The Meaning of Genesis 46:21 Explained

Genesis 46:21

KJV: And the sons of Benjamin were Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard.

YLT: And sons of Benjamin: Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard.

Darby: And the sons of Benjamin: Belah, And Becher, And Ashbel, Gera And Naaman, Ehi And Rosh, Muppim, And Huppim, And Ard.

ASV: And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the sons  of Benjamin  [were] Belah,  and Becher,  and Ashbel,  Gera,  and Naaman,  Ehi,  and Rosh,  Muppim,  and Huppim,  and Ard. 

What does Genesis 46:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 46:1-27 - Jacob And His Family Go To Egypt
Evidently Joseph's invitation to his father to come to him in Egypt aroused very earnest questionings in Jacob's soul. Was it a wise step for him to take? Perhaps he remembered Genesis 15:13, and dreaded to take the risk. Under these circumstances he went to Beersheba, the well of the oath, so intimately associated with the lives of Abraham and Isaac, and from which he had gone forth on his life's pilgrimage. There he offered special sacrifices and received special directions and promises. He was not only to go down into Egypt, but to go there under the divine guidance and protection. When we visit Egypt at our own impulse we shall land ourselves, as Abraham and Isaac did, in temptation and failure; but when God bids us go, we may make the journey with absolute impunity. Though we walk through the dark valley, we need not fear, if He be with us.
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Chapter Summary: Genesis 46

1  Jacob is comforted by God at Beersheba
5  Thence he with his company goes into Egypt
8  The number of his family that went into Egypt
28  Joseph meets Jacob
31  He instructs his brothers how to answer Pharaoh

What do the individual words in Genesis 46:21 mean?

And the sons of Benjamin Bela and Becher and Ashbel Gera and Naaman Ehi and Rosh Muppim and Huppim and Ard
וּבְנֵ֣י בִנְיָמִ֗ן בֶּ֤לַע וָבֶ֙כֶר֙ וְאַשְׁבֵּ֔ל גֵּרָ֥א וְנַעֲמָ֖ן אֵחִ֣י וָרֹ֑אשׁ מֻפִּ֥ים וְחֻפִּ֖ים וָאָֽרְדְּ

וּבְנֵ֣י  And  the  sons 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
בִנְיָמִ֗ן  of  Benjamin 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בִּנְיָמִין 
Sense: Jacob’s and Rachel’s youngest son, Joseph’s full brother.
בֶּ֤לַע  Bela 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֶּלַע 
Sense: a king of Edom.
וָבֶ֙כֶר֙  and  Becher 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֶּכֶר  
Sense: a son of Ephraim.
וְאַשְׁבֵּ֔ל  and  Ashbel 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַשְׁבֵּל  
Sense: second son of Benjamin.
גֵּרָ֥א  Gera 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֵּרָא  
Sense: a son of Benjamin.
וְנַעֲמָ֖ן  and  Naaman 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נַעֲמָן  
Sense: son of Bela of the family of Benjamin; he was among the family of Jacob that went down to Egypt.
אֵחִ֣י  Ehi 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵחִי  
Sense: son of Benjamin.
וָרֹ֑אשׁ  and  Rosh 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: a son of Benjamin.
מֻפִּ֥ים  Muppim 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֻפִּים  
Sense: a Benjamite and one of the 4 descendants of Rachel who belonged to the original colony of the sons of Jacob in Egypt.
וְחֻפִּ֖ים  and  Huppim 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֻפִּים  
Sense: the head of a Benjamite family.
וָאָֽרְדְּ  and  Ard 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַרְדְּ  
Sense: son of Benjamin.