Benjamin

Birth Narrative:

Genesis 35:16–20 ESV

Then they journeyed from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor. And when her labor was at its hardest, the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for you have another son.” And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. So Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem), and Jacob set up a pillar over her tomb. It is the pillar of Rachel’s tomb, which is there to this day.

Ben-Oni - means son of my sorrow or son of my strength

Benjamin - means son of my right hand

Benjamin seems to grow up a bit protected. For much of his life, he was presumed to be the only living son of Jacobs favorite wife. When Joseph sees him in Egypt and they all eat together - Benjamin gets an extra helping of food (Gen. 43:34).

Here in Jacobs blessing or oracle, we see some interesting things.

Genesis 49:27 ESV

“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey and at evening dividing the spoil.”

Ravenous - extra helpings from Joseph - but also seemed to be violent.

Wiersbe notes:

Be Authentic (4. The Sons of Rachel (Gen. 49:22–27))

Why compare Benjamin to a “ravenous wolf”? The men of Benjamin were brave and helped defeat Sisera (Jud. 5:14), but when you read Benjamin’s tribal history in Judges 19 and 20, you see the ravenous wolf in action. Saul, the first king of Israel, was from Benjamin. During his career, he more than once tried to kill David (1 Sam. 19:10), and he ruthlessly murdered everybody in the priestly city of Nob (22:6ff). Other Benjamites known for their ferocity were Abner (2 Sam. 2:23), Sheba (chap. 20), and Shimei (16:5–14). Saul of Tarsus, a Benjamite (Rom. 11:1; Phil. 3:5) was like a wild animal when he persecuted the church and tracked down Christians to imprison them.

Benjamin was nearly destroyed over an incident with a Levites concubine in gibeah. (Judges 20)

Both King Saul and Saul of Tarsus (Paul) - were of the tribe of Benjamin.