineage belonging.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
patronymically from יָמִין; a Jeminite (collectively) or descendants of Jamin; Jaminites. See also בֶּן־יְמִינִי.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ימן (y-m-n) — right hand, south, fortunate
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3117 | יוֹם | the right side |
| H3225 | יָמִין | in right hand |
| H3226 | יָמִין | to Yamin |
| H3227 | יְמִינִי | right-side man |
| H3231 | יָמַן | Turn to the right |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3228-02 |
יְמִינִ֑י | yemini | HNgmsa |
Benjaminite | Benjaminite | 1 |
H3228-01 |
הַ/יָּמִינִ֑י | hayamini | HTd/Ngmsa |
of the Jaminites | the Jaminite | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3228-01 |
Numbers 26:12 | הַ/יָּמִינִ֑י | hayamini | HTd/Ngmsa |
of the Jaminites | the Jaminite |
H3228-02 |
2 Samuel 20:1 | יְמִינִ֑י | yemini | HNgmsa |
Benjaminite | Benjaminite |