the names of its chiefs. It consisted originally of ten
divisions,
descended from Benjamin's ten sons, but five of them
perished in Egypt on account of their ungodly ways, from
which no admonition availed to turn them aside. Of the five
families remaining, two, the descendants of Bela and those
of Ashbel, had always been God-fearing; the others, the
Ahiramites, the Shephuphamites, and the Huphamites, repented
of their sins, and in accordance with the change in
their conduct had been the change in their names. Ehi had
become Ahiram, because the breach with the "Exalted"
One was healed; Muppira was called Shephupham, because
they "afflicted" themselves in their penance; and Huppim
was turned into Hupham, to indicate that they had
"cleansed" themselves from sin. As a reward for their

 
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