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  • From: "Harold R. Holmyard III" <hholmyard AT ont.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Benjamin
  • Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 10:34:26 -0500

Dear Yigal,

At the risk of repeating some of the things already said in the thread on
"Judah", certainly both meanings are used in different contexts. On one
hand, Ben-Yamin was the most "southern-born" of all of Jacob's sons, since
all the others were born in Haran. Assuming this story to be somewhat
aetiological, the Benei Yamin were the southernmost of all the tribes of the
origial "Israel" (that is, excluding Judah), sitting at the southern edge of
Mount Ephraim (18th century Mari, by the way, supplies us with another tribe
called "Benei Yamin", who lived south of the city). The "pre-monarchal"
stories emphasize Benjamin's status as "Joseph's younger brother". And, as I
said, at least some of the references to the Benjaminites' "left handedness"
seem to me to be puns.

On the other hand, the etymolgy given in Gen. 35:18 is quite clear: his
mother called him Ben-oni and his father called him Ben-yamin. "On" means
"strength", usually sexual: look at Jacob's blessing for Reuben: "you are my
firstborn, my might (KoXiY) and the begining of my strength (ONi)".

HH: The mother gave the son a good name, but it doubtless would have had bad associations for Jacob. Benjamin took all his mother's strength. It cost her her life to give birth to him. That name (Ben-Oni) would have been a constant reminder that Benjamin was involved with beloved Rachel's death. So Jacob preferred to give his son another name, and this surviving son of Rachel, Jacob's youngest, would have special meaning for Jacob, and that may have inspired the name.

HH: I tend to favor the "right hand" sense for the meaning of Benjamin. While it could mean "south," the association of the right hand with closeness suggests the other idea of a precious son at his father's right hand. A son was supposed to serve his father:

Phil. 2:22 But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.

HH: And service was often something associated with being at a person's right hand:

1Chr. 6:39 and Heman's associate Asaph, who served at his right hand: Asaph son of Berekiah, the son of Shimea,

See the use of right hand in association with sonship elsewhere in the OT:

Psa. 80:15 the root your right hand has planted, the son you have raised up for yourself.
Psa. 80:17 Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself.
Jer. 22:24 ¶ "As surely as I live," declares the LORD, "even if you, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring on my right hand, I would still pull you off.

(HH: I mention Jer 22:24 because of the description of the Davidic king elsewhere as God's son.)

HH: A couple of NT verses associate the idea of being at the right hand with sonship:

Matt. 26:64 ¶ "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

Rev. 3:21 ¶ To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard






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