Rosh, (Heb. Rosh, ראֹשׁ, head, as often; Sept. ῾Ρώς), the name of a man and perhaps of a people. SEE GALL.
1. The seventh named of ten sons of Benjamin, each of whom was head of a family in Israel (Genesis 46:21). B.C. cir. 1880. He is perhaps identical with the RAPHA of 1 Chronicles 8:2. SEE JACOB. “Kalisch has some long and rather perplexed observations on the discrepancies in the lists in Genesis 46 and Numbers 26, and specially as regards the sons of Benjamin. But the truth is that the two lists agree very well so far as Benjamin is concerned; for the only discrepancy that remains, when the absence of Becher and Gera from the list in Numbers is explained [see those words], is that, for the two names אהי and ראש (Ehi and Rosh) in Genesis, we have the one name אחיר ם (Ahiram) in Numbers If this last were written רא ם, as it might be, the two texts would be almost identical, especially if written in the Samaritan character, in which the shin closely resembles the memo That Ahiram is right we are quite sure, from the family of the Ahiramites, and from the non mention elsewhere of Rosh, which, in fact, is not a proper name. The conclusion, therefore, seems certain that אחיוראש in Genesis is a mere clerical error, and that there is perfect agreement between the two lists. This view is strengthened by the further fact that in the word which follows Rosh, viz. Muppim, the initial m is an error for sh. It should be Shuppim, as in Numbers 26:39; 1 Chronicles 7:12. The final m of Ahiram and the initial sh of Shuppim have thus been transposed.”
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Author: McClintock and Strong Cyclopedia
Keywords: Rosh
Bible reference(s): 1 Chronicles 7:12, 1 Chronicles 8:2, Ezekiel 38:2, Ezekiel 39:1, Genesis 10:2, Genesis 46:21, Judith 2:23, Numbers 26:39
Source: John McClintock and James Strong, Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature.
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