Topical Bible: Tribe of Benjamin: Furnished the First King to Israel

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Topical Encyclopedia

The Tribe of Benjamin holds a significant place in the history of Israel, being one of the twelve tribes descended from Jacob's sons. Benjamin was the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel, and his descendants formed a tribe that played a crucial role in the early monarchy of Israel. The tribe is notably recognized for furnishing Israel with its first king, Saul.

Genealogy and Territory

Benjamin was born to Jacob and Rachel in Paddan Aram, and his birth is recorded in Genesis 35:16-18. The tribe's inheritance was strategically located between the territories of Ephraim and Judah, as detailed in Joshua 18:11-28. This central location made Benjamin a key player in the political and military affairs of Israel.

Characteristics and Reputation

The Benjamites were known for their valor and skill in battle. Judges 20:16 highlights their proficiency with the sling, stating, "Among all these soldiers there were seven hundred select left-handed men, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair and not miss." This martial prowess was a defining characteristic of the tribe.

Saul: The First King of Israel

The most prominent figure from the Tribe of Benjamin is Saul, the first king of Israel. Saul's anointing as king is recorded in 1 Samuel 9-10. Saul was chosen by God and anointed by the prophet Samuel, as described in 1 Samuel 10:1 : "Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, 'Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over His inheritance?'"

Saul's reign marked the transition from a tribal confederation to a centralized monarchy. Despite his initial success and military victories, Saul's reign was marred by disobedience to God's commands, leading to his eventual rejection by God as king (1 Samuel 15:26).

The Tribe's Role in Israel's History

The Tribe of Benjamin played a pivotal role during the period of the Judges and the early monarchy. Despite being one of the smaller tribes, Benjamin's strategic location and military capabilities made it influential. The tribe's loyalty was often divided between the northern and southern kingdoms, especially after the division of the united monarchy.

Notable Figures and Events

Apart from Saul, other notable Benjamites include Jonathan, Saul's son and David's close friend, and Mordecai and Esther, who played crucial roles in the Persian Empire as recorded in the Book of Esther. The Apostle Paul, originally named Saul, was also a Benjamite, as he himself notes in Philippians 3:5 : "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."

The Tribe of Benjamin's legacy is marked by its contributions to Israel's leadership and its enduring presence in biblical history.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Samuel 9:1,2,15-17
Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Samuel 10:20,21
And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Samuel 2:8-10
But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Concerning Rehoboam, and How God Inflicted Punishment Upon Him for ...
... He also built other large cities in the tribe of Benjamin, and walled ... and captains,
and a great deal of corn, and wine, and oil, and he furnished every one ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 10 concerning rehoboam and.htm

The Historical Books.
... the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem ... David, first at Hebron
over the tribe of Judah ... the kingdom of the ten tribes furnished no example ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xx the historical books.htm

Canaan
... beard, and dressed in long robes furnished with a ... had become a distinct and powerful
tribe, formed out ... a guerilla warfare in the mountains of Benjamin, and the ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter ii canaan.htm

The Blessing of Jacob Upon Judah. (Gen. Xlix. 8-10. )
... the blessing of Jacob, in which the tribe of Judah ... Reuben, Simeon, and Gad, that
Ephraim and Benjamin, that Dan ... in Genesis alone that we are furnished with the ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the blessing of jacob upon.htm

The Marvels of Holy Scripture, --Moral and Physical. --Jael's Deed ...
... Furnished with the clue of Glop's approbation of Jael's deed ... made their settlement
amid the Royal tribe of Judah ... Only some of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh [602 ...
/.../burgon/inspiration and interpretation/sermon vii the marvels of.htm

The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt
... isolated districts, and by thus restricting each tribe to a ... Drawn by Faucher-Gudin,
from a photograph furnished by Marcel ... the King of Elam to be first of all ...
/.../chapter ithe first chaldaean empire.htm

Hebrew Captives; Or, Mordecai and Esther.
... captivity"those of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi ... not induce any of the
Levitical tribe to join ... is one of the loveliest characters furnished in the ...
/.../headley/half hours in bible lands volume 2/hebrew captives or mordecai and.htm

Acts XIII
... them Saul, the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, forty years ... These incidents
furnished the inspiration of their songs, the themes of their orators ...
/.../mcgarvey/a commentary on acts of the apostles/acts xiii.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... of the captivity of the land."* The tribe of Dan ... influence over the territory of
Benjamin and the ... and Abimelech; the Philistine tyranny forced first the tribes ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

The visit and Homage of the Magi, and the Flight into Egypt
... 1081] over her children, the men of Benjamin, when the ... [1012] The evidence on this
point is furnished by JG ... a thousand' but also a part of a tribe (Isaiah 60:22 ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter viii the visit and.htm