1 Now the children H1121 of Israel H3478 after their number, H4557 to wit, the chief H7218 fathers H1 and captains H8269 of thousands H505 and hundreds, H3967 and their officers H7860 that served H8334 the king H4428 in any matter H1697 of the courses, H4256 which came in H935 and went out H3318 month H2320 by month H2320 throughout all the months H2320 of the year, H8141 of every H259 course H4256 were twenty H6242 and four H702 thousand. H505
2 Over the first H7223 course H4256 for the first H7223 month H2320 was Jashobeam H3434 the son H1121 of Zabdiel: H2068 and in his course H4256 were twenty H6242 and four H702 thousand. H505
3 Of the children H1121 of Perez H6557 was the chief H7218 of all the captains H8269 of the host H6635 for the first H7223 month. H2320
4 And over the course H4256 of the second H8145 month H2320 was Dodai H1737 an Ahohite, H266 and of his course H4256 was Mikloth H4732 also the ruler: H5057 in his course H4256 likewise were twenty H6242 and four H702 thousand. H505
5 The third H7992 captain H8269 of the host H6635 for the third H7992 month H2320 was Benaiah H1141 the son H1121 of Jehoiada, H3077 a chief H7218 priest: H3548 and in his course H4256 were twenty H6242 and four H702 thousand. H505
6 This is that Benaiah, H1141 who was mighty H1368 among the thirty, H7970 and above the thirty: H7970 and in his course H4256 was Ammizabad H5990 his son. H1121
7 The fourth H7243 captain for the fourth H7243 month H2320 was Asahel H6214 the brother H251 of Joab, H3097 and Zebadiah H2069 his son H1121 after H310 him: and in his course H4256 were twenty H6242 and four H702 thousand. H505
8 The fifth H2549 captain H8269 for the fifth H2549 month H2320 was Shamhuth H8049 the Izrahite: H3155 and in his course H4256 were twenty H6242 and four H702 thousand. H505
9 The sixth H8345 captain for the sixth H8345 month H2320 was Ira H5896 the son H1121 of Ikkesh H6142 the Tekoite: H8621 and in his course H4256 were twenty H6242 and four H702 thousand. H505
10 The seventh H7637 captain for the seventh H7637 month H2320 was Helez H2503 the Pelonite, H6397 of the children H1121 of Ephraim: H669 and in his course H4256 were twenty H6242 and four H702 thousand. H505
11 The eighth H8066 captain for the eighth H8066 month H2320 was Sibbecai H5444 the Hushathite, H2843 of the Zarhites: H2227 and in his course H4256 were twenty H6242 and four H702 thousand. H505
12 The ninth H8671 captain for the ninth H8671 month H2320 was Abiezer H44 the Anetothite, H6069 of the Benjamites: H1145 and in his course H4256 were twenty H6242 and four H702 thousand. H505
13 The tenth H6224 captain for the tenth H6224 month H2320 was Maharai H4121 the Netophathite, H5200 of the Zarhites: H2227 and in his course H4256 were twenty H6242 and four H702 thousand. H505
14 The eleventh H6249 H6240 captain for the eleventh H6249 H6240 month H2320 was Benaiah H1141 the Pirathonite, H6553 of the children H1121 of Ephraim: H669 and in his course H4256 were twenty H6242 and four H702 thousand. H505
15 The twelfth H8147 H6240 captain for the twelfth H8147 H6240 month H2320 was Heldai H2469 the Netophathite, H5200 of Othniel: H6274 and in his course H4256 were twenty H6242 and four H702 thousand. H505
16 Furthermore over the tribes H7626 of Israel: H3478 the ruler H5057 of the Reubenites H7206 was Eliezer H461 the son H1121 of Zichri: H2147 of the Simeonites, H8099 Shephatiah H8203 the son H1121 of Maachah: H4601
17 Of the Levites, H3881 Hashabiah H2811 the son H1121 of Kemuel: H7055 of the Aaronites, H175 Zadok: H6659
18 Of Judah, H3063 Elihu, H453 one of the brethren H251 of David: H1732 of Issachar, H3485 Omri H6018 the son H1121 of Michael: H4317
19 Of Zebulun, H2074 Ishmaiah H3460 the son H1121 of Obadiah: H5662 of Naphtali, H5321 Jerimoth H3406 the son H1121 of Azriel: H5837
20 Of the children H1121 of Ephraim, H669 Hoshea H1954 the son H1121 of Azaziah: H5812 of the half H2677 tribe H7626 of Manasseh, H4519 Joel H3100 the son H1121 of Pedaiah: H6305
21 Of the half H2677 tribe of Manasseh H4519 in Gilead, H1568 Iddo H3035 the son H1121 of Zechariah: H2148 of Benjamin, H1144 Jaasiel H3300 the son H1121 of Abner: H74
22 Of Dan, H1835 Azareel H5832 the son H1121 of Jeroham. H3395 These were the princes H8269 of the tribes H7626 of Israel. H3478
23 But David H1732 took H5375 not the number H4557 of them from twenty H6242 years H8141 old H1121 and under: H4295 because the LORD H3068 had said H559 he would increase H7235 Israel H3478 like to the stars H3556 of the heavens. H8064
24 Joab H3097 the son H1121 of Zeruiah H6870 began H2490 to number, H4487 but he finished H3615 not, because there fell wrath H7110 for it H2063 against Israel; H3478 neither was the number H4557 put H5927 in the account H4557 of the chronicles H1697 H3117 of king H4428 David. H1732
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
32 Also Jonathan H3083 David's H1732 uncle H1730 was a counsellor, H3289 a wise H995 man, H376 and a scribe: H5608 and Jehiel H3171 the son H1121 of Hachmoni H2453 was with the king's H4428 sons: H1121
33 And Ahithophel H302 was the king's H4428 counsellor: H3289 and Hushai H2365 the Archite H757 was the king's H4428 companion: H7453
34 And after H310 Ahithophel H302 was Jehoiada H3077 the son H1121 of Benaiah, H1141 and Abiathar: H54 and the general H8269 of the king's H4428 army H6635 was Joab. H3097
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on 1 Chronicles 27
Commentary on 1 Chronicles 27 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
Division of the Army. Tribal Princes, Administrators of the Domains, and Councillors of State - 1 Chronicles 27
This chapter treats of the organization of the army (1 Chronicles 27:1-15) and the public administration; in 1 Chronicles 27:16-24, the princes of the twelve tribes being enumerated; in 1 Chronicles 27:25-31, the managers of the royal possessions and domains; and in 1 Chronicles 27:32-34, the chief councillors of the king. The information on these points immediately succeeds the arrangement of the service of the Levites, because, as we learn from 1 Chronicles 27:23., David attempted in the last year of his reign to give a more stable form to the political constitution of the kingdom also. In the enumeration of the twelve divisions of the army, with their leaders (1 Chronicles 27:1-15), it is not indeed said when David organized the men capable of bearing arms for the alternating monthly service; but the reference in 1 Chronicles 27:23. of our chapter to the numbering of the people, spoken of in 1 Chron 21, leaves no doubt of the fact that this division of the people stands in intimate connection with that numbering of the people, and that David caused the people to be numbered in order to perfect the military constitution of the kingdom, and to leave his kingdom to his son strong within and mighty without.
The twelve divisions of the army . - 1 Chronicles 27:1. The lengthy superscription, “And the sons of Israel according to their number, the heads of the fathers'-houses, and the princes over the thousands and the hundreds, and their scribes, who swerved the king in regard to every matter of the divisions; which month for month of all months of the year went and came, one division 24,000 men,” is towards the end so intimately interwoven with the divisions of the army, that it can only refer to this, i.e., only to the catalogue, 1 Chronicles 27:2-15. Since, then, we find in this catalogue only the twelve classes, the number of the men belonging to each, and their leaders, and since for this the short superscription, “the Israelites according to their number, and the princes of the divisions which served the king,” would be amply sufficient, Bertheau thinks that the superscription originally belonged to a more complete description of the classes and their different officers, of which only a short extract is here communicated. This hypothesis is indeed possible, but is not at all certain; for it is questionable whether, according to the above superscription, we have a right to expect an enumeration by name of the various officials who served the king in the classes of the army. The answer to this question depends upon our view of the relation of the words, “the heads of the fathers'-houses, and the princes,” to the first clause, “the sons of Israel according to their number.” Had these words been connected by the conjunction ו ( וראשׁי ) with this clause, and thereby made co-ordinate with it, we should be justified in having such an expectation. But the want of the conjunction shows that these words form an apposition, which as to signification is subordinate to the main idea. If we take this appositional explanation to mean something like this, “the sons of Israel, according to their number, with the heads of the fathers'-houses and the princes,” the emphasis of the superscription falls upon למספּרם , and the number of the sons of Israel, who with their heads and princes were divided into classes, is announced to be the important thing in the following catalogue. That this is the meaning and object of the words may be gathered from this, that in the second half of the verse, the number of the men fit for service, who from month to month came and went as one class, is stated האחת , one at a time (distributive), as in Judges 8:18; Numbers 17:6, etc.; cf. Ew. §313, a , note 1. וצא בּוא , used of entering upon and leaving the service (cf. 2 Chronicles 23:4, 2 Chronicles 23:8; 2 Kings 11:5, 2 Kings 11:7,2 Kings 11:9). But the words are hardly to be understood to mean that the classes which were in service each month were ordered from various parts of the kingdom to the capital, and there remained under arms; but rather, as Clericus, that they paratae essent ducum imperiis parere, si quid contigisset, dum ceterae copiae, si necesse essent, convenirent .
1 Chronicles 27:2
Over the first division was Jashobeam, scil. commander. The second מחלקתּו על is to be rendered, “in his division were 24,000 men,” i.e., they were reckoned to it. As to Jashobeam, see on 1 Chronicles 11:11 and 2 Samuel 23:8.
1 Chronicles 27:3
1 Chronicles 27:3 further relates of him that he was of the sons (descendants) of Perez, and the head of all the army chiefs in the first month (i.e., in the division for the first month).
1 Chronicles 27:4
Before דּודי , according to 1 Chronicles 11:12, בּן אלעזר has been dropped out (see on 2 Samuel 23:9). The words הנּגיד וּמקלות וּמחלקתּו are obscure. At the end of the sixth verse similar words occur, and hence Bertheau concludes that וּ before מקלות is to be struck out, and translated, “and his divisions, Mikloth the prince,” which might denote, perhaps, “and his division is that over which Mikloth was prince.” Older commentators have already translated the word in a similar manner, as signifying that Mikloth was prince or chief of this division under the Ahohite Eleazar. All that is certain is, that מקלות is a name which occurred in 1 Chronicles 8:32 and 1 Chronicles 9:37 among the Benjamites.
1 Chronicles 27:5-6
Here the form of expression is changed; הצּבא שׂר , the chief of the third host, begins the sentence. As to Benaiah, see 1 Chronicles 11:22 and the commentary on 2 Samuel 23:20. ראשׁ does not belong to הכּהן , but is the predicate of Benaiah: “the prince of the ... was Benaiah ... as head,” sc. of the division for the third month. This is added, because in 1 Chronicles 27:6 still a third military office held by Benaiah is mentioned. He was hero of the (among the) thirty, and over the thirty, i.e., more honoured than they (cf. 1 Chronicles 11:25 and 2 Samuel 23:23). - With 1 Chronicles 27:6 cf. what is said on the similar words, 1 Chronicles 27:4.
1 Chronicles 27:7
From here onwards the mode of expression is very much compressed: the fourth of the fourth month, instead of the chief of the fourth host of the fourth month. Asahel (see 1 Chronicles 11:26 and on 2 Samuel 23:24) was slain by Abner (2 Samuel 2:18-23) in the beginning of David's reign, and consequently long before the division of the army here recorded. The words, “and Zebadiah his son after him,” point to his death, as they mention his son as his successor in the command of the fourth division of the army. When Asahel, therefore, is called commander of the fourth division of the host, it is done merely honoris causâ , since the division over which his son was named, de patris defuncti nomine (Cler.).
1 Chronicles 27:8
Shamhuth is called in 1 Chronicles 11:27 Shammoth, and in 2 Samuel 23:25 Shamma. He was born in Harod; here he is called היּזרח the Jizrahite, = הזּרחי , 1 Chronicles 27:13, of the family of Zerah the son of Judah (1 Chronicles 2:4, 1 Chronicles 2:6).
1 Chronicles 27:9
Ira; see 1 Chronicles 11:28, 2 Samuel 23:26.
1 Chronicles 27:10
Helez: 1 Chronicles 11:27; 2 Samuel 23:26.
1 Chronicles 27:11
Sibbecai; see 1 Chronicles 11:29, 2 Samuel 23:27.
1 Chronicles 27:12
Abiezer; see 1 Chronicles 11:28; 2 Samuel 23:27; he was of Anathoth in the tribe of Benjamin (Jeremiah 1:1).
1 Chronicles 27:13
Maharai (see 1 Chronicles 11:30; 2 Samuel 23:28) belonged also to the family of Zerah; see 1 Chronicles 27:11, 1 Chronicles 27:8.
1 Chronicles 27:14
Benaiah of Pirathon; see 1 Chronicles 11:31, 2 Samuel 23:30.
1 Chronicles 27:15
Heldai, in 1 Chronicles 11:30 Heled, in 2 Samuel 23:29 erroneously called Heleb, belonging to Othniel's family (Joshua 15:17).
The princes of the twelve tribes . - The enumeration of the tribal princes, commencing with the words, “and over the tribes of Israel,” immediately follows the catalogue of the divisions of the army with their commanders, because the subjects are in so far connected as the chief management of the internal business of the people, divided as they were into tribes, was deposited in their hands. In the catalogue the tribes Gad and Asher are omitted for reasons unknown to us, just as in 1 Chron 4-7, in the genealogies of the tribes, Dan and Zebulun are. In reference to Levi, on the contrary, the Nagid of Aaron, i.e., the head of the priesthood, is named, viz., Zadok, the high priest of the family of Eleazar.
Elihu, of the brethren of David, is only another form of the name Eliab, 1 Chronicles 2:13, David's eldest brother, who, as Jesse's first-born, had become tribal prince of Judah.
Of Manasseh two tribal princes are named, because the one half of this tribe had received its inheritance on this side Jordan, the other beyond Jordan. גּלעדה , towards Gilead, to designate the East-Jordan Manassites.
1 Chronicles 27:23 and 1 Chronicles 27:24 contain a concluding remark on the catalogue of the twelve detachments into which the men capable of bearing arms in Israel were divided, contained in 1 Chronicles 27:2-15. David had not taken their number from the men of twenty years and under, i.e., he had only caused those to be numbered who were over twenty years old. The word מספּרם points back to למספּרם , 1 Chronicles 27:1. מספּר נשׂא as in Numbers 3:40 = ראשׁ נשׂא , Exodus 30:12; Numbers 1:49, to take up the sum or total. The reason of this is given in the clause, “for Jahve had said (promised) to increase Israel like to the stars of heaven” (Genesis 22:17), which cannot mean: For it was impossible for David to number all, because they were as numerous as the stars of heaven, which of course cannot be numbered (Berth.). The thought is rather that David never intended to number the whole people from the youngest to the eldest, for he did not desire in fidem divinarum promissionum inquirere aut eam labefactare (J. H. Mich.); and he accordingly caused only the men capable of bearing arms to be numbered, in order to organize the military constitution of the kingdom in the manner recorded in 1 Chronicles 27:2-15. But even this numbering which Joab had begun was not completed, because wrath came on Israel because of it, as is narrated in 1 Chron 21. For this reason also the number, i.e., the result of the numbering begun by Joab, but not completed, is not included in the number of the chronicle of King David, i.e., in the official number which was usually inserted in the public annals. בּמספּר neither stands for בּספר (according to 2 Chronicles 20:34), nor does it denote, “in the section which treats of the numberings” (Berth.). היּמים דּברי is a shorter expression for h' דּברי ספר , book of the events of the day.
The managers of David's possessions and domains . - The property and the income of the king were (1 Chronicles 27:25) divided into treasures of the king, and treasures in the country, in the cities, the villages, and the castles. By the “treasures of the king” we must therefore understand those which were in Jerusalem, i.e., the treasures of the royal palace. These were managed by Azmaveth. The remaining treasures are specified in 1 Chronicles 27:26. They consisted in fields which were cultivated by labourers (1 Chronicles 27:26); in vineyards (1 Chronicles 27:27); plantations of olive trees and sycamores in the Shephelah , the fruitful plain on the Mediterranean Sea (1 Chronicles 27:28); in cattle, which pastured partly in the plain of Sharon between Caesarea Palestina and Joppa, partly in various valleys of the country (1 Chronicles 27:29); and in camels, asses, and sheep (1 Chronicles 27:30.). All these possessions are called רכוּשׁ , and the overseers of them הרכוּשׁ שׂרי . They consisted in the produce of agriculture and cattle-breeding, the two main branches of Israelitish industry.
Special officers were set over the vineyards and the stores of wine. The שׁ in שׁבּכּרמים is a contraction of אשׁר : “over that which was in the vineyards of treasures (stores) of wine.” The officer over the vineyards, Shimei, was of Ramah in Benjamin (cf. Joshua 18:25); he who was over the stores of wine, Zabdi, is called השּׁפמי , probably not from שׁפם on the northern frontier of Canaan, Numbers 34:10, the situation of which has not yet been discovered, but from the equally unknown שׁפמוה in the Negeb of Judah, 1 Samuel 30:28. For since the vineyards, in which the stores of wine were laid up, must certainly have lain in the tribal domain of Judah, so rich in wine (Numbers 13:23.; Genesis 49:11), probably the overseers of it were born in the same district.
As to the שׁפלה , see on Joshua 15:33. הגּדרי , he who was born in Geder, not Gedera, for which we should expect הגּדרתי (1 Chronicles 12:4), although the situation of Gedera, south-east from Jabne (see on Joshua 12:4), appears to suit better than that of גּדר or גּדור in the hill country of Judah; see Joshua 12:13 and Joshua 15:58.
The name of the Ishmaelite who was set over the camels, Obil ( אוביל ), reminds us of the Arab. abila , multos possedit vel acquisivit camelos . המּרנמי , he of Meronoth (1 Chronicles 27:30 and Nehemiah 3:17). The situation of this place is unknown. According to Nehemiah 3:7, it is perhaps to be sought in the neighbourhood of Mizpah. Over the smaller cattle (sheep and goats) Jaziz the Hagarite, of the people Hagar (cf. 1 Chronicles 5:10), was set. The oversight, consequently, of the camels and sheep was committed to a Hagarite and an Ishmaelite, probably because they pastured in the neighbourhood where the Ishmaelites and Hagarites had nomadized from early times, they having been brought under the dominion of Israel by David. The total number of these officials amounted to twelve, of whom we may conjecture that the ten overseers over the agricultural and cattle-breeding affairs of the king had to deliver over the annual proceeds of the property committed to them to the chief manager of the treasures in the field, in the cities, and villages, and towns.
David's councillors . This catalogue of the king's officials forms a supplementary companion piece to the catalogues of the public officials, 1 Chronicles 18:15-17, and 2 Samuel 8:15-18 and 2 Samuel 20:25-26. Besides Joab, who is met with in all catalogues as prince of the host, i.e., commander-in-chief, we find in our catalogue partly other men introduced, partly other duties of the men formerly named, than are mentioned in these three catalogues. From this it is clear that it is not the chief public officials who are enumerated, but only the first councillors of the king, who formed as it were his senate, and that the catalogue probably is derived from the same source as the preceding catalogues. Jonathan, the דּוד of David. The word דּוד generally denotes a father's brother; but since a Jonathan, son of Shimea, the brother of David, occurs 1 Chronicles 20:7 and 2 Samuel 21:21, Schmidt and Bertheau hold him to be the same as our Jonathan, when דּוד would be used in the general signification of “relative,” here of a nephew. Nothing certain can be ascertained in reference to it. He was יויץ , councillor, and, as is added, a wise and learned man. סופר is here not an official designation, but signifies literatus , learned, scholarly, as in Ezra 7:6. Jehiel, the son of Hachmon, was with the children of the king, i.e., was governor of the royal princes.
1 Chronicles 27:33
Ahithophel was also, according to 2 Samuel 15:31; 2 Samuel 16:23, David's confidential adviser, and took his own life when Absalom, in his conspiracy against David, did not regard his counsel (2 Sam 17). Hushai the Archite was also a friend and adviser of David (2 Samuel 15:37 and 2 Samuel 16:16), who caused Absalom to reject Ahithophel's counsel (2 Sam 17).
1 Chronicles 27:34
After Ahithophel, i.e., after his death, was Jehoiada the son of Benaiah ( scil . counsellor of the king), and Abiathar. As Benaiah the son of Jehoiada is elsewhere, when named among the public officials of David, called chief of the royal body-guard (cf. 1 Chronicles 18:17), Bertheau does not scruple to transpose the names here. But the hypothesis of such a transposition is neither necessary nor probable in the case of a name which, like Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, so frequently occurs (e.g., in 1 Chronicles 27:5). Since sons not unfrequently received the name of the grandfather, Jehoiada the son of the hero Benaiah may have been named after his grandfather Jehoiada. Abiathar is without doubt the high priest of this name of Ithamar's family) 1 Chronicles 15:11, etc.; see on 1 Chronicles 6:1-4), and is here mentioned as being also a friend and adviser of David. As to Joab, see on 1 Chronicles 18:15.