I Chronicles 12:29

A frequent misinterpretation confuses the 3,000 Benjamites as remaining loyal to Saul, due to misreading the explanatory clause 'for hitherto the greatest part of them had kept the ward of the house of Saul' as describing these men rather than their tribe overall; in reality, these 3,000 defected to David, and the clause justifies their smaller number relative to other tribes because most Benjamites held out longer in fidelity to Saul. Another error views the verse in isolation as evidence of tribal disloyalty or division, ignoring the chapter's context of massive, unified support for David from every tribe, symbolizing national consolidation.

This verse describes 3,000 men from the tribe of Benjamin, Saul's own relatives, who joined David at Hebron to affirm his kingship, with the note that until then most Benjamites had loyally guarded Saul's household. It captures the pivotal shift in allegiance across Israel toward God's anointed leader David after Saul's death, highlighting widespread recognition of divine succession and the unification of the nation under the new king despite tribal ties to the old regime.