Benjamin (sources)

Mosaic Torah (Masoretic Text / Septuagint / Targums)

Gen 35:17-18

MT (RSV) – 17 And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the mid-wife said unto her: 'Fear not; for this also is a son for thee.' And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing--for she died--that she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin.

LXX - 17 And it came to pass in her hard labour, that the midwife said to her, Be of good courage, for thou shalt also have this son. 18 And it came to pass in her giving up the ghost (for she was dying), that she called his name, The son of my pain; but his father called his name Benjamin.

Targum Pseudo-Jonathan – And it was in the hardness of her travail that the midwife said to her, Fear not, for this also is to thee a male child. And it was in the going forth of her soul, for death came upon her, that she called his name The son of my woe: but his father called him Benjamin [JERUSALEM. And there was a space, as much ground, to come unto Ephrath; and Rahel travailed, and had hard labour in her birth . . . But his father called him in the language of the sanctuary, Benjamin.]

Targum Onkelos – And as she travailed in her labour, the midwife said to her, Fear not, for also this to thee is a son. And it was in the going forth of her soul, for she died, that she called his name The son of my woe;[17] but his father called him Benjamin.

Gen 35:24

MT (RSV) - 24 the sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin;

LXX - 24 And the sons of Rachel; Joseph and Benjamin.

Gen 42:3-4; 15-16; 36-38

MT (RSV) - And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn from Egypt. But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said: 'Lest peradventure harm befall him.’ ------ 15 Hereby ye shall be proved, as Pharaoh liveth, ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be bound, that your words may be proved, whether there be truth in you; or else, as Pharaoh liveth, surely ye are spies. ------ 36 And Jacob their father said unto them: 'Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away; upon me are all these things come.' And Reuben spoke unto his father, saying: 'Thou shalt slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee; deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him back to thee.' And he said: 'My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left; if harm befall him by the way in which ye go, then will ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

LXX - 3 And the ten brethren of Joseph went down to buy corn out of Egypt. 4 But Jacob sent not Benjamin, the brother of Joseph, with his brethren; for he said, Lest, haply, disease befall him. -- 15 herein shall ye be manifested; by the health of Pharao, ye shall not depart hence, unless your younger brother come hither. 16 Send one of you, and take your brother; and go ye to prison, till your words be clear, whether ye speak the truth or not; but, if not, by the health of Pharao, verily ye are spies. --- 36 And their father Jacob said to them, Ye have bereaved me. Joseph is not, Symeon is not, and will ye take Benjamin? all these things have come upon me. 37 And Ruben spoke to his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee; give him into my hand, and I will bring him back to thee. 38 But he said, My son shall not go down with you, because his brother is dead, and he only has been left; and suppose it shall come to pass that he is afflicted by the way by which ye go, then ye shall bring down my old age with sorrow to Hades.

Gen 43: 13-16

MT (RSV) – ‘…take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man; and God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release unto you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.' And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house: 'Bring the men into the house, and kill the beasts, and prepare the meat; for the men shall dine with me at noon.'

Gen 44:1-2; 11-12; 17-18; 30-34

MT (RSV) - And he commanded the steward of his house, saying: 'Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth. And put my goblet, the silver goblet, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money.' And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. ---- 11 Then they hastened, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack. And he searched, beginning at the eldest, and leaving off at the youngest; and the goblet was found in Benjamin's sack. 17 And he said: 'Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the goblet is found, he shall be my bondman; but as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.' 18 Then Judah came near unto him, and said: 'Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant; for thou art even as Pharaoh. ….30 Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us; seeing that his soul is bound up with the lad's soul; it will come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die; and thy servants will bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave. For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying: If I bring him not unto thee, then shall I bear the blame to my father for ever. Now therefore, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. For how shall I go up to my father, if the lad be not with me? lest I look upon the evil that shall come on my father.'

Gen 45: 4; 12-14; 22

MT (RSV) And Joseph said unto his brethren: 'Come near to me, I pray you.' And they came near. And he said: 'I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. …12 And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you. And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall hasten and bring down my father hither.' And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 22 To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver, and five changes of raiment.

Tg Pseudo Jonathan – 14 And he bowed himself upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; because it would be that the house of holiness should be builded in the portion of Benjamin, and be twice destroyed: and Benjamin wept upon Joseph's neck, because he saw that the tabernacle of Shiloh would be in the portion of Joseph and be destroyed.

Gen 46:19; 21

MT (RSV) - 19 The sons of Rachel Jacob's wife: Joseph and Benjamin. 21 And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard.

Gen 49:27 (Jacob’s Blessing)

MT (RSV) - 27 Benjamin is a wolf that raveneth; in the morning he devoureth the prey, and at even he divideth the spoil.'

LXX - Benjamin, as a ravening wolf, shall eat still in the morning, and at evening he gives food.

Tg Pseudo-Jonathan - Benjamin is a strong tribe, (like) the wolf (with) his prey. In his land will dwell the Shekina of the Lord of the world, and the house of the sanctuary be builded in his inheritance. In the morning will the priests offer the lamb continually until the fourth hour, and between the evenings the second lamb, and at eventide will they divide the residue remaining of the offering, and eat, every man, his portion.

Tg Onkelos – Benjamin: in his land will dwell the Shekina, and in his possession will the sanctuary be builded. In the morning and evening[19] will the priests offer the oblation, and at eventime divide the remaining portions of the residue of the sacred things.

Exd 1:1-4

MT (RSV) - 1 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt with Jacob; every man came with his household: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

LXX - These are the names of the sons of Israel that came into Egypt together with Jacob their father; they came in each with their whole family. 2 Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Judas, 3 Issachar, Zabulon, Benjamin, 4 Dan and Nephthalim, Gad and Aser.

Deu 27:12

MT - 'These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, when ye are passed over the Jordan: Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin;

Deu 33:12

RSV - Of Benjamin he said: The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by Him; He covereth him all the day, and He dwelleth between his shoulders.

LXX - And to Aser he said, Aser is blessed with children; and he shall be acceptable to his brethren: he shall dip his foot in oil. 25 His sandal shall be iron and brass; as thy days, so shall be thy strength.

Tg Pseudo-Jonathan - Mosheh the prophet blessed the tribe of Benjamin, and said: The beloved of the Lord shall abide in safety with Him, He will protect him all the days, and His Shekinah will dwell within his borders. [JER. Mosheh the prophet of the Lord blessed the tribe of Benjamin, and said: The beloved of the Lord shall abide with confidence by Him, He will protect him all the days, and within his borders will dwell the glory of the Shekinah of the Lord.]

Tg Onkelos - Of Benjamin he said: The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him: the shield will be over him all the days, and the Shekinah will dwell in his land.

1Ch 2:1-2

RSV - These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Is'sachar, Zeb'ulun, Dan, Joseph, and Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher

LXX - These are the names of the sons of Israel; 2 Ruben, Symeon, Levi, Juda, Issachar, Zabulon, Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Nephthali, Gad, Aser.

1 Ch 7:6

MT - [The sons of] Benjamin: Bela, and Becher, and Jediael, three.

1 Ch 8 (Genealogy of Saul, descendants of Benjamin)

1 And Benjamin begot Bela his first-born, Ashbel the second, and Aharah the third; Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth….

New Testament Texts

Acts 13:21

NRSV - Then they asked for a king; and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years.

Romans 11:1

NRSV - I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.

Philippians 3:4-5

If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee…

Rev 7:8

from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.