בֶּן־דֶּקֶר
Ben-Deker, an Israelite
Definition
Ben-Deker is a proper name meaning 'son of Deker' or 'son of piercing'. In the Bible, he is identified as one of the twelve district governors appointed by King Solomon to supply provisions for the royal household, specifically for the region of Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elonbeth-hanan (1 Kings 4:9). The name itself is a patronymic, indicating his lineage or association with a father or ancestor named Deker. As a historical figure, his sole role in the biblical narrative is administrative, highlighting the organizational structure of Solomon's kingdom.
Biblical Usage
The name Ben-Deker appears only once in the Old Testament, in 1 Kings 4:9. It is used in a purely administrative and historical context within a list of Solomon's twelve regional officers responsible for providing food for the king's court. There are no other occurrences or varied usages of this proper name in the biblical text.
Etymology
The name Ben-Deker is a compound Hebrew word. It is formed from 'ben' (H1121), meaning 'son of', and a derivative of the root 'daqar' (H1856), meaning 'to pierce, thrust through'. Thus, the name literally translates to 'son of piercing' or 'son of a lance', likely referring to a characteristic, occupation, or event associated with his father or ancestor.
Semantic Range
The name reflects the common Israelite practice of using patronymics (identifying a person as 'son of' their father). The element 'Deker' ('piercing') may have originally described a warrior, hunter, or someone skilled with a spear, which was a valued trait in ancient Near Eastern societies. As a district governor, Ben-Deker was part of Solomon's centralized administrative system, which replaced the older tribal structures and imposed taxation in kind to support a large royal bureaucracy and building projects.
Ben-Hesed (H1121+H2617) — Another of Solomon's district governors (1 Kings 4:10). Ben-Abinadab (H1121+H41) — Another of Solomon's district governors (1 Kings 4:11).
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
Full methodology & sources →