The number of men from the tribe of Benjamin counted in the first census
The number 35400 is the count of men fit for war from twenty years old and upward who were mustered from the tribe of Benjamin at the first census in the wilderness of Sinai (Num 1:37). This counting took place in the second year after the exodus from Egypt, when Moses and Aaron, together with a leader from each tribe, counted the entire congregation of Israel. Benjamin was the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel, and the tribe was among the smaller ones in this census. At the second census, 38 years later on the plains of Moab, the tribe of Benjamin had grown to 45600 men (Num 26:41) — an increase of 10200, which testifies to God's blessing upon this tribe throughout the wilderness journey. Benjamin means "son of the right hand" or "son of happiness." His mother Rachel called him Ben-Oni ("son of my sorrow") as she died during childbirth, but Jacob gave him the name Benjamin (Gen 35:18). The tribe of Benjamin received its territory between Judah and Ephraim, and Jerusalem lay on the border between Benjamin and Judah. After the kingdom was divided, Benjamin remained loyal to the southern kingdom of Judah. The tribe of Benjamin was known for its skilled warriors, especially the left-handed slingers from Gibeah (Judg 20:16). King Saul, Israel's first king, came from this tribe, as did the apostle Paul (Phil 3:5). The notable growth from 35,400 to 45,600 (an increase of about 29%) between the two censuses is among the largest percentage increases of any tribe, even though Benjamin endured the trials of the wilderness journey along with the rest of the people.*