Ben בֵּן
A Levite appointed as a gatekeeper for the ark.
Who is Ben in the Bible?
Ben was a Levite appointed by King David as a gatekeeper for the ark of the covenant during its transfer to Jerusalem, as recorded in 1 Chronicles 15:18. He served alongside other Levites including Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, and Unni, who were responsible for both guarding the ark and providing musical accompaniment with harps and lyres during the sacred procession. Though briefly mentioned in Scripture, Ben's role illustrates the careful organization and reverence with which David prepared the Levites to transport Israel's most holy object to the capital city.
Biography
Ben is briefly mentioned in 1Ch.15.18 as one of the Levites appointed by David to serve as a gatekeeper for the ark of the covenant during its transfer from the house of Obed-edom to Jerusalem. The context of the passage is the detailed account of the Levites' duties and responsibilities in the transportation and care of the ark. Ben is listed among the second-order Levites, along with Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, and Maaseiah, who were to play harps and lyres.
In Scripture
1 biblical book1 Chronicles 1 verse
- 1 Chronicles 15:18
"and with them their brothers next in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel."
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | בֵּן |
Ben-
any compound names like Benjamin, Benhur, etc. (compare Bar);
(2) to a clan; in this connection it is found in the plural only: "children of Israel," "children of Ammon," etc.;
(3) to a town; perhaps as place of birth ("son of Jabesh"; 2Ki 15:10 ff);
(4) to occupation, state of life, age, character, quality even of things;
(5) peculiarly employed in the sense of "scholar disciple" ("son of prophet"), or in phrases like "son of death," etc.;
(6) in poetry, "sons of flame" for "sparks" (Job 5:7 margin), etc. The frequent metaphorical use of the word indicates that it was rarely used to express the relation of father to son like the Arabic Ibn. Compare HPN, 64 ff.
A. L. Breslich
ben-a-bin'-a-dab, ben-ab-i-na'-dab (ben 'abhinadhabh, "son of Abinadab"): One of the "captains" of Solomon who provided for the king and his household, each for a month in the year (<ref osisRef="Bible:1Kgs.4.11"