Benjamin

Also known as: Benoni · Family: Israel · Role: youngest son · First appears: Genesis 35

At Ephrath, Rachel died after giving birth to Benjamin, calling him Benoni, while Jacob named him Benjamin. He was Jacob’s youngest son and the brother of Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. When Joseph ordered his brothers detained in Egypt until Benjamin was brought to him, Jacob initially refused, saying, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone”.

In Genesis 43, Judah guaranteed Benjamin’s safe return, and Joseph welcomed him and his brothers to dine at his house, giving Benjamin a portion five times larger than the others. Joseph then had a silver cup placed in Benjamin’s sack; when it was found, he declared Benjamin his servant, but Judah offered himself as a bondman in Benjamin’s place. Afterward, Joseph gave Benjamin three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of raiment.

Benjamin was later listed as the father of Belah, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard, and the families of Bela, Ahiram, Shupham, and Hupham were also recorded among his descendants. Jacob blessed his twelve sons, including Benjamin, and before his death Moses blessed Benjamin with safety under God’s protection: “The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.”