And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing,(for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.
GENESIS 35:18KJVWhat does Genesis 35:18 mean?
Genesis 35:18 describes Rachel naming her newborn son as she dies, and his father Jacob giving the boy a different name. The two names place the birth alongside both Rachel’s sorrow and the name by which the child will be known: Benjamin.
The phrase “her soul was in departing” pictures Rachel’s life leaving her. After the difficult birth described in the previous verse, Rachel herself speaks the first name before the narrator tells us what his father calls him.
The Hebrew behind Genesis 35:18
- “soul” — נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh): This word can refer to a living person or to life itself. Here, the phrase describes Rachel’s life leaving her as she dies.
- “Benoni” — בֶּן־אוֹנִי (ben ʾoni): This name is often understood as “son of my sorrow.” The name connects the child with the pain surrounding his birth.
- “Benjamin” — בִּנְיָמִין (binyamin): This name is commonly understood as “son of the right hand.” The right hand could suggest a place of honor or strength.
Why Genesis 35:18 matters
- Rachel and Jacob give the child contrasting names. “Benoni” is tied to her sorrow, while “Benjamin” gives the boy a name associated with honor or strength.
- Benjamin is the name carried forward in the family record. Genesis 35:24 lists him among the sons born to Rachel.
- Rachel’s death is part of the immediate setting of Benjamin’s birth. Genesis 35:19–20 places her burial near Bethlehem and records that Jacob set up a marker over her grave.