Next will be the tribe of Benjamin. The leader of the Benjamites is Abidan son of Gideoni,
Parallel translations
- WEB “The tribe of Benjamin: and the prince of the children of Benjamin shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni.
- KJV Then the tribe of Benjamin: and the captain of the sons of Benjamin shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni.
- NKJV “Then comes the tribe of Benjamin, and the leader of the children of Benjamin shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni.”
- NASB Then follows the tribe of Benjamin; and the leader of the sons of Benjamin: Abidan the son of Gideoni,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Quick answer
Benjamin joined the western camp under prince Abidan. The smallest tribe still held an honored, appointed place.
Overview
Benjamin, descended from Jacob's youngest son, completed the western division alongside Ephraim and Manasseh. Though Benjamin would become one of the smaller tribes, it was given full standing and a named leader. This shows that in God's economy no member of His people is overlooked, foreshadowing how the body of Christ honors even its seemingly lesser parts (1 Corinthians 12:22-24).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Num 1:11from Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni;
- Num 7:65and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni.
- Ps 68:27There is Benjamin, the youngest, ruling them, the princes of Judah in their company, the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.
- Num 7:60On the ninth day Abidan son of Gideoni, the leader of the Benjamites, drew near.
- Num 10:24and Abidan son of Gideoni was over the division of the tribe of Benjamin.
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 2:22 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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