Benhanan is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Benhanan was a descendant of Judah, mentioned in the genealogies recorded in 1 Chronicles. He appears in a single verse of Scripture, listed among the sons of Shimon: “And the sons of Shimon were, Amnon, and Rinnah, Benhanan, and Tilon. And the sons of Ishi were, Zoheth, and Benzoheth” (1 Chronicles 4:20). The source note identifies him simply as a descendant of Judah whose name is preserved in these family records.
The setting of this passage is the great genealogical record of the tribe of Judah, compiled to document the lineage and inheritance of God’s people after the return from exile. Within that record, Shimon is named as a descendant of Judah, and Benhanan is numbered among Shimon’s sons, alongside his brothers Amnon, Rinnah, and Tilon. The text also notes the sons of Ishi, Zoheth and Benzoheth, suggesting these families were related within the same broader clan record.
Scripture says nothing further about Benhanan. No deed, occupation, or event in his life is recorded. He did not lead armies, build cities, or speak words that were preserved. He is remembered only as a name in a list—one link in the chain of Judah’s descendants. Yet that is precisely what the text says of him, and it is enough to place him within the covenant people and the lineage of promise.
The Name
The name Benhanan is a Hebrew compound name, built from the elements *ben*, meaning “son of,” and a second element that is not clearly recoverable with certainty. Suggestions have been offered by various scholars, but no single meaning is well established, and the second element’s precise sense remains uncertain. What can be said plainly is that the name follows the common Hebrew pattern of “son of [a name or quality],” but the full meaning of the name cannot be confidently stated. It is better to acknowledge this honestly than to assign a meaning the text does not give.
A Closing Thought
Most of us will never be remembered by crowds. Like Benhanan, our names may survive only in a family record, a quiet list, a line in someone’s memory. Yet God’s Word preserves him among the people of Judah, counted in the line through which His promises would unfold. There is comfort in that: faithfulness does not require fame. To belong to God’s people, to be numbered among them, is a lasting honor—whether or not the world ever notices our name.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- 1 Chronicles 4:20 — And the sons of Shimon were, Amnon, and Rinnah, Benhanan, and Tilon. And the sons of Ishi were, Zoheth, and Benzoheth.