18
Asוַיְהִי בְּher lifeנַפְשָׁהּwas departingצֵאת(forכִּיshe was dying),מֵתָהshe calledוַתִּקְרָאhis nameשְׁמוֹBen-oni;בֶּן אוֹנִיbut his fatherוְאָבִיוcalledקָרָאhimלוֹBenjamin.בִנְיָמִין
Genesis 35:18
Study it in the app“As her life was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 35:18, word by word
- Asיְהִיyehi
happen
For something to occur or take place; many stories open with this word.
Where else “yehi” appears- her lifeנַפְשָׁnafsha
life
Life, when it is at stake.
Where else “nafsha” appears- was departingצֵאתtset
go out
To go out of a place.
Where else “tset” appears- she was dying)מֵתָהmeta
die
To cease living; also, one who has ceased living.
Where else “meta” appears- she calledתִּקְרָאtikra
call
To raise the voice to someone so that he comes, or to invite him.
Where else “tikra” appears- his nameשְׁמshem
name
The word by which a person, place or thing is called and recognized.
Where else “shem” appears- Ben-oniבֶּןben
Ben-oni
Ben-oni: the name Rachel gave her son as she died; "son of my sorrow" or "son of my strength". Jacob called him Benjamin.
Where else “ben” appears- but his fatherאָבִיavi
father
The man who begets a child and heads his household.
Where else “avi” appears- Benjaminבִנְיָמִיןvinyamin
Benjamin
Benjamin, the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel; also the tribe that came from him and its land. The name means "son of the right hand".
Where else “vinyamin” appears
Translation note
“Ben-oni” can mean “son of my sorrow” or “son of my strength”; “Benjamin,” “son of the right hand.”
The context
17When she was in hard labor, the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid, for this too is a son for you.”
18 · This verse (above)
19So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).
To study Genesis 35 in a group
1. What it says
What did Elohim tell Jacob to do at Bethel, and what did his household leave behind (vv. 1-4)?
2. What it means
What does it show about Jacob that he asks his household to put away the foreign gods (vv. 2-3)?
3. How I live it
What gets in the way of your trust in Elohim, and could you leave it behind?