בֵּן

Ben, an Israelite

Definition

Ben is a proper noun referring to a specific individual in the Old Testament. In its single biblical occurrence, it identifies a Levite named Ben who served as a musician during King David's reign. The name itself is identical to the common Hebrew noun for 'son' (בֵּן, H1121), meaning this individual's name literally translates as 'Son'. This highlights a common Israelite naming convention where personal names were derived from everyday words or relational terms.

Biblical Usage

The word is used only once in the entire Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 15:18. Here, Ben is listed among the secondary Levitical musicians appointed to play the lyre during the transportation of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. The context is purely genealogical and functional, identifying him within a specific priestly division for a historic religious event.

Etymology

The name Ben is directly derived from the Hebrew common noun בֵּן (H1121), meaning 'son'. It is not a distinct root but the noun itself used as a personal name. This practice is seen in other biblical names like Benjamin ('son of the right hand'). As a proper noun, it functions identically to its source word but is capitalized to specify an individual.

Semantic Range

In ancient Israelite culture, names were often significant and descriptive. Using a common word like 'son' as a personal name (Ben) reflects a straightforward, relational identity. It may have indicated a hoped-for characteristic (like being a faithful son) or simply acknowledged the bearer's primary familial role. This differs from modern naming, where such literal common nouns are rarely used as given names.

בֵּן (bēn, H1121) — The common noun for 'son', from which this proper name is directly derived.

Word Details

Scripture References