3228. Yamini

Lexical Summary

Yamini: Benjamite; of the right hand; right-handed

Original Word: יְמִינִי
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: Ymiyniy
Pronunciation: yeh-mee-NEE
Phonetic Spelling: (yem-ee-nee')
KJV: Jaminites
NASB: Jaminites
Word Origin: [patronymically from H3226 (יָמִין - Jamin)]

1. a Jeminite (collectively) or descendants of Jamin

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Jaminites

Patronymically from Yamiyn; a Jeminite (collectively) or descendants of Jamin -- Jaminites. See also Ben-ymiyniy.

see HEBREW Yamiyn

see HEBREW #NAME?

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from Yamin
Definition
desc. of Jamin
NASB Translation
Benjamite* (3), Jaminites (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

II. יְמִינִי adjective, of a people from בִּנְיָמִן, abbreviated for בֶּןיְֿמִינִי (q. v.); — אֶרֶץ יְמִינִי 1 Samuel 9:4; אִישׁ יְמִינִי 2 Samuel 20:1; Esther 2:5; בֶּןאִֿישׁ יְמִינִי 1 Samuel 9:1.

יָָֽמִינִי adjective, of a people of II. ימין

1; only with article as substantive collective Numbers 26:12.

Topical Lexicon

Meaning bound to covenant identity

Derived from the Hebrew root indicating the right side or right hand, יְמִינִי (Yemini) functions in Scripture not primarily as an abstract concept but as a marker of lineage—“a man of the right-hand tribe,” that is, a Benjamite. The expression therefore gathers up two intertwined ideas: (1) membership in Benjamin, the youngest son of Jacob whose name means “son of my right hand” (Genesis 35:18), and (2) association with the strength, favor, and legitimacy typically symbolized by the right hand throughout the Old Testament (Psalm 118:16; Isaiah 41:10). Every appearance of יְמִינִי ties those ideas to concrete historical moments.

Census register: continuity in the wilderness (Numbers 26:12)

The second wilderness census confirmed that, even after judgment had fallen on the first generation, Benjamin still possessed distinct clans, each called to inherit a share of the land. Within that list stands the Yemini designation, evidencing that the tribe retained its separate identity while remaining fully integrated into the covenant community. In the larger narrative of Numbers, this underscores the faithfulness of God to preserve every tribe’s inheritance promise despite sin, wandering, and warfare. The listing also shows how Israel’s national strength depended on the right ordering of its constituent parts—each clan known by name, counted, and prepared for conquest. The passage therefore challenges believers to honor both the corporate and the particular aspects of God’s people.

Royal turbulence: Sheba son of Bichri (2 Samuel 20:1)

The second and final occurrence of יְמִינִי surfaces a starkly different scene:

“Now a worthless man named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the ram’s horn and proclaimed: ‘We have no share in David, no inheritance in Jesse’s son. Every man to his tent, O Israel!’” (Berean Standard Bible, 2 Samuel 20:1).

Several themes converge:

• Tribal tension after Absalom’s revolt: Benjamin, once the royal house under Saul, supplied another challenger to David.
• The power of the right hand misused: whereas Benjamin had been called to stand by God’s anointed, Sheba turned the tribe’s strategic location and martial skill against the true king.
• Divine overruling: The rebellion fizzled when “all the men of Judah, along with the men of Israel, followed after David” (2 Samuel 20:2), displaying God’s commitment to the Davidic covenant and foreshadowing the ultimate, unbreakable reign of the Son of David.

Theological threads

1. Right-hand symbolism: Scripture repeatedly links the right hand to strength, salvation, and honor (Exodus 15:6; Psalm 110:1). Every mention of Yemini silently echoes that theology by rooting the tribe’s identity in Jacob’s prophetic blessing.
2. Preservation and discipline: From the wilderness census to Sheba’s failed uprising, the Lord both preserves Benjamin and disciplines it, illustrating the twin realities of covenant security and personal responsibility.
3. Foreshadowing of messianic kingship: The tension between Benjamin and Judah reaches resolution in Jesus Christ, in whom all tribal distinctions find unity. He sits at the Father’s right hand (Hebrews 1:3), embodying the true meaning of יְמִינִי.

Ministry implications

• Spiritual identity must be stewarded: like the Benjamites counted in Numbers, every believer and congregation has a God-given name and place that should not be surrendered to rebellion or neglect.
• Beware of factionalism: Sheba’s cry, “We have no share in David,” warns against any movement that rejects God-ordained authority under the guise of tribal or cultural loyalty.
• Proclaim the greater Son of the right hand: teaching on יְמִינִי naturally points to the ascended Christ, whose righteous rule secures both unity and inheritance for all who trust Him.

Summary

יְמִינִי appears only twice, yet those occurrences span the spectrum from faithful inclusion in God’s census to treacherous revolt against His king. Together they form a concise testimony: the Lord upholds His promises to the tribes, disciplines wayward leaders, and ultimately exalts His Messiah at His own right hand—a place of unassailable power and everlasting favor.

Forms and Transliterations

הַיָּמִינִ֑י הימיני יְמִינִ֑י ימיני haiyamiNi hay·yā·mî·nî hayyāmînî yə·mî·nî yemiNi yəmînî

Englishman's Concordance

Numbers 26:12
HEB: לְיָמִ֕ין מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הַיָּמִינִ֑י לְיָכִ֕ין מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת
NAS: the family of the Jaminites; of Jachin,
KJV: the family of the Jaminites: of Jachin,
INT: of Jamin the family of the Jaminites of Jachin the family

2 Samuel 20:1
HEB: בִּכְרִ֖י אִ֣ישׁ יְמִינִ֑י וַיִּתְקַ֣ע בַּשֹּׁפָ֗ר
INT: of Bichri Every Jaminites blew the trumpet

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 3228
2 Occurrences

hay·yā·mî·nî — 1 Occ.
yə·mî·nî — 1 Occ.