Numbers 34:21

Summary

This verse identifies the man appointed to represent the tribe of Benjamin in the division of the land: Elidad, son of Chislon. It follows the pattern used throughout Numbers 34 to list one representative per tribe.

Key words

• le ("of", H9005) — the preposition attached to maTteh, marking the phrase as introducing the tribal affiliation, "belonging to the tribe of."
• maTteh ("[the] tribe of", H4294H) — masculine singular construct noun; the construct form links it directly to Vinyamin, producing "tribe of Benjamin."
• Vinyamin ("Benjamin", H1144G) — proper name functioning as the genitive complement of maTteh, naming the tribe in question.
• 'eliDad ("Elidad", H0449) — proper name, the subject of the verse, the individual designated as representative.
• ben ("[the] son of", H1121A) — masculine singular construct noun introducing patronymic identification, linking 'eliDad to his father.
• Kislon ("Chislon", H3692) — proper name, the father of Elidad, completing the patronymic formula "son of Chislon."

What the text says

The Hebrew sentence has no verb; it is a nominal clause built entirely on construct chains, a structure typical of administrative or genealogical lists in Numbers. The first construct chain, le-maTteh Vinyamin, literally "of/belonging to the tribe of Benjamin," establishes the tribal heading. This is followed by the personal name 'eliDad, then a second construct chain, ben Kislon, "son of Chislon," which identifies the individual by patronymic rather than by any title or office — the role of "representative" is understood from the surrounding list in Numbers 34, not stated explicitly in this verse itself. The word order places the tribal affiliation before the personal name, differing from the order used in some translations, which move the personal name to the front for readability in the target language.

Differences between versions

The Hebrew word order is "tribe of Benjamin — Elidad son of Chislon," and the LXX (τῆς φυλῆς Βενιαμείν, Ἐλδὰδ υἱὸς Χασλών) and Vulgate (De tribu Benjamin, Elidad filius Chaselon) preserve this same sequence, placing the tribe first. The BSB reverses this order, presenting the personal name and patronymic first ("Elidad son of Chislon") and the tribal affiliation last ("from the tribe of Benjamin"), a rearrangement not present in the Hebrew, LXX, or Vulgate. The Greek renders Kislon as Χασλών (Chaslōn) and the Vulgate as Chaselon, minor transliteration variants of the same underlying name found in the Hebrew Kislon.