And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribes
of
Benjamin
Meaning the families of Benjamin; for as sometimes a tribe is
called a family, ( Joshua 7:17 ) so a
family is called a tribe; and there were ten families in the
tribe of Benjamin, according to the number of his sons, the
fathers of these families. ( Genesis
46:21 ) , which being numerous and powerful, and consisting
of men of courage, and expert in war, thought themselves a match
for the ten tribes of Israel now assembled, who sent one out of
each tribe, very probably ten in all, upon this errand; for they
judged it most advisable, before they went to war with them, to
try to get the offenders, delivered up to justice, and so prevent
the shedding of blood of either side; and the rather, as there
were none of the tribe of Benjamin at this assembly, and which
indeed might give them reason to suspect they meant not to join
with them in an amicable manner in this affair: however, they
were willing to try peaceable methods first:
saying, what wickedness is this that is done among
you?
not that they were sent to inquire what the crime was that was
committed, that was fully known; but by putting the question in
this manner, their design was to aggravate it, and to put the men
of Benjamin on considering how great it was, what an enormous sin
it was that was committed, and that among them; and therefore it
lay upon them, either to punish the perpetrators of it themselves
or deliver them up to them to be punished according to the common
law of Israel.