÷åã: áï éîéðé àå áðéîéðé? áúð"ê
ñåâ: ôøèéí1
îàú: àáðø øîå
àì:
In the Book of Kings we read:
îï-äéøãï îæøç äùîù, àú ëì-àøõ äâìòã, äâãé åäøàåáðé åäîðùé
“From the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites” (2 Ki 10:22).
As is shown in this verse, a person that belongs to a place or a group of people could be represented by a specific variant of their name. This is particularly common for names that end with the letter “n.” For example: åëì-äëðòðé åäöéãðé - “and all the Canaanites, and the Zidonians” (Jud 3:3).
The names of four tribes of Israel end with the letter “n.” These are: øàåáï - “Reuben”, ùîòåï - “Simeon”, æáìåï - “Zebulun”, and áðéîéï - “Benjamin.” Accordingly we find: øàåáðé (reuveni) - “Reubenites” (Num 26:7; see also: Num 34:14; Deu 3:12, 16; 4:43; 29:7; Jos 1:12; 12:6; 13:8; 22:1; 2 Ki 10:33; 1 Ch 5:6, 26; 11:42; 12:38; 26:32; 27:16); ùîòðé (shimeo’ni) - “Simeonites” (Num 26:14; see also: Num 25:14; Jos 21:4; 1 Ch 27:16); and æáåìðé (zevuloni) - “Zebulunites” (Num 26:27; see also: Jud 12:11, 12).
Yet although the name áðéîéï - “Benjamin” appears in the bible more times than Reuben, Simeon, and Zebulun combined, there is only one verse that relates to its people as “Benjaminites”:
äÇúÌÀùÑÄéòÄé ìÇçÉãÆùÑ äÇúÌÀùÑÄéòÄé, àÂáÄéòÆæÆø äÈòÇðÌÀúåÉúÄé ìáðéîéðé (ìÇáÌÅï éÀîÄéðÄé); åÀòÇì îÇçÂìË÷ÀúÌåÉ òÆùÒÀøÄéí åÀàÇøÀáÌÈòÈä àÈìÆó.
“The ninth captain for the ninth month was Abiezer the Anathothite, of the Benjamites; and in his course were twenty and four thousand” (1 Ch 27:12).
The English translation to”Benjamites” partially follows the Massoretic editor’s correction, but it seems that there is no justification for correcting here the word áðéîéðé (binyamini) - “Benjaminite.”
In the Book of Samuel we read:
åÇéÀäÄé-àÄéùÑ îáï éîéï (îÄáÌÄðÀéÈîÄéï), åÌùÑÀîåÉ ÷ÄéùÑ áÌÆï-àÂáÄéàÅì áÌÆï-öÀøåÉø áÌÆï-áÌÀëåÉøÇú áÌÆï-àÂôÄéçÇ-áÌÆï-àÄéùÑ éÀîÄéðÄé: âÌÄáÌåÉø çÈéÄì.
“Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor” (1 Sam 9:1; see also: Jud 19:16; 1 Sam 22:7; Est 2:5).
Here, the Massoretic editor, and the Greek (and English) translators believed that áï éîéï (ben yamin) is erroneous division to words of áðéîéï (benyamin) - “Benjamin.” However, at the end of this verse, it is only the English translator that realized that here éîéðé (yemini) is a letter-deletion error of áðéîéðé (benyemini) - “Benjaminite.”
Twenty verses later we find:
åÇéÌÇòÇï ùÑÈàåÌì åÇéÌÉàîÆø, äÂìåÉà áÆï-éÀîÄéðÄé àÈðÉëÄé îÄ÷ÌÇèÇðÌÅé ùÑÄáÀèÅé éÄùÒÀøÈàÅì, åÌîÄùÑÀôÌÇçÀúÌÄé äÇöÌÀòÄøÈä îÄëÌÈì-îÄùÑÀôÌÀçåÉú ùÑÄáÀèÅé áÄðÀéÈîÄï; åÀìÈîÌÈä ãÌÄáÌÇøÀúÌÈ àÅìÇé ëÌÇãÌÈáÈø äÇæÌÆä.
“And Saul answered and said: Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Wherefore then speak you to me after this manner” (1 Sam 9:21; see also: Jud 3:15; 1 Sam 9:4; 2 Sam 16:11; 19:17; 20:1; 1 Ki 2:8; Ps 7:1).
Here again, it is only the English translator that believed that áï-éîéðé (ben-yemini) is an erroneous division to words of áðéîéðé (binyamini) - “Benjaminite.” The content of this verse supports the English translator’s assumption.