12 sons…Benjamin…
Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob's firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. The sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant: Dan and Naphtali. The sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.
Genesis 35:22b-26
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. Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.
Genesis 35:16-21
Jacob’s blessing…
“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey and at evening dividing the spoil.”
Genesis 49:27
Mose’s blessing…
Of Benjamin he said, “The beloved of the Lord dwells in safety. The High God surrounds him all day long, and dwells between his shoulders.”
Deuteronomy 33:12
Benjamin meaning…
“Benjamin comes from the Old Testament of the Bible, and in Hebrew means “son of the right hand.” The Benjamin of the Bible was the youngest of Jacob’s twelve sons; the expression “the Benjamin of the family” means the youngest child.” From very well family.
“From the Hebrew name בִּנְיָמִין (Binyamin) meaning "son of the south" or "son of the right hand", from the roots בֵּן (ben) meaning "son" and יָמִין (yamin) meaning "right hand, south". Benjamin in the Old Testament was the twelfth and youngest son of Jacob and the founder of one of the southern tribes of the Hebrews. He was originally named בֶּן־אוֹנִי (Ben-'oni) meaning "son of my sorrow" by his mother Rachel, who died shortly after childbirth, but it was later changed by his father (see Genesis 35:18).” From
Behind the Name.
(“the right hand is symbolic of ruler-ship, authority, sovereignty, blessing, and strength and is significant in Scripture.” From Patheous)
Genesis 42-45 speaks of Benjamin several times when Jacob sends his other sons to buy food from the Egyptians in their time of famine…Joseph wants to see his brother, his brother through Rachel their mother…Jacob desperately does not want to part with his youngest son…
Later, the land given to Benjamin is bordered by Judah to the south, the Jordan on the east, Ephraim and Dan…
The tribe of Benjamin and Israel in Judges 20-21 war against one another, reconcile…and the tribe of Benjamin are given wives so that the tribe will not die out..
Israel’s first king is from the tribe of Benjamin….
Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.” When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you! He it is who shall restrain my people.” Then Saul approached Samuel in the gate and said, “Tell me where is the house of the seer?”
Samuel answered Saul, “I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for today you shall eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is on your mind.
As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel?
Is it not for you and for all your father's house?”
Saul answered, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the least of the tribes of Israel? And is not my clan the humblest of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way?”
1 Samuel 9:15-21

Map of the twelve tribes of Israel according to the Book of Joshua
The ten lost tribes were the ten of the Twelve Tribes of Israel that were said to have been exiled from the Kingdom of Israel after its conquest by the Neo-Assyrian Empire circa 722 BCE.[1][2] These are the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Manasseh, and Ephraim;
all but Judah and Benjamin (as well as some members of Levi, the priestly tribe, which did not have its own territory).
The Jewish historian Josephus (37–100 CE) wrote that "there are but two tribes in Asia and Europe subject to the Romans, while the ten tribes are beyond Euphrates till now, and are an immense multitude, and not to be estimated by numbers". Wikipedia…
The tribes of Judah and Benjamin stayed in the south when there was a division between the 12 tribes…and were there when Ezra began the rebuilding of temple…
Then rose up the heads of the fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem.
Ezra 1:5
Mordecai was from the tribe of Benjamin….took in Esther and helped save the Jews.
Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away.
Esther 2:5-6
Jeremiah spoke to the Benjaminites…Ezekiel, Hosea, Obadiah and finally Zechariah all speak to the tribe as well..
Then there is a jump…into the New Testament…Paul claims his ancestry…from the tribe of Benjamin…a “ Hebrew of Hebrews”, a persecutor to a proclaimer and devoted follower of Christ….
I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
Romans 11:1
though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
Philippians 3:4-7
Takeaway…
We get a bird’s eye view of each tribe throughout Biblical history…and some closeups, real people who made real decisions, from each birth, the circumstances around them, both good and bad…their ups and down…their walk, the descendants…
I can look at the various family genealogies of my ancestors, my children’s ancestors through modern day reporting and sources…it is amazing to follow, find stories, connections…what are the threads that run through…there are good decisions, bad ones as well…there are those I would rather cover up and those who “did right” In the sight of the Lord…
What will my descendants conclude about my “tribe”? We each have similar choices as these twelve did throughout time…
I loved Mose’s blessing on the tribe…beloved of the Lord, surrounded, dwells…we can have the same…thank YOU…
Interesting topic…
https://jesusalive.cc/benjamins-age-when-joseph-sold/
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