Of the tribe of Benjamin Elidad the son of Chislon.Numbers 34:21 Explainer ## Introduction - In Plain Language: This short verse simply names the person chosen from the tribe of Benjamin to help oversee the division of the Promised Land: Elidad, son of Chislon. - Big idea: Even small, seemingly administrative details in Scripture show how God’s people were organized and how every tribe and leader played a part in taking possession of the land. - Key points: - The verse is part of a roster of tribal representatives appointed to manage the land allotment. - Naming individuals preserves responsibility, order, and historical memory for the community. - Even brief verses reveal God’s concern for organization, fairness, and local leadership. ## Context - Where this verse fits in: Numbers 34 is the chapter where God gives boundaries for the Promised Land and appoints one leader from each tribe to help divide the land fairly. Verse 21 is the entry for the tribe of Benjamin. - Story timeline: This occurs late in the wilderness period, as Israel prepares to enter and take possession of Canaan. The audience is the nation of Israel under Moses’ leadership; the speaker is God (through instructions to Moses) appointing named leaders to oversee the land allotment. - Surrounding passage: - Just before (vv. 16–20) God instructs Moses to appoint a leader from each tribe to help divide the land and begins listing those leaders. - Verse 21 lists Benjamin’s representative. - After (vv. 22–29) the chapter continues listing the remaining tribal representatives and then addresses details about the allotments for the Levites and the cities. ## Explanation - Quick take: Numbers 34:21 is a short, practical record showing Benjamin’s appointed representative—one of many named leaders tasked with the fair division of land among the tribes. - In Depth: - Administrative but meaningful: Ancient administrative lists like this one may read dryly, but they had important functions. Naming leaders publicly confirmed who had authority and responsibility. This prevented disputes and preserved accountability. - Local representation: Each tribe had a named leader involved, which emphasized fairness and tribal participation rather than a top-down single-person decision. The tribal system mattered for identity, inheritance, and community life. - Memory and continuity: Recording names preserves family and tribal memory. Names anchored possession claims and provided continuity across generations. Even one-line verses like this help modern readers see the careful steps Israel took to live out God’s promises in an orderly way. ## Key Words - Elidad (אֱלִידָד): A personal name beginning with “El-” (a form of the name for God). Exact meaning is uncertain, but the name marks a person connected within Israel’s faith context. - Chislon/Chislon (חִשְׁלוֹן): The father’s name; like many ancient names, it helps fix lineage and tribal affiliation. - Tribe (שֵׁבֶט, shevet): A basic social and political unit in Israel; tribal identity governed land rights and leadership roles. ## Background - Cultural/historical note: In the ancient Near East, land was the foundation of family and tribal life. Allocating land in a transparent, organized way was crucial for social stability. Leaders named in lists functioned as official representatives; their names in the record helped avoid later disputes about boundaries and rights. - Literary note: Biblical lists preserve administrative reality and reflect the Bible’s interest in the practical ordering of community life—not only in theology but in everyday civic arrangements. ## Theology - Theological insights in plain language: - God works through ordinary structures: lists and appointed leaders show God’s practical concern for order, justice, and shared responsibility. - Every role matters: even brief mentions of lesser-known individuals highlight that God’s story includes ordinary people and their duties. - Faith and civic life connect: spiritual promises (possession of the land) required faithful, organized human action to be realized. ## Application To Your Life - For workers/leaders: Thoughtful organization, clear responsibilities, and public accountability prevent conflicts and help communities flourish. The verse encourages faithful stewardship in everyday roles. - For parents: Small, recorded details—naming gifts, responsibilities, or family roles—help children feel belonging and see the value of contributing to the community. - For seekers/new believers: Notice how the Bible includes practical details as part of God’s story; faith has both spiritual and practical expressions. - Reflection question(s): - Where is clear leadership or organization needed in my community or family right now? - How do I honor the small but important roles others play in making things work? - Short prayer: Lord, help me value faithful service and orderly stewardship; show me how my small responsibilities fit into Your larger purpose. ## Translation Comparison - KJV: “Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon.” - NIV: “From the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad son of Chislon.” - ESV: “Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon.” - NRSV: “Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad son of Chislon.” - Why differences matter: This verse is primarily a list entry, so translations differ little. Differences are mostly in punctuation or word order. The key variation across translations is only stylistic; transliteration of names may also vary slightly (Elidad vs. Elidād; Chislon vs. Chislonn) because Hebrew names are rendered into English letters in multiple acceptable ways. ## FAQs - Q: Why does the Bible include short, seemingly unimportant verses like this one? A: Lists and brief names function as more than trivia. They record official decisions (who had authority), preserve lineage and tribal identity, and provide legal and historical proof for land and inheritance claims. For Israel, land allocation was central to family survival and covenant life—so naming those responsible mattered. These short verses also teach that biblical revelation covers the whole of life, including bureaucracy and administration. They show that God is concerned with how communities are organized and who serves in leadership—even in tasks as practical as dividing property. Finally, for later readers and scholars, these names can sometimes help connect dots in genealogies, tribal histories, and archaeological studies. - Q: Who was Elidad son of Chislon—do we know anything else about him? A: The Bible does not give any other stories about Elidad son of Chislon beyond his listing here as Benjamin’s representative for the land allotment. That means we don’t have a biography, deeds, or later mentions to flesh out his life. Despite that, his inclusion matters: it tells us Benjamin had an appointed leader present for this important civic task and that his name was preserved in the official record. Many biblical figures are known only by a single line in a list; that single line served an important communal and legal purpose in Israel’s life. ## Cross References - Numbers 34:16 — God’s command to appoint one leader from each tribe to divide the land (shows the instruction that leads to this list). - Joshua 18:1 — The people gather at Shiloh before the land is distributed (the actual distribution follows the planning in Numbers). - Numbers 26 — Population lists and tribal organization (background for tribal rights and allotments). - 1 Chronicles 7:6–12 — Genealogical material related to Benjamin (context for tribal families). - Joshua 14:1 — Instructions about allotting the land by lot (the practical outcome of the leaders’ work). ## Deeper Study - Commentary synthesis (high-level): Most commentators treat this verse as part of an administrative roll call. They emphasize its role in confirming authorized representatives, preserving tribal claims, and showing God’s concern for orderly, fair distribution of the land. The list form aligns with other Near Eastern administrative records and underscores the practical steps Israel took to inherit God’s promise. - Group study bullets: - Discuss why naming specific leaders would matter for a community about to divide land. - Reflect on what this tells us about leadership and accountability in the church or workplace today. - Map activity: study the tribal map and imagine how local representation would affect boundary disputes. - Personal application: identify small, necessary administrative tasks in your community and how naming responsible persons could help. ## Related verses (3 to compare and contrast — and why) - Numbers 34:16 — “Command the people of Israel, and say to them, When you come into the land of Canaan, this shall be the boundary of the land… appoint men.” Why: Shows the command that creates the roster of leaders. - Joshua 18:1 — “Then the whole congregation of the people of Israel assembled at Shiloh, and they set up the tent of meeting there.” Why: Connects the planning recorded in Numbers to the actual assembly where distribution took place. - Numbers 26:52–56 — Instructions for dividing the land according to the size of the tribes. Why: Provides the legal and demographic framework that made listing leaders and dividing land necessary. ## Talk to the Bible Try the ‘Talk To The Bible’ feature to explore this verse more interactively. Suggested prompts: - “Who was Elidad son of Chislon, and are there any other biblical references to him?” - “Why did God require one leader from each tribe to oversee the land allotment?” - “How did the land division process in Numbers relate to the way Israel later settled in Joshua?”
