Jediael
Jediael was a son of Benjamin and the head of a Benjamite clan.
Biography
Jediael was a son of Benjamin and a patriarch of one of the founding clans of the tribe of Benjamin. Mentioned in the Benjamite genealogies of Genesis 46:21 and Numbers 26:38-41, he appears as one of the direct descendants of Benjamin who traveled with Jacob's household into Egypt during the famine that brought Israel into contact with Joseph. As a tribal progenitor, Jediael's lineage would have contributed to the broader Benjamite clan structure that later played significant roles in Israel's history, including the tribe's association with Saul, Israel's first king. His existence represents the foundational family units that shaped Israelite tribal identity during the formative years in Egypt.
Significance
As a son of Benjamin and progenitor of a Benjamite clan, Jediael stands at the origins of one of Israel's twelve tribes. Though he appears only in genealogical lists, his role as a clan founder demonstrates the importance of family lineage in the biblical world, where ancestry determined tribal affiliation, land inheritance, and social identity. The tribe of Benjamin ultimately produced Saul, Israel's first king, and the apostle Paul (Philippians 3:5), making its ancestral figures like Jediael part of the broader sweep of redemptive history through the preservation of God's covenant people in Egypt.
Verse Appearances (3)
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]