Educator Guide
Benjamin Bible Study Guide
Benjamin
Benjamin
Youngest son of Jacob, born to Rachel who died naming him; ancestor of Saul and the apostle Paul.
From the family tree
- Parents
- Jacob, Rachel
- Children
- Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, Ard
- Siblings
- Reuben, Judah, Joseph, Dan, Gad, Simeon, Levi, Naphtali, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Dinah, Isachar
Teaching prompt
How does a son named 'sorrow' become a son named 'strength'?
Reflection
Where might God be renaming a place of sorrow in your life into a place of strength or purpose?
Points to Jesus
Rachel names him Ben-oni, 'son of my sorrow,' but Jacob renames him Benjamin, 'son of my right hand' (Genesis 35:18) — a shift from sorrow to strength that foreshadows Jesus, who goes through the sorrow of the cross to be seated at the Father's right hand (Hebrews 1:3). Centuries later, Paul, 'of the tribe of Benjamin' (Romans 11:1), carries that gospel of reversal to the Gentiles.
Discussion questions
- Genesis 35:18: What name does the dying Rachel give her son, and what does Jacob change it to?
- Genesis 44:18-34: Why is Judah willing to become a slave in Benjamin's place before Joseph?
- Romans 11:1 / Philippians 3:5: Who from the tribe of Benjamin becomes central to the New Testament, and how does he describe himself?