^35:16They traveled on from Bethel, and when Ephrath was still some distance away,³³ Rachel went into labor³⁴—and her labor was hard. ^35:17When her labor was at its hardest,³⁵ the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for you are having another son.”³⁶^35:18With her dying breath,³⁷ she named him Ben-Oni.³⁸ But his father called him Benjamin instead.³⁹

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Footnotes

33 Heb “and there was still a stretch of the land to go to Ephrath.”
34 Normally the verb would be translated “she gave birth,” but because that obviously had not happened yet, it is better to translate the verb as ingressive, “began to give birth” (cf. ) or “went into labor.”
35 The construction uses a Hiphil infinitive, which E. A. Speiser classifies as an elative Hiphil. The contrast is with the previous Piel: there “she had hard labor,” and here, “her labor was at its hardest.” Failure to see this, Speiser notes, has led to redundant translations and misunderstandings (Genesis [], ).
36 Another son. The episode recalls and fulfills the prayer of Rachel at the birth of Joseph (Gen 30:24): “may he add” another son.
37 Heb “in the going out of her life, for she was dying.” Rachel named the child with her dying breath.
38 The name Ben-Oni means “son of my suffering.” It is ironic that Rachel’s words to Jacob in Gen 30:1, “Give me children or I’ll die,” take a different turn here, for it was having the child that brought about her death.
39 The disjunctive clause is contrastive. His father called him Benjamin. There was a preference for giving children good or positive names in the ancient world, and “son of my suffering” would not do (see the incident in 1 Chr 4:9–10), because it would be a reminder of the death of Rachel (in this connection, see also D. Daube, “The Night of Death,” 61 [1968]: 629–32). So Jacob named him Benjamin, which means “son of the [or “my”] right hand.” The name Benjamin appears in the Mari texts. There have been attempts to connect this name to the resident tribe listed at Mari, “sons of the south” (since the term “right hand” can also mean “south” in Hebrew), but this assumes a different reading of the story. See J. Muilenburg, “The Birth of Benjamin,” 75 (1956): 194–201.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Then they journeyed from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor. And when her labor was at its hardest, the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for you have another son.” And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and had great difficulty. And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, “Don’t despair, for you have another son.” As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni. But his father named him Benjamin.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

They set out from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult. During her difficult labor, the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for you have another son.” With her last breath—for she was dying—she named him Ben-oni, but his father called him Benjamin.

NLTNew Living Translation

Leaving Bethel, Jacob and his clan moved on toward Ephrath. But Rachel went into labor while they were still some distance away. Her labor pains were intense. After a very hard delivery, the midwife finally exclaimed, “Don’t be afraid—you have another son!” Rachel was about to die, but with her last breath she named the baby Ben-oni (which means “son of my sorrow”). The baby’s father, however, called him Benjamin (which means “son of my right hand”).

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Then they journeyed from Bethel. And when they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor. And she had hard labor. And when her labor was the most difficult the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid for you have another son.” And it happened that when her life was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-Oni. But his father called him Benjamin.

KJV 1900King James Version

And they journeyed from Beth-el; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour. And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also. And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Ben-oni: but his father called him Benjamin.

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