The Tree of Jesse (a reference to David' father) is a traditional Christian artistic representation of Jesus' genealogical connection to David. Hes also mentioned in several other books, and nearly half of the Psalms are attributed to him. Israel's first king, Saul, was of the tribe of Benjamin. The elder serving the younger carries the sense of being ruled. David was far from perfect, but his faith and zeal made him the standard against which all Israels future kings would be measured against. But Jerusalem's significance predates King David. Rehoboam evidently managed to unite Benjamin, or at least a portion of it, together with Judah, so the capital could be held. The Bible doesnt explicitly say when David lived, but many scholars believe he existed around 1,000 BC. ); 2) in another (subsequent) crucial moment, a special individual would receive this honor (that the tribe of Judah received for a previous period). Buber, Wayiggash, 7; the meanings of the names are also given in Soah 36b; Gen. R. xciv. Hes the most frequently mentioned human in the Old Testament, and the second most frequently mentioned human in the entire Bible (only Jesus Christ is mentioned more). In the Revelation, the tribe of Benjamin has its place among the eleven other tribes from each of which 12,000 servants of God were to be sealed (Rev 7:8). Because Jews have historically believed that the Messiah will be a male-line descendant of David, the lineage of Jesus is sometimes cited as a reason why Jews do not believe that he was the Messiah. The other likely translation, which fits your question better is like the Christian Standard Bible: The scepter will not depart from Judah or the staff from between his feet. As Benjamins contribution to the team of spies sent into Canaan, Palti the son of Raphu served (13:9). Please indicate which translation you are using. Did Saul believe that the spirit of Samuel was in Sheol? David killed a lot of people in battle. ", "We Are Family: King David's Descendants Gather for 'Reunion', "The Real Messiah A Jewish Response to Missionaries", "David, Prophetic Figure of the Last Days", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Davidic_line&oldid=1137080126, This page was last edited on 2 February 2023, at 18:06. [20] Ephron is believed to be the Ophrah that was also allocated to the Tribe of Benjamin by Joshua. ", Welcome to Bible Hermeneutics SE and thank you for your contribution. Then, according to the book of Chronicles, some twenty years after the breakup of the United Monarchy, Abijah, the second king of Judah, defeated Jeroboam of Israel and took back the towns of Bethel, Jeshanah and Ephron, with their surrounding villages. 24 And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom Yhwh hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? Goliath mocked him and cursed him. Mari texts but that seems, on the whole, to be unlikely. And David had been living with and fighting for the Philistinesthe Israelites sworn enemies. Jewish Quarterly Review, hereafter "J. Q. R.", xv. So because the people demanded a king God gave them what they asked for and all the problems that went along with it. So, to hide his sin, David committed another one. the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin. In geographical terms, the term Benjamin can be read as "son of the south" from the perspective of the northern Kingdom of Israel, as the Benjamite territory was at the southern edge of the northern kingdom.[1]. David was from the tribe of Judah The 12 tribes of Israel descended from Jacob's 12 sons, and with the exception of Levi, each tribe controlled a specific territory within the nation of Israel. Later, the prophet Nathan rebuked David for his sin. Responding to a growing threat from Philistine incursions, the Israelite tribes formed a strong, centralised monarchy during the eleventh century BC. Once Uriah was dead and Bathsheba had time to mourn him, David married her, and she gave birth to a son. According to the Tanakh, King Saul ( Talut) was the son of Kish, a member of the tribe of Benjamin, one of the twelve Tribes of Israel ( 1 Samuel 9:1-2 ). The grandson of Hezekiah ben David through his eldest son David ben Chyzkia, Hiyya al-Daudi, died in 1154 in Castile according to Abraham ibn Daud and is the ancestor of the ibn Yahya family. Jewish tradition alludes to two redeemers, both of whom are called mashiach and are involved in ushering in the Messianic age: Mashiach ben David; and Mashiach ben Yosef. One of the most notable of those was Hillel the Elder, who moved to Judea from his birthplace in Babylon. This fear led Saul to drive away his greatest asset. When David became king, he established Jerusalem as the nations capital and Gods headquarters, permanently altering Judahs importance in Jewish life and culture. He was the sibling of Joseph, yet forever ago was firmly associated with individuals of Judah. Years later, when Saul disobeyed God, God rejected him as king (1 Samuel 15:26). [38][39], In 2012, The Jerusalem Post reported that philanthropist Susan Roth created Davidic Dynasty as subsidiary of her Eshet Chayil Foundation, dedicated to finding, databasing, and connecting Davidic descendants and running the King David Legacy Center in Jerusalem. Despite being anointed to rule Gods people, David had a long and arduous path to kingship. David killed bears and lions alike to defend his fathers sheep. The tribes lived as a united nation through the reign of King David's son, Solomon. The biblical authors present slightly different representations of Davids immediate family: he was either Jesses seventh son, or his eighth (1 Chronicles 2:1314, 1 Samuel 16:1011). Goliath wasnt just taunting the Israelites. When asked for a proof that his brother's memory was so sacred that Joseph must believe this oath, Benjamin told Joseph how he had given his ten sons (Gen. xlvi. According to some, is equivalent to ("son of days"), because Benjamin was born to his father in his old age (Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, Benjamin i. ; Midrash Lea-ob; and Rashi, ed. In Judaism and Christianity, the Davidic Line is the bloodline from which the Hebrew Messiah has a patrilineal descent. The Torah had a thing or two to say about adultery (Leviticus 18:20, Deuteronomy 5:18, Exodus 20:14), and it was punishable by death (Deuteronomy 22:22, Leviticus 20:10). The Tribe of Benjamin Later, the Israelite. While the description of Benjamite territory stops there, the description of the area assigned to the house of Joseph gives one more reference point to the W, namely Gezer (see The Land of the Bible [1962, 1967], 235, 236 and the map on p. 229). Those who held the position traced their ancestry to the House of David in the male line. Several passages in the Bible describe tribe of Benjamin as being pugnacious,[7] for example in the Song of Deborah, and in descriptions where they are described as being taught to fight left handed, so as to be able to wrong foot their enemies (Judges 3:1521, 20:16, 1 Chronicles 12:2) and where they are portrayed as being brave and skilled archers (1 Chronicles 8:40, 2 Chronicles 14:8). Paul reminds the Jews in Pisidian Antioch of the Benjamite origin of their first king (Acts 13:21). David killed Goliath with a single stone, hurled from his sling. That was not God's timing, but the people's. When Samuel anointed David, it didnt instantly make him king, but it did signal that he was the Lords chosen one, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David (1 Samuel 16:13). honor him, for he is your lord. King Saul of the Benjamin Israelite tribe was the first king of Israel. 12 The city of Tyre will come with a gift,[d] When David was king, a famine plagued Israel for three years. The southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained loyal to the House of David, and this kingdom came to be known as the Kingdom of Judah. When his armies were out waging war without him, David walked along the roof of his palace and saw a beautiful woman bathing. and Tan., Wayei, 14; so also in the original text of the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs [Benjamin ii]; whereas a Christian interpolation refers it to Paul). King David was a shepherd boy who became Israels third and most important king. Every day Israel declined Goliaths challenge, they conceded that their God was no match for the gods of the Philistines. N. Avigad and B. Sass. They decided to allow these 600 men to carry on the tribe of Benjamin, but no one was willing to give their daughter in marriage to them because they had vowed not to. So he sent Samuel to Jesse of Bethlehem, telling him I have chosen one of his sons to be king (1 Samuel 16:1). ". b.c. The house of David bonded with Benjamin -1Sam 3, In the civil wars of the kingdom of Israel, Benjamin and Judah banded together -1Ki 12:16. [19] After the breakup of the United Monarchy, Jerusalem continued as the capital of the southern Kingdom of Judah. Shimei was from the tribe of Benjamin, and Douay-Rheims Bible And Semei the son of Gera the son of Jemini of Bahurim, made haste and went down with the men of Juda to meet king David, English Revised Version By the time of the division of the Promised Land, leadership of the tribe of Benjamin had fallen to Elidad the son of Chislon (34:21). And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king. The sons were Jonathan, Abinadab, Malchishua, Ish-bosheth, Ishvi, Armani, Irmia, and Mephibosheth. 1. The name Benjamin means "son of (my) right hand." Benjamin is given special mention as an entity separate from Israel when Abner is negotiating the kingship with David (3:17ff.). In this guide, well cover the basic facts about who he is and what the Bible says about him. (1906) "Benjamin," in the, "Besides the rejection of the Albrightian 'conquest' model, the general consensus among OT scholars is that the Book of Joshua has no value in the historical reconstruction. Leghorn, p. 56b). Follow Christ's journey to the Cross. His comparison to the ravening wolf (Cant. Hezekiah, Ahaz's son, is attested to by numerous royal seals[10][11] and Sennacherib's Annals;[12] Manasseh is recorded giving tribute to Esarhaddon;[13] Josiah has no relics explicitly naming him; however, seals belonging to his son Eliashib[14] and officials Nathan-melech[15][16] and Asaiah[17] have been discovered; and the kings Jehoahaz II, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah are never explicitly named in historical records but are instead alluded to; however, Jeconiah is mentioned by name in Babylonian documents detailing the rations he and his sons were given while held prisoner during the Babylonian captivity. After Uzziah, each successive king of Judah is attested to in some form, with the exception of Amon of Judah: Jotham, Uzziah's successor, is named on the seals of his own son and successor, Ahaz,[9] who ruled from 732 to 716 BCE. Its possible that he simply meant David cared about the things God cared about. 21-25); but this was due to God's anger against all Israel because they had attacked all Benjamin on account of the crime of an individual, and at the same time quietly tolerated the idolatry which Micah (Judges xvii.) The Tel Dan Stele, as aforementioned, remains the only mention of David himself outside the Bible, and the historical reliability of the United Monarchy of Israel is archaeologically weak. (Exodus 15:6). Surely your goodness and love will follow me, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord. King Saul later broke the treaty that Joshua had signed and attacked the Gibeonites. Buber, Wayesheb, 8).When Benjamin was detained as the alleged thief of the cup, Joseph pretended that Benjamin had been instigated by his brothers. But its also worth noting: God forbid David from building his temple because he had shed blood (1 Chronicles 28:3). Almost the entire tribe of Benjamin was wiped out by the other Israelite tribes. A number of Jewish families in the Iberian peninsula and within Mesopotamia continued to preserve the tradition of descent from Exilarchs in the Late Middle Ages, including the families of Abravanel, ibn Yahya and Ben-David. Defeating Goliath marked the beginning of Davids life as a warrior. 11.23: 'Thus Joshua conquered the whole country, just as the L. Rashi on Joshua 15:21; Babylonian Talmud, destruction of the northern kingdom by the Assyrians, Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on 2 Samuel 3, accessed 6 July 2017, "Early Israel in Recent Biblical Scholarship", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tribe_of_Benjamin&oldid=1138853522, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia without a Wikisource reference, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 12 February 2023, at 00:34. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. While modern readers tend to focus on Jesus birth in a manger, its important to consider the implications that this manger was in Bethlehema town the Jewish people associated with one of the biggest announcements in their history, where their most important king had his humble beginnings. or to Ehud or to Saul. They had a special economic and social status in the Jewish community, and they were close to their respective governments, some serving as advisers and tax collectors/finance ministers. Jacob's Naming At the division of the kingdom, we might have expected Benjamin to join in the revolt against Rehoboam and secede with the other tribes leaving Judah alone. In the period of the judges, they feature in an episode in which a civil war results in their near-extinction as a tribe. The Book of Judges recounts that the rape of the concubine of a member of the tribe of Levi, by a gang from the tribe of Benjamin resulted in a battle at Gibeah, in which the other tribes of Israel sought vengeance, and after which members of Benjamin were killed, including women and children. Benjamite sympathies might well have been divided, but it seems impossible that Rehoboam could have allowed the tribe to secede with the N. After all, Jerusalem, the royal city, lay within the borders of Benjamin and to let Benjamin go would render the position of Jerusalem as the capital city untenable. How to follow the signal when reading the schematic? rev2023.3.3.43278. Does a barbarian benefit from the fast movement ability while wearing medium armor? Jerusalem: The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, 1997, nos. Benjamin, Joseph's brother, took no part in the selling of Joseph (Sifre, Deut. Ruth 4:18 lists descendants of Judah as Perez, Hezron, Ram, Amminidab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz, Obed, Jesse, David (the tenth). He had hurried from Bahurim to meet David. After Saul died in battle with the Philistines, David warred against Sauls commander Abner, and Sauls last son, Ish-Bosheth, whom Abner had made king of Israel. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. The tribe descended from Benjamin, the youngest son of Jacob. ; Num. The first king of this new entity was Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin (1 Samuel 9:12), which at the time was the smallest of the tribes. David was not the firstborn sona privileged position in Judaismand the authors were intent on working in the number seven, associating David with holiness and Gods perfect plan for his people. According to the Bible, David, of the Tribe of Judah, was the third king of the United Monarchy of Israel and Judah. ; "Sefer ha-Yashar," Wayishla, ib. King. One of the things you will notice in this prophecy is that Jacob mentions that the scepter will not depart from Judah, and he refers to Judah as a lion. When David learned she was pregnant, he hatched a scheme to hide his sin: since her husband Uriah was away at war, David had him brought back home. The other 10 tribes were exiled from the Kingdom of . Throughout the Old Testament narrative, we see David write laments and songs to commemorate important moments and express deep emotions, such as when he learns that Saul and Jonathan died (2 Samuel 1:19-27). But David was rather indifferent. After Solomon died, the Israelites divided into two separate kingdoms, each with its own king. The Seder Olam Zutta attributes the office to Zerubbabel, a member of the Davidic line, who is mentioned as one of the leaders of the Jewish community in the 6th century BC, holding the title of Achaemenid Governor of Yehud Medinata. A stone inscription known as the Tel Dan Stele dates from the late ninth or early eighth century BC, and it refers to the House of David. Another inscription from around 840 BC (the Moab Stele), may refer to David as well. They see the book as an ideological retrojection from a later period either as early as the reign of Josiah or as late as the Hasmonean period. The names of Kafnai and his son Haninai, who were Exilarchs in the second half of the 6th century, have been preserved. He reigned from Gibeah for 38 years (1 Samuel 8:31). These cookies do not store any personal information. As part of the Kingdom of Judah, Benjamin escaped the destruction of the northern kingdom by the Assyrians in c. 740 BCE. How is Jesus " " (Luke 1:32 NAS28) different from a prophet (, Luke 1:76 NAS28)? We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 13 All glorious is the princess within her chamber; The prophecy of Ahijah, who divided his new garment into twelve pieces and gave ten to Jeroboam with the explanation that he would rule over ten tribes, allows the possibility that Benjamin remained with Judah. Davids faith would become one of his defining characteristics, and it led him to overcome countless enemies after Goliath. Some have thought that the origin of the tribe is to be found in the Binu (or Maru) yamina of the 18th cent. When he was born, Rachel gave him the name of Ben-oni: Then they journeyed from Bethel. If Uriah slept with her, then no one could say he was the one who got her pregnant. Understandably, this made Saul feel threatened by David. The Tribe of Benjamin, located to the north of Judah but to the south of the Kingdom of Israel, is significant in biblical narratives as a source of various Israelite leaders, including the first Israelite king, Saul, as well as earlier tribal leaders in the period of the Judges. Deuteronomy 23:2 says no one born of a forbidden marriage nor any of his descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, even down to the tenth generation. He was defying God himself on Gods own turf. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor. [40] In 2020, Roth chose Brando Crawford, a descendant from both grandfathers, to represent the organization internationally. [18], The origins of the dynasty, on the other hand, are shrouded in mystery. But the Bible doesnt explicitly tell us what Samuel meant by this. So who was King David? Generally, Benjamins territory lay between that of Judah on the S and that of the house of Joseph on the north. New International Version (NIV), Encyclopedia of The Bible Tribe of Benjamin. Petrus Vermaak even suggests that the physical prowess of the Benjaminites, including their left-handed abilities, was what led the tribe to produce the first Israelite king.16 II.he Symbolic Meaning of Left and Right T Y. Aharoni describes the southern border as turning NW from the shores of the Dead Sea, passing S of Jericho, skirting below Jerusalem leaving it in Benjamite territory, continuing past Kiriath-jearim, descending to Beth-shemesh and following the Sorek Valley to the Mediterranean. l.c. When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in Davids army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died. 2 Samuel 11:14-17. The Exilarchate in the Sasanian Empire was briefly abolished as a result of revolt by the Mar-Zutra II in the late 5th century CE, with his son Mar-Zutra III being denied the office and relocating to Tiberias, then within the Byzantine Empire. What do we know about him? Bibliography W. F. Albright, From the Stone Age to Christianity (1957), passim; M. Noth, History of Israel (1958) 73f., 146, 233; GTT (1959), 164ff. Psalm 7 is the only Biblical mention of this later Cush, who was from the tribe of Benjamin. The king then understood that if his own son was seeking his life, it was no surprise if the Benjamites should behave in similar fashion (16:11). her virgin companions follow her His intention was to try them and thus to learn whether they would act in a brotherly manner toward Benjamin if he were in danger of losing his liberty. Berean Standard Bible Forget your people and your fathers house. The word Lifta is merely a corruption of the Hebrew name Nephtoah, and where a natural spring by that name still abounds.[17]. Today, most people associate the little town of Bethlehem with the birth of Jesus. In Acts 13:22, Paul appears to give an explanation: After removing Saul, he made David their king. 21:43. . ; "Sefer ha-Yashar," Wayishla, ed. There seems to be no truly satisfactory resolution of the problem of the western boundary of Benjamin. [16] Marking what is now one of the southernmost butts and bounds of Benjamin's territory is "the spring of the waters of Nephtoah" (Joshua 18:15), a place identified as Kefar Lifta ( ), and situated on the left-hand side of the road as one enters Jerusalem. It is very interesting the comment of John Gill (bold is mine): Some apply this to particular persons of this tribe, as to Saul the first king of Israel, who was of Benjamin; and who as soon as he took the kingdom of Israel, in the morning, in the beginning of that state, fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines, and the Amalekites, 1Sa 14:47 and to Mordecai and Esther, who were of the same tribe, who after the captivity, and in the evening of that state, divided the spoil of Haman, Est 8:1 this is observed by Jarchi, Aben Ezra, and Ben Gersom. (John Gill, Exposition of the Bible; on Gen 49:27). After the death of Saul, the tribe of Benjamin remained faithful to his house. Scholars debate whether this represents a contradiction or if one of Davids brothers was simply omitted, but thats not the point. Davids line ruled in Jerusalem for about 400 years, until King Nebuchadnezzar captured the city and broke the line of kings. What sort of strategies would a medieval military use against a fantasy giant? And while he and Abner were at war with David the whole time he was in power, Ish-bosheth didnt die by Davids hand. 1. The tribe seems to have met the challenge of this position, becoming known for its skillful archers and slingers. In fact, the famous narrative of David and Goliath has been so prolific in literature, art, and culture that its become a common trope for describing other stories about underdogs. why was King Saul from the tribe of Benjamin chosen as Israel's first king when Judah was to be the ruling tribe all along, as related in I Samuel 8-10? [9] However, according to the consensus of modern scholars, the conquest as described in the book of Joshua did not occur. The Gospel of Luke refers to Bethlehem as the town of David (Luke 2:4), because it was well-known that this was Davids old stomping grounds, and it was where Samuel anointed him king of Gods people. Why did Ahimaaz the son of Zadok run ahead of the Cushite to Only provide good news about War Victory, & Not the Bad News about Absalom's death? The text refers several times to the Benjaminite warriors as "men of valour"[2] despite their defeat. Since Jacob had blessed Judah and prophesied that (Genesis 49:10): The scepter will not turn aside from Judah until Shiloh comes, and to him the obedience of the people will belong. When, at the Red Sea, all the other tribes stood in desperation only the tribe of Benjamin trusted in God and leaped into the sea (Mekilta, Beshalla, Wayira 5; Sotah 36b).[23]. Under the Judges, the Benjamites participated in various battles such as that under Deborah and Barak against Sisera (Judg 5:14) and the calamitous fight with Israel recorded in Judges 20:20ff. To get around this, they provided wives for the men by killing the men from Jabesh-Gilead who had not shown concern for the almost lost tribe of Benjamin as they did not come to grieve with the rest of Israel. Israels first king, Saul, was a Benjamite and his appointment enhanced the prestige of the tribe. When they came to David with their good news, he had them executed for their crime. The Book of Ruth is a story of love and redemption. However, this theory has been widely contested. Answer (1 of 20): No (lol). Lawrence J. Mykytiuk. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Deu. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. When David couldnt get Uriah to sleep with his wife Bathsheba (and therefore conceal Davids adultery), he plotted to have Uriah killed in combat. And it just so happened that David was a talented musician. (Genesis 49:10 JPS 1985). 2. In the Samaritan Pentateuch the name appears as Binyamm (Hebrew: ). As the old saying goes, "Be careful what you wish for; you might get it.