⁴⁰All these were the children of Asher, heads of the fathers’ houses, choice and mighty men of valour, chief of the princes. And the number of them reckoned by genealogy for service in war was twenty and six thousand men.
40. twenty and six thousand] In xii. 36 the men of war of Asher are reckoned at forty thousand (compare Numbers i. 41, xxvi. 47, where still higher reckonings are given). The numbers here and in verses 5, 7, 9, 11 (as well as in verse 2, which see) are perhaps supposed to refer to the time of David. The numbers may be based on family traditions, but no important conclusions ought to be drawn from them.
Chapter VIII.
1–40 (compare vii. 6–12).
The Genealogy of Benjamin.
1–40. Various indications combine to show that the names in this list reflect post-exilic conditions. It has generally been compared with the “Benjamite” genealogy in vii. 6–12 which was supposed to express the relationships and strength of the tribe at the time of David. If, however, according to the view adopted in this volume, the passage vii. 6–12 is in reality a genealogy of Zebulun, comparison between it and this list is futile. Such parallels as can justly be made between the names in the two lists are due to the Benjamite colouring which has been imparted to vii. 6–12 after the initial error in vii. 6 turned the “sons of Zebulun” into “Benjamin.”
This, the real genealogy of Benjamin, unfortunately presents not a few problems for which as yet no convincing solution can be offered. The difficulties are due in large measure to the corrupt state of the text in several verses: especially verses 6–14.
¹And Benjamin begat Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, and Aharah the third;
1. Benjamin begat ...] Compare Genesis xlvi. 21.
firstborn] = Becher in Genesis xlvi. 21. In the unvocalised Hebrew text the noun and proper name are represented by the same letters, BKR.