Genesis 35:18
What is Genesis 35:18 about? Read the meaning and summary with full commentary explained, historical context, verse insights, word analysis, and cross-references.
Genesis chapter 35 - The Return To Bethel And Renewed Covenant
Genesis 35 documents the spiritual reformation of Jacob’s household as they purge foreign idols and return to Bethel. It establishes the final transition of the patriarchal leadership through the deaths of Deborah, Rachel, and Isaac. This chapter reinforces God’s commitment to the Abrahamic covenant despite the family's recent failures in Shechem.
Genesis 35:18
ESV: And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin.
KJV: And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.
NIV: As she breathed her last?for she was dying?she named her son Ben-Oni. But his father named him Benjamin.
NKJV: And so it was, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni; but his father called him Benjamin.
NLT: Rachel was about to die, but with her last breath she named the baby Ben-oni (which means "son of my sorrow"). The baby's father, however, called him Benjamin (which means "son of my right hand").
Meaning
Genesis 35:18 narrates the pivotal moment of Rachel's death during the birth of her second son. In her dying breath, she names him Ben-oni, meaning "son of my sorrow" or "son of my pain," a testament to her profound suffering and the cost of his birth. Immediately, his father Jacob overrides this sorrowful name and renames him Benjamin, meaning "son of my right hand." This new name signifies strength, prosperity, favor, and good fortune, embodying Jacob's hopeful outlook for his youngest son and reflecting a divinely appointed positive future for his last-born.
Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 30:1 | Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children. | Rachel's long struggle with barrenness. |
| Gen 30:23-24 | God has taken away my reproach... let me have another son. | Rachel's yearning for children fulfilled. |
| Gen 35:16 | They journeyed from Bethel... there was still some distance to Ephrath. | Setting of Rachel's childbirth and death. |
| Gen 35:19 | So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). | Specific burial site near Bethlehem. |
| Gen 48:7 | Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way... I buried her there. | Jacob remembers Rachel's death later. |
| Jer 31:15 | Thus says the LORD: "A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children." | Prophetic lament for Rachel's descendants. |
| Matt 2:18 | A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children. | Fulfilment of Jer 31:15 with Herod's slaughter. |
| Ps 16:11 | In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. | "Right hand" as place of joy and blessing. |
| Ps 110:1 | The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool." | "Right hand" as a position of authority and honor. |
| Matt 26:64 | Jesus said to him, "You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven." | Jesus' divine authority, at God's right hand. |
| Col 3:1 | If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. | Believer's spiritual position with Christ in power. |
| Gen 49:27 | Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey. | Prophecy concerning Benjamin's tribal characteristics. |
| Judg 20 | Civil war against the tribe of Benjamin due to wickedness. | Benjamin's fierce and contentious tribal history. |
| 1 Sam 9:1-2 | There was a man of Benjamin... his name was Kish, and he had a son whose name was Saul... | King Saul from the tribe of Benjamin. |
| Rom 11:1 | I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. | Apostle Paul's tribal heritage as a Benjaminite. |
| Phil 3:5 | Circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin... | Paul again states his Benjaminite heritage. |
| Gen 5:29 | Lamech called his name Noah, saying, "Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our toil." | Names often reflect circumstances or prophecy (Noah). |
| 1 Sam 4:19-21 | When she heard the news... the woman who was pregnant gave birth, for her pains came upon her... She named the child Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel!" | Birth in sorrow and name reflecting circumstances (Ichabod). |
| John 12:24 | Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. | Life springing forth from death. |
| 2 Cor 4:10 | Always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. | Life out of suffering and sacrifice. |
| Gen 32:28 | He said, "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed." | Jacob's own name change signifying transformation. |
| Lk 1:63 | He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." | Father's authority in naming children. |
Context
Genesis 35 records a pivotal period in Jacob's life after his return from Paddan-aram. God commands Jacob to return to Bethel, where Jacob had previously vowed to build an altar (Gen 28:22). Before this return, Jacob leads his household in purifying themselves, casting away foreign gods, reflecting a recommitment to the covenant. God appears to Jacob again, confirming his name change to Israel and reiterating the Abrahamic covenant of land and descendants. Following this significant encounter, Jacob and his family journey southward. Along this journey, Rachel, Jacob's beloved wife, unexpectedly dies during childbirth near Ephrath (later Bethlehem), an immensely painful event for Jacob. Amidst this sorrow and new life, Jacob completes the patriarchal family, having twelve sons, who will form the tribes of Israel. This tragic yet vital birth and renaming occur within a chapter rich with covenant renewal, death, and family formation.
Word analysis
And as her soul (בְּצֵ֣את נַפְשָׁהּ֙ - b'tset nafshah):
בְּצֵ֣את(b'tset) meaning "in the going out" or "as it went forth," signifying the very moment of departure.נַפְשָׁהּ֙(nafshah), referring to Rachel's "soul" or "life." In Hebrew thought,nefeshencompasses the living being, the life force itself. It underscores the preciousness and vulnerability of life, and the finality of its departure here.
was departing (כִּ֥י מֵתָֽה הִ֗י - ki metah hi):
מֵתָֽה(metah) is a participle, indicating she was "as one dying" or "on the point of death." The parenthetical "for she was dying" confirms the dire, irreversible state of her health during childbirth.
she called (וַתִּקְרָ֤א - vattiqra):
- This verb emphasizes Rachel's final, conscious act amidst her suffering. It reflects her agency, though tragically short-lived, in naming her son according to her present experience.
his name (שְׁמ֔וֹ - shmo): Refers to the identity bestowed upon the new life.
Ben-oni (בֶּן־אוֹנִ֖י - Ben-oni):
בֶּן־(ben): "son of."אוֹנִ֖י('oni): "my sorrow," "my pain," "my affliction," "my trouble." This name encapsulates Rachel's physical agony and emotional distress at the moment of birth, serving as a lasting memorial to her profound suffering and sacrifice. It highlights the high cost of this life.
but his father (וְאָבִ֖יו - v'aviv):
- The
וְ(vav) serves as a connective, but here carries an adversative sense ("but" or "however"), indicating a contrasting action or perspective from the preceding statement. אָבִ֖יו(aviv): "his father," Jacob. This signifies the patriarchal authority and the father's ultimate prerogative in naming the child, particularly after the mother's demise.
- The
called him (קָרָא־ל֖וֹ - qara-lo): Jacob actively bestows a new name.
Benjamin (בִּנְיָמִֽין - Binyamin):
בִּנְיָמִֽין(Binyamin): "son of the right hand."בֶּן־(ben): "son of."יָמִֽין(yamin): "right hand," also signifying strength, skill, favor, prosperity, and the south direction. Jacob re-orients the identity of his son from sorrow to a future filled with strength, blessing, and honor.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "And as her soul was departing (for she was dying)": This phrase vividly portrays the critical, fatal moment. It emphasizes Rachel's struggle for life and the immediate cause of her death, which frames her naming of the child. The language underscores the tragic reality and the profound personal cost involved in this birth.
- "she called his name Ben-oni": This reveals Rachel's final, agonizing testament. Her naming reflects the raw, immediate experience of her death, indelibly linking the new life with her sacrifice and pain. It is a name born out of human frailty and suffering.
- "but his father called him Benjamin": This starkly contrasts Rachel's dying expression of sorrow with Jacob's enduring hope and foresight. Jacob's re-naming demonstrates patriarchal authority, but more importantly, a redemptive reframing. He reorients the child's identity from one of "sorrow" to one of "strength" or "fortune," indicating a positive trajectory within God's ongoing plan for his family. This action reflects faith beyond immediate circumstances.
Commentary
Genesis 35:18 offers a poignant narrative of sorrow and hope interwoven at the dawn of a new life. Rachel's naming of Ben-oni, "son of my sorrow," highlights the immense physical and emotional cost of childbirth, especially in a time with high maternal mortality. It is a deeply personal, sorrowful, and dying testament. However, Jacob, deeply grieving but looking to the future, renames him Benjamin, "son of my right hand." This act demonstrates patriarchal authority but also a spiritual outlook. Jacob's name for his son looks past immediate pain to a destiny of strength, honor, and blessing. The right hand, in biblical culture, symbolizes power, favor, skill, and the place of honor (e.g., Ps 110:1, Matt 26:64). Thus, Benjamin is consecrated with a name that points not to his mother's death but to his own potential and significant role within the burgeoning nation of Israel. This verse captures a recurring biblical theme: new life and future hope emerging even from profound personal tragedy. It signifies God's sovereign hand working through human sorrow to fulfill His purposes, transforming a name of affliction into one of destiny and blessing.
Bonus section
The tension between the two names for the same child in Gen 35:18 offers a powerful theological insight into the dual realities of life experienced under divine providence. While human experience is often marked by suffering and sorrow, particularly in a fallen world (as highlighted by Rachel's immediate naming), God's overarching plan and ultimate intention for His people often leans towards strength, favor, and blessing (as expressed by Jacob's re-naming). This illustrates that even out of tragedy and great cost (like Rachel's life), God brings forth life, and indeed, a strong and favored lineage (Benjamin's tribe would include kings like Saul and apostles like Paul). This duality hints at a redemptive pattern: sorrow and pain are real, but God's perspective offers a path towards restoration, strength, and ultimate triumph. The location of Benjamin's birth near Bethlehem also carries prophetic weight, connecting his story to the future birthplace of Israel's greatest king, David, and ultimately the Messiah, Jesus Christ, further enhancing the themes of strength and good fortune associated with the "son of the right hand."
Read genesis 35 chapter and explore various translations, from word-for-word KJV and ESV to thought-for-thought NIV and NLT.
Trace the movement from cultural contamination back to sacred consecration as Jacob rebuilds his altar and his identity. Begin your study with genesis 35 summary.
The name Ben-oni, given by the dying Rachel, meant 'Son of my Sorrow,' but Jacob changed it to Benjamin, 'Son of my Right Hand,' choosing hope over grief. The 'Word Secret' is El-Bethel, meaning 'God of the House of God,' emphasizing that the object of Jacob’s worship was now the Person of God, not just the place of the encounter. Discover the riches with genesis 35 commentary, containing expert led word study (original greek/hebrew) and passage level analysis.
Explore genesis 35 images, wallpapers, art, audio, video, maps, infographics and timelines