Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Genesis 35:16-22
Ben-oni means "son of my pain (Genesis 35:18)." For Rachel, Benjamin’s birth was a fatally painful experience. However the birth of his twelfth son mollified Jacob’s sorrow over Rachel’s death. He named his son Benjamin meaning "Son of my good fortune." [Note: See James Muilenberg, "The Birth of Benjamin," Journal of Biblical Literature 75 (1956):194-201.] Oni in Hebrew can mean either "trouble" or "wealth." This is the only son that Jacob named, which suggests his renewed leadership of the... read more
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Genesis 35:19
19. Ephrath, which is Beth-lehem—The one, the old name; the other, the later name, signifying "house of bread." read more