Ancestry is not traced back to Benjamin but to a group that came from Gibeon.
The Hebrew word order, with lived in Jerusalem
(1 Chronicles 8:28), immediately followed by and in Gibeon lived
(1 Chronicles 8:29), draws attention to these two locations and how they relate.1 One needs to ask why the distinction is made between those Benjaminites who lived in Jerusalem
(1 Chronicles 8:28, 1 Chronicles 9:34) and those who lived in Gibeon (1 Chronicles 8:29, 1 Chronicles 9:35). Saul is twice linked to Jeiel, the father of Gibeon (1 Chronicles 8:29; 1 Chronicles 9:35). The Benjaminites who descended from Bela lived in Jerusalem but another group from which Saul descended lived in Gibeon (1 Chronicles 8:29; 1 Chronicles 9:34–35) They lived nearby but not in Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 8:32). The point the Chronicler is making is that Saul was not part of the Benjaminites who dwelt in Jerusalem.2
As noted above, the juxtaposition of Jerusalem and Gibeon in 1 Chronicles 8:28–29 indicates an important connection between the two cities, which were both important centres. Jerusalem was the city of David. It was also Zion, the place where God’s temple had been built. It was the city where Israel met with God and was the centre of all God’s blessing and salvation (2 Chronicles 6:6). Gibeon was the site of the tabernacle and altar of burnt offering until Solomon had completed building the temple. There, Zadok the high priest served the Lord, and the musicians Heman and Jeduthun sang praises to the Lord, accompanying the burnt offerings (1 Chronicles 16:39–41). Gibeon was an important place of worship for Israel, and even Solomon went there on one occasion to worship (2 Chronicles 1:3–6).3
According to Sailhamer, Gibeon, however, was not God’s chosen place. Gibeon was the location Israel chose that the tabernacle should be kept. (1 Chronicles 16:39; 1 Chronicles 21:29; 2 Chronicles 1:3, 2 Chronicles 1:13). But God had chosen Jerusalem as the place where his name would dwell (2 Chronicles 6:6). Not only was Jerusalem God’s choice, but so was the house of David. Jerusalem and David are the two components of God’s plan of salvation and blessing in the books of Chronicles; Saul and Gibeon are not.
By drawing the line connecting Gibeon and Saul, the way is prepared for the story of Saul to follow. Saul and Gibeon were chosen by Israel. Although God approved of both, neither succeeded in gaining a central place in his plan of salvation. As the contrast between David and Saul shows, God’s plan must be carried out by God’s people in God’s way. God’s way was David and Jerusalem. 4 From 1 Chronicles 8:32 it seems that some of the people of Gibeon moved to Jerusalem, but how many is not specified.
29 Jeiel the father of Gibeon lived in Gibeon, and the name of his wife was Maacah.