1Ch 27:1-15 | KD | STEP | The twelve divisions of the army . - 1Ch 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, -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 Jdg 8:18; Num 17:6, etc.; cf. Ew. §313, a , note 1. וצא בּוא, used of entering upon and leaving the service (cf. , ; 2Ki 11:5, 2Ki 11:7,2Ki 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 27:1-15

1Ch 27:1 The twelve divisions of the army. - 1Ch 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, 1Ch 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 Jdg 8:18; Num 17:6, etc.; cf. Ew. §313, a, note 1. וצא בּוא, used of entering upon and leaving the service (cf. 2Ch 23:4, 2Ch 23:8; 2Ki 11:5, 2Ki 11:7,2Ki 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. 1Ch 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 1Ch 11:11 and 2Sa 23:8. 1Ch 27:3 1Ch 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). 1Ch 27:4

Before דּודי, according to 1Ch 11:12, בּן אלעזר has been dropped out (see on 2Sa 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 1Ch 8:32 and 1Ch 9:37 among the Benjamites. 1Ch 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 1Ch 11:22 and the commentary on 2Sa 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 1Ch 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. 1Ch 11:25 and 2Sa 23:23). - With 1Ch 27:6 cf. what is said on the similar words, 1Ch 27:4. 1Ch 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 1Ch 11:26 and on 2Sa 23:24) was slain by Abner (2Sa 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.). 1Ch 27:8

Shamhuth is called in 1Ch 11:27 Shammoth, and in 2Sa 23:25 Shamma. He was born in Harod; here he is called היּזרח the Jizrahite, = הזּרחי, 1Ch 27:13, of the family of Zerah the son of Judah (1Ch 2:4, 1Ch 2:6). 1Ch 27:9

Ira; see 1Ch 11:28, 2Sa 23:26. 1Ch 27:10

Helez: 1Ch 11:27; 2Sa 23:26. 1Ch 27:11

Sibbecai; see 1Ch 11:29, 2Sa 23:27. 1Ch 27:12

Abiezer; see 1Ch 11:28; 2Sa 23:27; he was of Anathoth in the tribe of Benjamin (Jer 1:1). 1Ch 27:13

Maharai (see 1Ch 11:30; 2Sa 23:28) belonged also to the family of Zerah; see 1Ch 27:11, 1Ch 27:8. 1Ch 27:14

Benaiah of Pirathon; see 1Ch 11:31, 2Sa 23:30. 1Ch 27:15

Heldai, in 1Ch 11:30 Heled, in 2Sa 23:29 erroneously called Heleb, belonging to Othniel’s family (Jos 15:17).