25 And over the king's treasures was Azmaveth the son of Adiel: and over the storehouses in the fields, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the castles, was Jehonathan the son of Uzziah:
26 And over them that did the work of the field for tillage of the ground was Ezri the son of Chelub:
27 And over the vineyards was Shimei the Ramathite: over the increase of the vineyards for the wine cellars was Zabdi the Shiphmite:
28 And over the olive trees and the sycamore trees that were in the low plains was Baalhanan the Gederite: and over the cellars of oil was Joash:
29 And over the herds that fed in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite: and over the herds that were in the valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai:
30 Over the camels also was Obil the Ishmaelite: and over the asses was Jehdeiah the Meronothite:
31 And over the flocks was Jaziz the Hagerite. All these were the rulers of the substance which was king David's.
25 And over the king's H4428 treasures H214 was Azmaveth H5820 the son H1121 of Adiel: H5717 and over the storehouses H214 in the fields, H7704 in the cities, H5892 and in the villages, H3723 and in the castles, H4026 was Jehonathan H3083 the son H1121 of Uzziah: H5818
26 And over them that did H6213 the work H4399 of the field H7704 for tillage H5656 of the ground H127 was Ezri H5836 the son H1121 of Chelub: H3620
27 And over the vineyards H3754 was Shimei H8096 the Ramathite: H7435 over the increase of the vineyards H3754 for the wine H3196 cellars H214 was Zabdi H2067 the Shiphmite: H8225
28 And over the olive trees H2132 and the sycomore trees H8256 that were in the low plains H8219 was Baalhanan H1177 the Gederite: H1451 and over the cellars H214 of oil H8081 was Joash: H3135
29 And over the herds H1241 that fed H7462 in Sharon H8289 was Shitrai H7861 the Sharonite: H8290 and over the herds H1241 that were in the valleys H6010 was Shaphat H8202 the son H1121 of Adlai: H5724
30 Over the camels H1581 also was Obil H179 the Ishmaelite: H3459 and over the asses H860 was Jehdeiah H3165 the Meronothite: H4824
31 And over the flocks H6629 was Jaziz H3151 the Hagerite. H1905 All these were the rulers H8269 of the substance H7399 which was king H4428 David's. H1732
25 And over the king's treasures was Azmaveth the son of Adiel: and over the treasures in the fields, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the castles, was Jonathan the son of Uzziah:
26 And over them that did the work of the field for tillage of the ground was Ezri the son of Chelub:
27 and over the vineyards was Shimei the Ramathite: and over the increase of the vineyards for the wine-cellars was Zabdi the Shiphmite:
28 and over the olive-trees and the sycomore-trees that were in the lowland was Baal-hanan the Gederite: and over the cellars of oil was Joash:
29 and over the herds that fed in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite: and over the herds that were in the valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai:
30 and over the camels was Obil the Ishmaelite: and over the asses was Jehdeiah the Meronothite: and over the flocks was Jaziz the Hagrite.
31 All these were the rulers of the substance which was king David's.
25 And over the treasures of the king `is' Azmaveth son of Adiel; and over the treasures in the field, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the towers, `is' Jehonathan son of Uzziah;
26 and over workmen of the field for the service of the ground `is' Ezri son of Chelub;
27 and over the vineyards `is' Shimei the Ramathite; and over what `is' in the vineyards for the treasures of wine `is' Zabdi the Shiphmite;
28 and over the olives, and the sycamores, that `are' in the low country, `is' Baal-Hanan the Gederite; and over the treasures of oil `is' Joash;
29 and over the herds that are feeding in Sharon `is' Shitrai the Sharonite; and over the herds in the valleys `is' Shaphat son of Adlai;
30 and over the camels `is' Obil the Ishmeelite; and over the asses `is' Jehdeiah the Meronothite;
31 and over the flock `is' Jaziz the Hagerite; all these `are' heads of the substance that king David hath.
25 And over the king's treasures was Azmaveth the son of Adiel; and over the storehouses in the country, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the towers was Jonathan the son of Uzziah.
26 And over them that worked in the field for tillage of the ground was Ezri the son of Chelub.
27 And over the vineyards was Shimei the Ramathite; and over what was in the vineyards of stores of wine was Zabdi the Shiphmite:
28 and over the olive-trees and the sycamore-trees that were in the lowland was Baal-hanan the Gederite; and over the cellars of oil was Joash.
29 And over the herds that fed in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite; and over the herds in the valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai.
30 And over the camels was Obil the Ishmaelite; and over the asses was Jehdiah the Meronothite.
31 And over the flocks was Jaziz the Hagarite. All these were comptrollers of the substance which was king David's.
25 Over the king's treasures was Azmaveth the son of Adiel: and over the treasures in the fields, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the towers, was Jonathan the son of Uzziah:
26 Over those who did the work of the field for tillage of the ground was Ezri the son of Chelub:
27 and over the vineyards was Shimei the Ramathite: and over the increase of the vineyards for the wine-cellars was Zabdi the Shiphmite:
28 and over the olive trees and the sycamore trees that were in the lowland was Baal Hanan the Gederite: and over the cellars of oil was Joash:
29 and over the herds that fed in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite: and over the herds that were in the valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai:
30 and over the camels was Obil the Ishmaelite: and over the donkeys was Jehdeiah the Meronothite: and over the flocks was Jaziz the Hagrite.
31 All these were the rulers of the substance which was king David's.
25 And Azmaveth, the son of Adiel, was controller of the king's property; Jonathan, the son of Uzziah, had control of all store-houses in country places and in the towns and little towns and strong places;
26 Ezri, the son of Chelub, had authority over the field-workers and farmers;
27 Shimei the Ramathite was responsible for the vine-gardens; Zabdi the Shiphmite was responsible for the produce of the vine-gardens and for all the stores of wine;
28 Baal-hanan the Gederite was responsible for the olive-trees and the sycamore-trees in the lowlands; and Joash for the stores of oil;
29 And Shitrai the Sharonite was responsible for the herds in the grass-lands of Sharon, and Shaphat, the son of Adlai, for those in the valleys;
30 Obil the Ishmaelite had control of the camels and Jehdeiah the Meronothite of the she-asses;
31 The flocks were in the care of Jaziz the Hagarite. All these were the controllers of King David's property.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Chronicles 27
Commentary on 1 Chronicles 27 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 27
1Ch 27:1-15. Twelve Captains for Every Month.
1. came in and went out month by month—Here is an account of the standing military force of Israel. A militia formed, it would seem, at the beginning of David's reign (see 1Ch 27:7) was raised in the following order: Twelve legions, corresponding to the number of tribes, were enlisted in the king's service. Each legion comprised a body of twenty-four thousand men, whose term of service was a month in rotation, and who were stationed either at Jerusalem or in any other place where they might be required. There was thus always a force sufficient for the ordinary purposes of state, as well as for resisting sudden attacks or popular tumults; and when extraordinary emergencies demanded a larger force, the whole standing army could easily be called to arms, amounting to two hundred eighty-eight thousand, or to three hundred thousand, including the twelve thousand officers that naturally attended on the twelve princes (1Ch 27:16-24). Such a military establishment would be burdensome neither to the country nor to the royal treasury; for attendance on this duty being a mark of honor and distinction, the expense of maintenance would be borne probably by the militiaman himself, or furnished out of the common fund of his tribe. Nor would the brief period of actual service produce any derangement of the usual course of affairs; for, on the expiry of the term, every soldier returned to the pursuits and duties of private life during the other eleven months of the year. Whether the same individuals were always enrolled, cannot be determined. The probability is, that provided the requisite number was furnished, no stricter scrutiny would be made. A change of men might, to a certain degree, be encouraged, as it was a part of David's policy to train all his subjects to skill in arms; and to have made the enlistment fall always on the same individuals would have defeated that purpose. To have confined each month's levy rigidly within the limits of one tribe might have fallen hard upon those tribes which were weak and small. The rotation system being established, each division knew its own month, as well as the name of the commander under whom it was to serve. These commanders are styled, "the chief fathers," that is, the hereditary heads of tribes who, like chieftains of clans, possessed great power and influence.
captains of thousands and hundreds—The legions of twenty-four thousand were divided into regiments of one thousand, and these again into companies of a hundred men, under the direction of their respective subalterns, there being, of course, twenty-four captains of thousands, and two hundred forty centurions.
and their officers—the Shoterim, who in the army performed the duty of the commissariat, keeping the muster-roll, &c.
2, 3. Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel—(See on 1Ch 11:11; 2Sa 23:8). Hachmoni was his father, Zabdiel probably one of his ancestors; or there might be different names of the same individual. In the rotation of the military courses, the dignity of precedence, not of authority, was given to the hero.
4. second month was Dodai—or, "Dodo." Here the text seems to require the supplement of "Eleazar the son of Dodo" (2Sa 23:9).
7. Asahel—This officer having been slain at the very beginning of David's reign [2Sa 2:23], his name was probably given to this division in honor of his memory, and his son was invested with the command.
1Ch 27:16-24. Princes of the Twelve Tribes.
16. over the tribes of Israel: the ruler—This is a list of the hereditary chiefs or rulers of tribes at the time of David's numbering the people. Gad and Asher are not included; for what reason is unknown. The tribe of Levi had a prince (1Ch 27:17), as well as the other tribes; and although it was ecclesiastically subject to the high priest, yet in all civil matters it had a chief or head, possessed of the same authority and power as in the other tribes, only his jurisdiction did not extend to the priests.
18. Elihu—probably the same as Eliab (1Sa 16:6).
23. But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under—The census which David ordered did not extend to all the Israelites; for to contemplate such an enumeration would have been to attempt an impossibility (Ge 28:14), and besides would have been a daring offense to God. The limitation to a certain age was what had probably quieted David's conscience as to the lawfulness of the measure, while its expediency was strongly pressed upon his mind by the army arrangements he had in view.
24. neither was the number put in the account of the chronicles of King David—either because the undertaking was not completed, Levi and Benjamin not having been numbered (1Ch 21:6), or the full details in the hands of the enumerating officers were not reported to David, and, consequently, not registered in the public archives.
the chronicles—were the daily records or annals of the king's reign. No notice was taken of this census in the historical register, as from the public calamity with which it was associated it would have stood as a painful record of the divine judgment against the king and the nation.
25. over the king's treasures—Those treasures consisted of gold, silver, precious stones, cedar-wood, &c.; those which he had in Jerusalem as distinguished from others without the city.
the storehouses in the fields—Grain covered over with layers of straw is frequently preserved in the fields under little earthen mounds, like our potato pits.
27. the vineyards—These seem to have been in the vine growing districts of Judah, and were committed to two men of that quarter.
wine-cellars—The wine is deposited in jars sunk in the court of the house.
28. olive trees and the sycamore trees … in the low plains—that is, the Shephela, the rich, low-lying ground between the Mediterranean and the mountains of Judah.
29. herds that fed in Sharon—a fertile plain between Cæsarea and Joppa.
30. camels—These were probably in the countries east of the Jordan, and hence an Ishmaelite and Nazarite were appointed to take charge of them.
31. rulers of the substance that was king David's—How and when the king acquired these demesnes and this variety of property—whether it was partly by conquests, or partly by confiscation, or by his own active cultivation of waste lands—is not said. It was probably in all these ways. The management of the king's private possessions was divided into twelve parts, like his public affairs and the revenue derived from all these sources mentioned must have been very large.