Benjamin
Benjamin helped repair a section of Jerusalem's wall near his house.
Biography
This Benjamin is mentioned in Nehemiah 3:23 as one who repaired a section of Jerusalem's wall near his own house during the great rebuilding effort organized by Nehemiah in the mid-fifth century BC. He worked alongside Hashub, a fellow laborer, both contributing to the restoration of the city's defenses adjacent to their own residence. This detail, repairing near one's house, reflects Nehemiah's practical and motivating strategy: assigning laborers to sections personally meaningful to them, thus ensuring diligence and personal investment. Though Benjamin is otherwise unidentified, his labor placed him in the company of a community united by a common sacred purpose: rebuilding Jerusalem after its long desolation.
Significance
Benjamin's unnamed contribution to Nehemiah's wall-rebuilding project carries a quiet but enduring theological message about the dignity of ordinary service. Nehemiah 3 is a remarkable catalog of ordinary individuals, merchants, priests, goldsmiths, and residents, each playing a specific role in restoring what had been destroyed. Benjamin's work near his own home exemplifies the principle that faithfulness to God often manifests in caring for one's immediate environment and community. His labor was part of a divine restoration project, illustrating that the covenant community is built not only by great leaders but by countless faithful individuals whose names are written in Scripture.
Verse Appearances (1)
Nehemiah
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]