And the sons of Benjamin were Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard.
The sons of Benjamin. Ten are enumerated in this verse; and Dr. Colenso suggests that this large family may have been produced by different wives. But without dwelling on the prima facie improbability of Benjamin, the youngest son of Jacob, having a more numerous household than any of his brethren, all the statements made respecting him-such as that he was "a little one" (Genesis 44:20), that he was born after Joseph's abduction, because Jacob related the incidents to Joseph as new intelligence (Genesis 48:7), and that he was still a young man over whom his father exercised a parental control (Genesis 42:38; Genesis 43:3-13) - militate against the likelihood of his having become, before the emigration to Egypt, the father of so many sons. He was at the most about 22 years of age, and probably under it. Accordingly, a careful inspection will lead to the discovery that in this list of his sons are included grandsons and a great-grandson too.
The first three were Benjamin's own sons: Belah or Bela, Becher, and Ashbel or Jediael (Numbers 26:38; 1 Chronicles 7:6; 1 Chronicles 8:1). Gera, Naaman, and Ard or Addar, were sons of Bela. Ehi or Ahiram (Numbers 26:38), or Aharah (1 Chronicles 8:1). Rosh being not found in other copies of this genealogy, a very probable conjecture has been made, that the letter waw (w) at the beginning has been mistaken for gimel (g); and so the first three letters would make Gera, a name which is repeated in 1 Chronicles 8:5; and then shin (sh), the last letter of Rosh, being prefixed to the following, will make Shemuppim or Shupham (Numbers 26:39), or Shuppim (1 Chronicles 7:12), or Shephuphan (1 Chronicles 8:5). How little ground does there now appear for the allegation that Benjamin had a family of ten sons born to him in Canaan! [The Septuagint mentions only nine children of Benjamin in various degrees of descent-namely, three sons, five grandsons, and one great-grandson. Huioi de Beniamin; Bala kai Bochor kai Asbeel, egenonto de huioi Bala Geera kai Noeman kai Angchis kai Roos kai Mamphem; Geera de egenneese ton Arad, and Gera begat Arad (Ard).]