1118. Bimhal

Lexical Summary

Bimhal: Bimhal

Original Word: בִּמְהָל
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Bimhal
Pronunciation: bim-HAHL
Phonetic Spelling: (bim-hawl')
KJV: Bimhal
NASB: Bimhal
Word Origin: [probably from H4107 (מָהַל - diluted) with prepositional prefix]

1. with pruning
2. Bimhal, an Israelite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Bimhal

Probably from mahal with prepositional prefix; with pruning; Bimhal, an Israelite -- Bimhal.

see HEBREW mahal

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
perhaps from ben and mahal
Definition
perhaps "son of circumcision," a desc. of Asher
NASB Translation
Bimhal (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

בִּמְהָל proper name, masculine (= ׳בֶּןמֿ son of circumcision? compare below בן) descendant of Asher 1 Chronicles 7:33.

בְּמוֺ see below בּ, p. 91.

בָּמוֺת see below במה. above

Topical Lexicon

Biblical Occurrence and Context

The name בִּמְהָל appears once in Scripture, in the genealogical record of the tribe of Asher: “The sons of Japhlet: Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These were the sons of Japhlet” (1 Chronicles 7:33). This list is situated within the larger census-style enumeration of descendants in 1 Chronicles 7:30-40, where the Chronicler catalogs the families of Asher to affirm their standing among the tribes of Israel.

Genealogical Significance within the Tribe of Asher

1. Placement in the Line of Asher. Bimhal’s father Japhlet is one of the grandsons of Asher (1 Chronicles 7:32), connecting Bimhal to Israel’s patriarchal period and the formative generation that entered Egypt (Genesis 46:17).
2. Validation of Tribal Inheritance. Chronicles was compiled after the exile, when questions of lineage and land rights were acute. By naming Bimhal, Scripture preserves the legitimacy of Asherite families who would return to their ancestral allotments in the Galilee region (Joshua 19:24-31).
3. Contribution to Military Registers. The Chronicler highlights that the men of Asher were “choice men, heads of families, mighty warriors, and outstanding leaders” (1 Chronicles 7:40). Though Bimhal’s exploits are not detailed, his inclusion implies participation in the tribal muster that supported Israel’s defenses and royal service.

Historical and Cultural Insights

• Tribal Mobility. Asher’s territory, stretching along the northern coast, was fertile and strategically located for trade. Genealogical precision—including the mention of lesser-known figures like Bimhal—underscores the tribe’s integration into Israel’s covenant community despite geographical distance from Jerusalem.
• Transmission of Memory. In ancient Near Eastern culture, to be remembered by name in a genealogical scroll was an honor that linked a family to covenant promises extending back to Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3). Bimhal’s single appearance safeguards his household’s claim to those promises.
• Post-Exilic Encouragement. Returning exiles would read names such as Bimhal’s as assurance that God had not forgotten any branch of His people, no matter how obscure. Every Asherite family could trace its roots and therefore its share in restoration blessings.

Theological and Ministry Reflections

1. God’s Care for the Individual. Even the briefest mention testifies that no servant of the Lord is overlooked. Pastors and teachers may draw encouragement that hidden service is still recorded in heaven’s ledger (Hebrews 6:10).
2. Importance of Generational Faithfulness. Bimhal stands midway between the patriarch Asher and later “heads of families” who were “valiant” (1 Chronicles 7:40). His placement invites believers to see themselves as crucial links in the chain of covenant faithfulness, responsible to preserve and pass on the faith (2 Timothy 2:2).
3. Integrity of Scripture. The detailed genealogies, including isolated names like Bimhal, demonstrate the reliability of the biblical record. Such precision bolsters confidence in all historical and doctrinal assertions of the Bible (Luke 16:17).

Connections to the Larger Canon

• Genealogies in redemptive history. From Genesis 5 to Matthew 1, Scripture weaves lineage into its narrative to show continuity of God’s plan. Bimhal’s record adds one more tread in that fabric, pointing ultimately to the fullness of time when Messiah would arise from Israel.
• Foreshadowing the Inclusion of the Marginal. The Chronicler’s attention to a little-known Asherite hints at the later New Testament pattern where seemingly minor figures—such as Onesimus (Philemon 10) or Pudens (2 Timothy 4:21)—find a place in the inspired text, illustrating the wideness of God’s grace.

Bimhal, though mentioned only once, stands as a witness that every life woven into God’s covenant account has purpose and lasting significance.

Forms and Transliterations

וּבִמְהָ֖ל ובמהל ū·ḇim·hāl ūḇimhāl uvimHal

Englishman's Concordance

1 Chronicles 7:33
HEB: יַפְלֵ֔ט פָּסַ֥ךְ וּבִמְהָ֖ל וְעַשְׁוָ֑ת אֵ֖לֶּה
NAS: [were] Pasach, Bimhal and Ashvath.
KJV: Pasach, and Bimhal, and Ashvath.
INT: of Japhlet Pasach Bimhal and Ashvath These

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 1118
1 Occurrence

ū·ḇim·hāl — 1 Occ.