Who was Naaman in the Bible?

Naaman was a grandson of Benjamin through his son Bela. He is listed as the head of the Naamite clan within the tribe of Benjamin (Numbers 26:40).

What is the significance of Naaman in the Bible?

His significance is primarily genealogical, as he represents a founding family line within the tribe of Benjamin. The Naamites were counted as a distinct clan during the census in the wilderness (Numbers 26:40).

What key events was Naaman involved in?

The Bible records no narrative events from his life. His mention is limited to the census lists, establishing his role as a clan patriarch and his descendants as part of the Israelite community.

Naaman

Old TestamentEgypt & WildernessMaleSon of bela

Naaman, a grandson of Benjamin through Bela, was the head of the Naamite clan within the tribe of Benjamin.

Naaman

Biography

Naaman was a grandson of Benjamin, Israel's youngest patriarch, through Benjamin's firstborn son Bela, as recorded in Genesis 46:21 and Numbers 26:40. He became the eponymous ancestor of the Naamite clan, one of the recognized sub-divisions within the tribe of Benjamin. Naaman was among the members of Jacob's extended family who accompanied the patriarch to Egypt during the famine, settling in the land of Goshen under the protection of Joseph. As a founding figure of a Benjamite clan, Naaman's lineage would have maintained its distinct identity through the Egyptian sojourn, the exodus, the wilderness wanderings, and the settlement in Canaan, where the Naamites received their portion within Benjamin's tribal territory, strategically located between Judah and the northern tribes.

Significance

Naaman's role as founder of the Naamite clan illustrates the fulfillment of God's promise to multiply Abraham's descendants into a great nation. Each clan within each tribe represented a branch of the growing family through which God was working His purposes in history. The Naamites' persistence as a recognized clan at the time of the Numbers census, generations after the descent into Egypt, testifies to God's preservation of Israel's tribal structure through centuries of slavery. Naaman's lineage through Bela, Benjamin's firstborn, connected the Naamites to the tribe that would later produce Israel's first king, Saul, and whose territory would include the holy city of Jerusalem.

Verse Appearances (2)

Genesis

Genesis 46:21

1Chr

1Chr 8:2

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]

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