Numbers 1:11 — Word Study
WLCלְבִ֨נְיָמִ֔ן אֲבִידָ֖ן בֶּן־ גִּדְעֹנִֽי׃
BSAfrom BenjaminBinyâmîyn [the tribe of, son of the right hand] AbidanʼĂbîydân [my father is judge] sonbên [a descendant or ruler] of GideoniGidʻônîy [a leader in Israel]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| לְבִ֨נְיָמִ֔ן | for Benjamin | Preposition, noun proper masculine |
| אֲבִידָ֖ן | Abidan | Noun proper masculine |
| בֶּן־ | [the] son of | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| גִּדְעֹנִֽי׃ | Gideoni | Noun proper masculine |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | from Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni; |
| KJV | Of Benjamin; Abidan the son of Gideoni. |
| ASV | Of Benjamin: Abidan the son of Gideoni. |
| YLT | 'For Benjamin — Abidan son of Gideoni. |
| WEB | Of Benjamin: Abidan the son of Gideoni. |
| BBE | From Benjamin, Abidan, the son of Gideoni; |
The translations agree on the wording of the names and relationships in this verse.
The structure is clear, with a main clause followed by phrases that specify the tribe and the leader.
4 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Cambridge, Whedon & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Numbers 1:11
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Census of Israelgenerated
Numbers 1:11 is part of a larger passage where Moses is instructed to take a census of the Israelites. Each tribe is represented by its leaders, and here we see Abidan from the tribe of Benjamin, indicating the structure and organization of the Israelite community during their journey in the wilderness. This census was crucial for military and administrative purposes as the Israelites prepared to enter the Promised Land.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Numbers 2:22 | Next will be the tribe of Benjamin. The leader of the Benjamites is Abidan son of Gideoni, |
| 2 | Numbers 7:60 | On the ninth day Abidan son of Gideoni, the leader of the Benjamites, drew near. |
| 3 | Numbers 10:24 | and Abidan son of Gideoni was over the division of the tribe of Benjamin. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — בִּנְיָמִן, le.Vin.ya.Mingenerated
The name בִּנְיָמִן (Binyamiyn) means 'son of the right hand.' It refers to Benjamin, the youngest son of Jacob, and the tribe that descended from him. The parsing indicates it is a masculine proper noun, showing its significance as both a person and a tribe.
Benjamin is often associated with strength and favor, being the favored son of Jacob. The name carries rich historical and cultural significance in the narrative of Israel, emphasizing the importance of the tribe in biblical history.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause is governed by the preposition לְבִנְיָמִן, for Benjamin, indicating the tribe being referred to. The structure is straightforward, listing the tribe followed by its leader, Abidan, and his lineage.
The syntax shows a clear hierarchical relationship, with the prepositional phrase setting the context for the noun phrases that follow, establishing Abidan's identity and lineage.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates בִּנְיָמִן as βενιαμιν, maintaining the meaning of 'Benjamin' but reflecting the Greek linguistic structure. This suggests a direct correlation in the identity of the tribe across both Hebrew and Greek texts.
The choice of αβιδαν for אֲבִידָן shows a consistent rendering of proper names, ensuring that the identity of Abidan is preserved in translation.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 1:11 lists Abidan as the leader from the tribe of Benjamin, son of Gideoni. This verse is part of a census where leaders from each tribe are named, showing the organization of the Israelites during their journey.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Abidan was a prince of the tribe of Benjamin and the son of Gideoni, mentioned in the context of the Israelite census.
The name Benjamin means 'son of the right hand,' referring to Jacob's youngest son.
The census was important for organizing the Israelite community and preparing for their journey to the Promised Land.
Gideoni was the father of Abidan and a leader in Israel during the time of the Exodus.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn about leadership from Abidan's role in the tribe of Benjamin?
- How does the meaning of Benjamin's name reflect his significance in the narrative?
- In what ways does the organization of the Israelites inform our understanding of community today?
- What does the lineage of leaders tell us about the importance of heritage in biblical times?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 1:11 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleOf Benjamin; Abidan the son of Gideoni. [See comments on Numbers 1:5].
Read John Gill on Numbers 1 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryOf Simeon; Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 1 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges1–16. Moses is directed to number the fighting men of Israel with the help of twelve princes.
Read Cambridge on Numbers 1 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the BibleAND MUSTER OF THE ADULT MALES, Numbers 1:1-46.At the close of the third book of Moses the temple in the wilderness — the tabernacle — had been erected, the law of sacrifices instituted, the Aaronic
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Numbers 1 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
from Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni;
Of Benjamin: Abidan the son of Gideoni.
from Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni;
from Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni;
Tyndale line
Of Benjamin; Abidan the son of Gideoni.
Of Benjamin: Abidan the son of Gideoni.
Of Benjamin; Abidan the son of Gideoni.
Of Benjamin; Abidan the son of Gideoni.
Of Beiamin, Abida the sonne of Gideoni:
Strictly literal
for Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni;
'For Benjamin — Abidan son of Gideoni.
for Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni;
Of Benjamin: Abidan the son of Gidoni.
from the tribe of Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni;
From the Latin
Of Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gedeon.
Simplified
from the tribe of Benjamin, Abidan, son of Gideoni;
From Benjamin, Abidan, the son of Gideoni;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text is supported by the Septuagint, which matches all four words in the verse. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs in two words: it uses 'בנימים' (Benjamin) and 'גדעוני' (Gideoni), indicating slight variations in the name forms but retaining the overall meaning.
לְבִ֨נְיָמִ֔ן אֲבִידָ֖ן בֶּן־ גִּדְעֹנִֽי׃
4 of the 4 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
לבנימים אבידן בן גדעוני
2 words differ from the Masoretic Text: בנימים (Benjamin), גדעוני (Gideoni)
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Numbers 1:11
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word בִּנְיָמִין (i.e., *Binyamiyn*) means 'son of the right hand.' It refers primarily to Benjamin, the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel, as well as to the tribe descended from him. The entries also mention a son of Bilhan and several individuals from the time of Ezra. Notably, the name is associated with various contexts in the Old Testament.
בִּנְיָמִין n.pr.m. 166 (son of (the) right hand)—
youngest son of Jacob, so called by him, but Rachel, the mother, who died at Benjamin's birth, called בֶּן־אוֹנִ֑י (q.v.)
son of Bilhan and great-grandson of Benjamin
a Jew of Ezra's time
base
H1144 בִּנְיָמִין . youngest son of Jacob, so called by him, but Rachel, the mother, who died at Benjamin's birth, called בֶּן־אוֹנִ֑י (q.v.)
. son of Bilhan and great-grandson of Benjamin
. a Jew of Ezra's time
1144 Binyamiyn bin-yaw-mene'
from 1121 and 3225; son of (the) right hand; Binjamin,
youngest son of Jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and
its territory:--Benjamin.
see HEBREW for 01121
see HEBREW for 03225
בִּנְיָמִין (bin.ya.min) — Benjamin.
A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.35.18;
son of: Israel (H3478) and Rachel (H7354);
brother of: Joseph (H3130);
half-brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783);
father of: Bela (H1106A), Becher (H1071), Ashbel (H0788), Gera (H1617), Naaman (H5283), Ehi (H0278), Rosh (H7220), Muppim (H4649), Huppim (H2650H), Ard (H0714), Ahiram (H0297) and Jediael (H3043); also called Jamin at 1Sa.9.1,4; 22.7; 1x
§ Benjamin = "son of the right hand"
1) Jacob's and Rachel's youngest son, Joseph's full brother
2) son of Bilhan, great-grandson of Benjamin
3) a Benjamite, one of the sons of Harim, in the time of Ezra who had taken a strange wife
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun proper masculineHR/Npm
ben'-ja-min (binyamin, or binyamin; Beniaein, Beniamin):
1. The Patriarch:
The youngest of Jacob's sons. His mother Rachel died in giving him birth. As she felt death approaching she called him Benoni, "son of my sorrow." Fearing, probably, that this might bode evil for the child--for names have always preserved a peculiar significance in the East--Jacob called him Benjamin, "son of the fight hand" (Ge 35:17 ff). He alone of Jacob's sons was born in Palestine, between Bethel and Ephrath. Later in the chapter, in the general enumeration of the children born in Paddan-ar am, the writer fails to except Benjamin (Ge 35:24). Joseph was his full brother. In the history where Benjamin appears as an object of solicitude to his father and brothers, we must not forget that he was already a…
Benjamin
Son of my right hand. (1.) The younger son of Jacob by Rachel (Gen. 35:18). His birth took place at Ephrath, on the road between Bethel and Bethlehem, at a short distance from the latter place. His mother died in giving him birth, and with her last breath named him Ben-oni, son of my pain, a name which was changed by his father into Benjamin. His posterity are called Benjamites (Gen. 49:27; Deut. 33:12; Josh. 18:21).
The tribe of Benjamin at the Exodus was the smallest but one (Num. 1:36, 37; Ps. 68:27). During the march its place was along with Manasseh…
(son of the right hand, fortunate). The youngest of the children of Jacob. His birth took place on the road between Bethel and Bethlehem, near the latter, B.C. 1729. His mother, Rachel, died in the act of giving him birth, naming him with her last breath Ben-oni (son of my sorrow). This was by Jacob changed into Benjamin. (Genesis 35:16,18) Until the journeys of Jacob’s sons and Jacob himself into Egypt we hear nothing of Benjamin. Nothing personal is known of him. Henceforward the history of Benjamin is the history of the tribe. A man of the tribe of Benjamin, son of bilhan, and the head of a family of warriors. (1 Chronicles 7:10) One of the "sons of Harim," an Israelite in the time of Ezra who had married a foreign wife. (Ezra…
The youngest son of Jacob and Rachel, Ge 35:16-18. Rachel died immediately after he was born, and with her last breath named him Ben-oni, the son of my sorrow; but Jacob called him Benjamin, son of my right hand. He was a great comfort to his father, who saw in him the beloved wife he had buried, and Joseph whose loss he mourned. He could hardly be persuaded to let him go with his brethren to Egypt, Ge 42:38. The tribe of Benjamin was small at first and was almost exterminated in the days of the Judges, Jud 20:1-48, but afterwards greatly increased, 2Ch 14:8 17:17. It was valiant, Ge 49:27, and "beloved of the Lord,"…
אֲבִידָן (Abiydan) means 'my father is judge' and refers to a prince of Benjamin. The name is derived from the roots for 'father' and 'judgment.' Abidan is mentioned in Numbers 1:11 and is identified as the son of Gideoni.
אֲבִידָן n.pr.m. (my father is judge) a prince of Benj.
base
H27 אֲבִידָן
27 'Abiydan ab-ee-dawn'
from 1 and 1777; father of judgment (i.e. judge); Abidan, an
Israelite:--Abidan.
see HEBREW for 01
see HEBREW for 01777
אֲבִידָן (a.vi.dan) — Abidan.
A man living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Num.1.11;
son of: Gideoni (H1441)
§ Abidan = "my father is judge"
a prince (ruler) of Benjamin
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
a-bi'-dan ('abhidhan, "father is judge"): Abidan, son of Gideoni, was a "prince" of the children of Benjamin (Nu 2:22; 10:24). He was chosen to represent his tribe at the census in the wilderness of Sinai (Nu 1:11). When, on the erection, anointing and sanctification of the Tabernacle, the heads of Israel offered, Abidan offered on the ninth day (Nu 7:60,65).
Abidan
Father of judgment; judge, head of the tribe of Benjamin at the Exodus (Num. 1:11; 2:22).
(father of the judge), chief of the tribe of Benjamin at the time of the Exodus. (B.C. 1491.) (Numbers 1:11; 2:22; 7:60,65; 10:24)
father of judgment
בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.
בֵּן 4870 n.m. son
son, male child, born of a woman
children (male and female)
youth, young men
the young of animals
of plant shoots
fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
member of a guild, order or class
of animals son of (the) herd
ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
n. relat. of age
base
בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.
done
H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman
. children (male and female)
. youth, young men
. the young of animals
. of plant shoots
. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
. . member of a guild, order or class
. of animals son of (the) herd
. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
. n. relat. of age
H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son
1121 ben bane
from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the
widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,
including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,
etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)
(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,
(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,
bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X
came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of
first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +
kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)
people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +
spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous
one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
see HEBREW for 01129
see HEBREW for 01
see HEBREW for 0251
בֵּן (ben) — son: child.
: child/son
בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;
son of: Jaaziah (H3269);
brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)
§ Beno = "his son"
the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)
בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.
: descendant, people, tribe, nation
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : child/son
בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.
: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : descendant
בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.
: rebel/son(Belial)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : people/men/nation/tribe
בֵּן (ben) — son.
: [inheriting]son/heir
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.
: warrior/son(strong)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
גִּדְעֹנִי (gid`oniy) refers to a Benjamite named Gideoni, who is noted as the father of Abidan. The name is derived from a root meaning 'warlike' and is associated with the term for 'hewer.' It appears in Numbers 1:11, highlighting his role during the time of Egypt and the Wilderness.
גִּדְעֹנִי n.pr.m. a Benjamite
base
H1441 גִּדְעֹנִי
1441 Gid`oniy ghid-o-nee'
from 1438; warlike (compare 1439); Gidoni, an
Israelite:--Gideoni.
see HEBREW for 01438
see HEBREW for 01439
גִּדְעֹנִי (gid.o.ni) — Gideoni.
A man living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Num.1.11;
father of: Abidan (H0027)
§ Gideoni = "my hewer"
a Benjamite, father of Abidan
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
gid-e-o'-ni (gidh`oni): The father of Abidan who was prince of Benjamin, mentioned only in connection with the son (Nu 1:11; 2:22; 7:60,65; 10:24).
(a cutting down), a Benjamite, father of Abidan. (Numbers 1:11; 7:60,65; 10:24)
same as Gideon
→ Father of Abidan Nu 1:11; 2:22; 7:60,65; 10:24