I
C H R O N I C L E S
CHAP. XXVII.
In
this chapter we have the civil list, including the military, I. The twelve
captains for every separate month of the year, ver. 1-15. II. The princes of
the several tribes, ver. 16-24. III. The officers of the court, ver. 25-34.
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The
Officers of the Army.
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B.
C. 1015.
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1 Now the children of
Israel
after their number, to wit, the chief
fathers and captains of thousands and hundreds, and their officers that served
the king in any matter of the courses, which came in and went out month by
month throughout all the months of the year, of every course were
twenty and four thousand. 2 Over the first course for the first
month was Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel: and in his course were
twenty and four thousand. 3 Of the children of Perez was
the chief of all the captains of the host for the first month. 4
And over the course of the second month was Dodai an Ahohite, and of
his course was Mikloth also the ruler: in his course likewise were
twenty and four thousand. 5 The third captain of the host for the
third month was Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, a chief priest: and in his
course were twenty and four thousand. 6 This is that
Benaiah, who was mighty among the thirty, and above the thirty:
and in his course was Ammizabad his son. 7 The fourth captain
for the fourth month was Asahel the brother of Joab, and Zebadiah his
son after him: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.
8 The fifth captain for the fifth month was Shamhuth the Izrahite: and
in his course were twenty and four thousand. 9 The sixth captain
for the sixth month was Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite: and in his
course were twenty and four thousand. 10 The seventh captain
for the seventh month was Helez the Pelonite, of the children of
Ephraim: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.
11 The eighth captain for the eighth month was Sibbecai the
Hushathite, of the Zarhites: and in his course were twenty and four
thousand. 12 The ninth captain for the ninth month was
Abiezer the Anetothite, of the Benjamites: and in his course were
twenty and four thousand. 13 The tenth captain for the
tenth month was Maharai the Netophathite, of the Zarhites: and in his
course were twenty and four thousand. 14 The eleventh captain
for the eleventh month was Benaiah the Pirathonite, of the children of
Ephraim: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.
15 The twelfth captain for the twelfth month was Heldai the
Netophathite, of Othniel: and in his course were twenty and four
thousand.
We have here an account of the regulation of the militia of the kingdom. David
was himself a man of war, and had done great things with the sword; he had
brought into the field great armies. Now here we are told how he marshalled
them when God had given him rest from all his enemies. He did not keep them
all together, for that would have been a hardship on them and the country; yet
he did not disband and disperse them all, for then he would have left his
kingdom naked, and his people would have forgotten the arts of war, wherein
they had been instructed. He therefore contrived to keep up a constant force,
and yet not a standing army. The model is very prudent. 1. He kept up 24,000
constantly in arms, I suppose in a body, and disciplined, in one part or other
of the kingdom, the freeholders carrying their own arms and bearing their own
charges while they were up. This was a sufficient strength for the securing of
the public peace and safety. Those that are Israelites indeed must learn war;
for we have enemies to grapple with, whom we are concerned constantly to stand
upon our guard against. 2. He changed them every month; so that the whole
number of the militia amounted to 288,000, perhaps about a fifth part of the
able men of the kingdom. By being thus distributed into twelve courses, they
were all instructed in, and accustomed to, military exercises; and yet none
were compelled to be in service, and at expenses, above one month in the year
(which they might very well afford), unless upon extraordinary occasions, and
then they might all be got together quickly. It is the wisdom of governors,
and much their praise, while they provide for the public safety, to contrive
how to make it effectual and yet easy, and as little as possible burdensome to
the people. 3. Every course had a commander in chief over it. Besides the
subaltern officers that were rulers over thousands, and hundreds, and fifties,
there was one general officer to each course or legion. All these twelve great
commanders are mentioned among David's worthies and champions, 2 Sam. xxiii.
and 1 Chron. xi. They had first signalized themselves by their great actions
and then they were advanced to those great preferments. It is well with a
kingdom when honour thus attends merit. Benaiah is here called a chief
priest, v. 5. But, cohen signifying both a priest and
a prince, it might better be translated here a chief ruler, or
(as in the margin) a principal officer. Dodai had Mikloth (v. 4)
either for his substitute when he was absent or infirm, or for his successor
when he was dead. Benaiah had his son under him, v. 6. Asahel had his
son after him (v. 7), and by this it seems that this plan of the
militia was laid in the beginning of David's reign; for Asahel was killed by
Abner while David reigned in Hebron. When his wars were over he revived this
method, and left the military affairs in this posture, for the peaceable reign
of his son Solomon. When we think ourselves most safe, yet, while we are here
in the body, we must keep in a readiness for spiritual conflicts. Let not
him that girdeth on the harness boast as he that puts it off.
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The
Military Force.
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B.
C. 1015.
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16 Furthermore over the tribes of Israel: the
ruler of the Reubenites was Eliezer the son of Zichri: of the
Simeonites, Shephatiah the son of Maachah: 17 Of the Levites,
Hashabiah the son of Kemuel: of the Aaronites, Zadok: 18 Of Judah,
Elihu, one of the brethren of David: of Issachar, Omri the son of
Michael: 19 Of Zebulun, Ishmaiah the son of Obadiah: of Naphtali,
Jerimoth the son of Azriel: 20 Of the children of Ephraim, Hoshea
the son of Azaziah: of the half tribe of Manasseh, Joel the son of Pedaiah:
21 Of the half tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo the son of Zechariah:
of Benjamin, Jaasiel the son of Abner: 22 Of Dan, Azareel the son
of Jeroham. These were the princes of the tribes of Israel.
23 But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under:
because the LORD
had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of the heavens.
24 Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but he finished not, because there
fell wrath for it against Israel; neither was the number put in the account of
the chronicles of king David. 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 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 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. 32 Also
Jonathan David's uncle was a counsellor, a wise man, and a scribe: and Jehiel
the son of Hachmoni was with the king's sons: 33 And
Ahithophel was the king's counsellor: and Hushai the Archite was
the king's companion: 34 And after Ahithophel was Jehoiada
the son of Benaiah, and Abiathar: and the general of the king's army was
Joab.
We have here an account,
I. Of the princes of the tribes. Something of the ancient order instituted by
Moses in the wilderness was still kept up, that every tribe should have its
prince or chief. It is probable that it was kept up all along, either by
election or by succession, in the same family; and those are here named who
were found in that office when this account was taken. Elihu, or Eliab, who
was prince of Judah, was the eldest son of Jesse, and descended in a right
line from Nahshon and Salmon, the princes of this tribe in Moses's time.
Whether these princes were of the nature of lord-lieutenants that guided them
in their military affairs, or chief-justices that presided in their courts of
judgment, does not appear. Their power, we may suppose, was much less now that
all the tribes were united under one king than it had been when, for the most
part, they acted separately. Our religion obliges us to be subject, not only
to the king as supreme, but unto governors under him (1 Pet. ii. 13,
14), the princes that decree justice. Of Benjamin was Jaaziel the son of Abner,
v. 21. Though Abner was David's enemy, and opposed his coming to the
throne, yet David would not oppose the preferment of his son, but perhaps
nominated him to this post of honour, which teaches us to render good for
evil.
II. Of the numbering of the people, v. 23, 24. It is here said, 1. That
when David ordered the people to be numbered he forbade the numbering of those
under twenty years old, thinking thereby to save the reflection which what he
did might otherwise cast upon the promise that they should be innumerable; yet
it was but a poor salvo, for it had never been customary to number those under
twenty, and the promise of their numbers chiefly respected the effective men.
2. That the account which David took of the people, in the pride of his heart,
turned to no good account; for it was never perfected, nor done with
exactness, nor was it ever recorded as an authentic account. Joab was
disgusted with it, and did it by halves; David was ashamed of it, and willing
it should be forgotten, because there fell wrath for it against
Israel
. A good man cannot, in the reflection, please himself with that which he
knows God is displeased with, cannot make use of that, nor take comfort in
that, which is obtained by sin.
III. Of the officers of the court. 1. The rulers of the king's substance
(as they are called, v. 31), such as had the oversight and charge of
the king's tillage, his vineyards, his olive-yards, his herds, his camels, his
asses, his flocks. Here are no officers for state, none for sport, no master
of the wardrobe, no master of the ceremonies, no master of the horse, no
master of the hounds, but all for service, agreeable to the simplicity and
plainness of those times. David was a great soldier, a great scholar, and a
great prince, and yet a great husband of his estate, kept a great deal of
ground in his own hand, and stocked it, not for pleasure, but for profit; for
the king himself is served of the field, Eccles. v. 9. Those
magistrates that would have their subjects industrious must themselves be
examples of industry and application to business. We find, however, that
afterwards the poor of the land were thought good enough to be vine-dressers
and husbandmen, 2 Kings xxv. 12. Now David put his great men to preside in
these employments. 2. The attendants on the king's person. They were such as
were eminent for wisdom, being designed for conversation. His uncle, who was a
wise man and a scribe, not only well skilled in politics, but well read in the
scriptures, was his counsellor, v. 32. Another, who no doubt excelled
in learning and prudence, was tutor to his children. Ahithophel, a very
cunning man, was his counsellor: but Hushai, an honest man, was his companion
and confidant. It does not appear that he had many counsellors; but those he
had were men of great abilities. Much of the wisdom of princes is seen in the
choice of their ministry. But David, though he had all these trusty and
well-beloved cousins and counsellors about him, preferred his Bible before
them all. Ps. cxix. 24, Thy testimonies are my delight and my counsellors.
Contents
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