And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.

GENESIS 19:38KJV
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Genesis 19:38 (KJV)

What does Genesis 19:38 mean?

Genesis 19:38 says that the younger daughter of Lot gave birth to a son named Benammi, who became the ancestor of the people known as the Ammonites. The verse explains the origin of the Ammonite nation, tracing it back to Lot’s family.

In the story, Lot’s daughters believed there were no men left to continue their family line after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The younger daughter’s son, Benammi, is named in a way that reflects his origins (“son of my people”), and the verse points out that his descendants, the Ammonites, were still known in the region at the time this account was written.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 19:38

  • בֶּן־עַמִּי (Benammi): This name means “son of my people.” The name itself hints at the circumstances of his birth, emphasizing family connection, and subtly points to the unusual way the family line continued.
  • עַמּוֹן (Ammon): This is the name given to the people descended from Benammi. The verse makes clear that the Ammonites’ identity is directly tied to this family event.

Why Genesis 19:38 matters

  • Genesis 19:38 clarifies the origins of the Ammonites, a group that appears many times later in the Bible as neighbors and sometimes rivals of Israel.
  • The verse connects the story of Lot’s family to the broader history of the region, showing how different peoples traced their roots.
  • By naming Benammi and linking him to the Ammonites, the verse highlights how personal family events can have long-lasting effects on entire nations.

Where else these words appear

“younger” Hebrew H6810 · used in 22 verses

  • Genesis 19:31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:
  • Joshua 6:26 And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.
  • Psalms 119:141 I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts.

“Ammon” Hebrew H5983 · used in 98 verses

  • Numbers 21:24 And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon: for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.
  • Judges 12:1 And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire.
  • 1 Chronicles 19:11 And the rest of the people he delivered unto the hand of Abishai his brother, and they set themselves in array against the children of Ammon.