Ben-ammi בֶּן־עַמִּי
Son of Lot's younger daughter; father of the Ammonites.
Biography
Ben-ammi is mentioned in Gen.19.38 as the son of Lot's younger daughter, born after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The context of the passage is the account of Lot's daughters, who, believing they were the only survivors, decided to have children by their father to preserve their family line. The younger daughter conceived and gave birth to a son, whom she named Ben-ammi, meaning "son of my people." The text states that Ben-ammi became the ancestor of the Ammonites, a neighboring nation to Israel. The Ammonites are later mentioned throughout the Old Testament, often in conflict with the Israelites. The story of Ben-ammi's birth highlights the consequences of Lot's choice to live in Sodom and the moral decline of his family. It also serves as an origin story for the Ammonite people and their relationship to the Israelites.
Family
Parents
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentGenesis 1 verse
- Genesis 19:38
"The younger also bore a son, and called his name Ben Ammi. He is the father of the children of Ammon to this day."
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | בֶּן־עַמִּי | H1151 |
Ben-ammi
birth as well as that of Moab was commonly regarded as an expression of Israel's intense hatred and contempt toward these two nations. However, this idea is rather unwarranted, in view of the fact that the origin of the tribe of Judah (which is held in especial honor by J) is accounted for in a similiar way (Ge 38). Gunkel (Schopfung und Chaos, 190) suggests that the narrative (Ge 19:30-38) was originally a Moabitic account tracing the common origin of Moab and Ammon to Lot. It presupposes a universal catastrophe--such as the conflagration of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim suggests--in which all the human race, save Lot and his two daughters, perished. In order to avert the extinction of the race, his daughters resorted to incestuous practices. In this case we have here a Moabite parallel to the Deluge story (Skinner, Genesis, 313-14). While the common origin of the two brother tribes is undoubtedly a fact (Jud 10:6; 11:15,18,25; De 2:19; 2Ch 20, etc.), the folk-etymology of their names is rather suspicious. The name Ben-Ammi is probably derived from the deity "Emu," which is the name for Nergal among the shuchites on the West of the Euphrates a land which corresponds to the position of the Bene-`Ammo, "children of his people" (Nu 22:5). The chief god of the Kataban Arabs was called Ammi (Hom., ZDMG, V, 95, 525, note 1). In cuneiform inscriptions this name appears as part of the title of the Ammonite rulers (HDB). Neubauer (Studia Biblica, 1-26) suggests that the name Balaam is a compound of Bel plus Am, that is, "Am is Lord." For other compounds with Ammi see Gray, HPN, 41-60.
S. Cohon
ben-de'-ker (ben-deqer, "son of Deker," the King James Version "son of Dekar"): The word is derived from a Hebrew root meaning "to pierce." Compare HPN, 69. One of the 12 officers who provided victuals for King Solo