12 and [he will take them] that he may appoint for himself captains over thousands, and captains over fifties, and that they may plough his ground, and reap his harvest, and make his instruments of war and instruments of his chariots.
And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and sixty measures of meal, ten fatted oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and a hundred sheep, besides harts, and gazelles, and fallow-deer, and fatted fowl.
And those officers provided food for king Solomon, and for all who came to king Solomon's table, every man in his month: they let nothing be wanting. And the barley, and the straw for the horses and coursers, they brought to the place where [the superintendents] were, every man according to his charge.
And [these] are the children of Israel after their number, the chief fathers and captains of thousands and hundreds, and their officers that served the king in every matter of the divisions, which came in and went out month by month throughout the months of the year; in every division were twenty-four thousand. Over the first division for the first month was Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. He was of the children of Pherez, the head of all the captains of the hosts for the first month. And over the division of the second month was Dodai the Ahohite; and in his division was Mikloth ruler; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. The third captain of the host for the third month was Benaiah (the son of Jehoiada, a principal officer): [he was] head; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. This Benaiah was a mighty man among the thirty, and above the thirty; and in his division was Ammizabad his son. The fourth for the fourth month was Asahel the brother of Joab, and Zebadiah his son after him; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. The fifth for the fifth month was the captain Shamhuth the Jizrahite; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. The sixth for the sixth month was Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. The seventh for the seventh month was Helez the Pelonite, of the children of Ephraim; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. The eighth for the eighth month was Sibbechai the Hushathite, of the Zarhites; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. The ninth for the ninth month was Abiezer the Anathothite, of the Benjaminites; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. The tenth for the tenth month was Maharai the Netophathite, of the Zarhites; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. The eleventh for the eleventh month was Benaiah the Pirathonite, of the children of Ephraim; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. The twelfth for the twelfth month was Heldai the Netophathite, of Othniel; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. And over the tribes of Israel were: for the Reubenites Eliezer the son of Zichri was the prince; for the Simeonites, Shephatiah the son of Maachah; for the Levites, Hashabiah the son of Kemuel; for Aaron, Zadok; for Judah, Elihu of the brethren of David; for Issachar, Omri the son of Michael; for Zebulun, Jishmaiah the son of Obadiah; for Naphtali, Jerimoth the son of Azriel; for the children of Ephraim, Hosea the son of Azaziah; for the half tribe of Manasseh, Joel the son of Pedaiah; for the half [tribe] of Manasseh in Gilead, Jiddo the son of Zechariah; for Benjamin, Jaasiel the son of Abner; for Dan, Azareel the son of Jeroham. These were the princes of the tribes of Israel.
storehouses also for the increase of corn and new wine and oil, and stalls for all manner of beasts, and [he procured] flocks for the stalls. And he provided for himself cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for God gave him very much substance.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Samuel 8
Commentary on 1 Samuel 8 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 8
Things went so very well with Israel, in the chapter before, under Samuel's administration, that, methinks, it is a pity to find him so quickly, as we do in this chapter, old, and going off, and things working towards a revolution. But so it is; Israel's good days seldom continue long. We have here,
Thus hard is it for people to know when they are well off.
1Sa 8:1-3
Two sad things we find here, but not strange things:-
1Sa 8:4-22
We have here the starting of a matter perfectly new and surprising, which was the setting up of kingly government in Israel. Perhaps the thing had been often talked of among them by those that were given to change and affected that which looked great. But we do not find that it was ever till now publicly proposed and debated. Abimelech was little better than a titular king, though he is said to reign over Israel (Judges 9:22), and perhaps his fall had for a great while rendered the title of king odious in Israel, as that of Tarquinius did among the Romans; but, if it had, by this time the odium was worn off, and some bold steps are here taken towards so great a revolution as that amounted to. Here is,