Who was Benjamin in the Bible?
Jacob's son, in the age of the patriarchs
Benjamin was the youngest son of Israel (or 'Jacob') and his beloved wife Rachel. Benjamin appears in 16 verses of the Bible.
What does the Bible say about Benjamin?
Benjamin was the youngest son of Israel (or 'Jacob') and his beloved wife Rachel. Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin and named him Ben-oni, meaning "son of my sorrow," but Jacob renamed him Benjamin, meaning "son of the right hand" (Gen. 35:18,24). Benjamin was one of the twelve sons of Jacob who became the ancestors of the twelve tribes of Israel. As a young man, Benjamin was kept at home by his father while his brothers went to Egypt to buy grain during a famine (Gen. 42:4). Later, when the brothers returned to Egypt with Benjamin, Joseph showed favoritism towards him (Gen. 43:34). After Joseph revealed his identity, he sent his brothers back to Canaan with gifts, giving Benjamin 300 pieces of silver and five sets of clothes (Gen. 45:22). In Jacob's final blessing, he described Benjamin as a "ravenous wolf" (Gen. 49:27), possibly alluding to the tribe's fierceness in battle. During the Exodus, the tribe of Benjamin was led by Abidan son of Gideoni (Num. 1:11; 2:22). Notable Benjamites include Ehud, a left-handed judge who delivered Israel from Moabite oppression (Jdg. 3:15), and King Saul, the first king of Israel (1Sam. 9:21). The tribe of Benjamin was known for its military prowess and played a significant role in Israel's history, despite being one of the smallest tribes. They were loyal to David during Absalom's rebellion (2Sam. 19:17) and later supported the southern kingdom of Judah after the division of the monarchy (1Ki. 12:21). In the New Testament, the apostle Paul proudly identified himself as a Benjamite (Rom. 11:1; Phil. 3:5).
Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.
Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.
Where does Benjamin appear in the Bible?
Benjamin is referenced in 16 verses. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.
- Genesis 35:18
- Genesis 35:24
- Genesis 42:4
- Genesis 42:36
- Genesis 43:14
- Genesis 43:15
- Genesis 43:16
- Genesis 43:29
- Genesis 43:34
- Genesis 44:12
- Genesis 45:12
- Genesis 45:14
- Genesis 45:22
- Genesis 46:19
- Genesis 46:21
- Genesis 49:27
What else appears in these passages?
These turn up in the same passages as Benjamin.
Common questions
How many times does the Bible mention Benjamin?
Benjamin appears in 16 verses, all of them in Genesis.
Which books of the Bible mention Benjamin?
Just one: Genesis.
Where can I read every verse about Benjamin?
This page lists 16 of them. Protos carries all 16, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.
