1 Chronicles 27:1-24
family leaders <01 07218> [the chief fathers.]
The patriarchs, chief generals, or generals of brigade. This enumeration is widely different from that of the preceding. In that, we have the order and course of the priests and Levites, in their ecclesiastical ministrations: in this, we have the account of the order of the civil service, what related simply to the political state of the king and kingdom. Twenty-four persons, chosen out of David's worthies, each of whom had a second, were placed over 24,000 men, who all served a month at a time, in turn; and this was the whole of their service during the year, after which they attended to their own affairs. Thus the king had always on foot a regular force of 24,000, who served without expense to him or the state, and were not oppressed by the service, which took up only a twelfth part of their time; and by this plan he could, at any time, bring into the field 12 times 24,000 or 288,000 fighting men, independently of the 12,000 officers, which made in the whole an effective force of 300,000 soldiers; and all these men were prepared, disciplined, and ready at a call, without the smallest expense to the state or the king. These were, properly speaking, the militia of the Israelitish kingdom.
commanders of units <08269> [captains.]
served <08334> [served.]
matters <01697> [any matter.]
one month <02320> [month.]
Jashobeam <03434> [Jashobeam.]
[Adino the Eznite.]
Perez <06557> [Perez.]
[Pharez. the chief.]
Dodai <01737> [Dodai.]
[Dodo.]
Benaiah <01141> [Benaiah.]
Or, "Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada the chief priest:" it was Jehoiada, and not Benaiah, who was a priest.
priest ..... leader <03548 07218> [chief priest. or, principal officer.]
warriors <01368> [mighty.]
Asahel <06214> [Asahel.]
Shamhuth <08049> [Shamhuth.]
If this person was the same as Shammoth the Hararite, or Shammah the Harodite, it is probable that he took the denomination Izrahite, from one of his progenitors of the name Izrah, and derived the other from the place of his residence.
[Shammoth the Hararite.]
[Shammah the Harodite.]
Ira <05896> [Ira.]
Helez <02503> [Helez.]
Pelonite <06397> [Pelonite.]
[Paltite.]
Sibbekai <05444> [Sibbecai.]
Zerahite <02227> [Zarhites.]
Anathothite <06069> [Anetothite.]
[Antothite.]
[Anethothite.]
Maharai <04121> [Maharai.]
Zerahite <02227> [Zarhites.]
Benaiah <01141> [Benaiah.]
Heldai <02469> [Heldai.]
[Heled.]
[Heleb. Othniel.]
tribes <07626> [Furthermore.]
These persons, called "princes of the tribes," in ver. 22, and ch. 28:1, appear to have been civil rulers over their several tribes, and honorary men, without pay, not unlike the lords lieutenants of our counties. In this enumeration there is no mention of the tribes of Gad and Asher, probably because they were joined to the neighbouring tribes; or perhaps, the account of these has been lost from the register.
Hashabiah <02811> [Hashabiah.]
Aaron <0175> [of the Aaronites.]
Elihu <0453> [Elihu.]
If Elihu be not a mistake for Eliab, it is probable that he was called by both names.
[Eliab.]
Iddo <03035> [Iddo.]
Abner <074> [Abner.]
David <05375 01732> [David took not.]
It seems probable, from this passage, that Joab began, by David's order, to number the children, as well as adults, but was prevented from finishing the account, probably because the plague had begun. The numbering of the effective men might have been deemed a political expedient; but pride and ostentation alone could dictate the numbering of minors and infants, especially as God had pronounced the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, innumerable.
twenty <06242> [from twenty.]
promised ... make .... numerous <07235> [he would increase.]
started ... count <02490 04487> [began to number.]
so ... number <05927 04557> [was the number put. Heb. ascended the number.]
