There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.
There is little Benjamin (with) their ruler, the princes of Judah (and) their council, the princes of Zebulun, (and) the princes of Naphtali. The four tribes here mentioned are representatives of the whole: Benjamin and Judah on the extreme south, Zebulun and Naphtali on the extreme north. The first judges, Othniel and Ehud, belonged to Judah and Benjamin respectively. Zebulun and Naphtali were foremost in the deliverance performed under Deborah and Barak (Judges 5:18). Saul was from Benjamin, and David from Judah. "There" - i:e., in the procession. Benjamin is called "little" in reference to his place among the sons of Jacob (Genesis 43:33; also 1 Samuel 9:21). The tribe had been reduced to very small number in the affair of Gibeah (Judges 20:46-48). "(With) their ruler." Hengstenberg translates, 'Benjamin who rules over them'-the enemies (Psalms 68:23). That even the little Benjamin should be ruler over the pagan, magnifies the grace of God (1 Samuel 14:47-48). Benjamin would not be likely to lead the procession; so that we cannot translate 'as their leader.' Nor does the Hebrew imply the rule which the head of a tribe exercised (as the English version), but to have the mastery over.
The princes of Judah (and) their council. The Hebrew х rigmaah (H7277)] means 'their stoning:' there is The princes of Judah (and) their council. The Hebrew х rigmaah (H7277)] means 'their stoning:' there is no "and:" 'the princes of Judah, the stoning of them' - i:e., of the enemy (Psalms 68:23); for instance, David, who by a stone destroyed Goliath, the representative of the world-power. This accords with the preceding, "their ruler" - i:e., who gains the mastery over them (the enemy) (Hengstenberg). Or, taking the English version with qualification, 'the princes of Judah their council' - i:e., the stones or principal persons of the tribe (Genesis 49:24). So the Septuagint [heegemones]. Or, 'the princes of Judah (and) their company:' the Hebrew originally meaning a collection of stones; in Arabic, a company. So Kimchi and Gesenius. I prefer Hengstenberg's view. The same tribes are prominent in the New Testament, as foremost in the battle of the Church against the world. Paul, the "least" of the apostles (1 Corinthians 15:8-10), was by origin Saul of Benjamin (Philippians 3:5). Christ, "the Lion of the tribe of Judah," James and John, the brothers, the other James, Thaddeus, and Simon were from Judah, and the other apostles were from Naphthalim and Zabulon, or Galilee (Matthew 4:13).