1Synové Izraele podle jejich výčtu, předáci rodů, velitelé nad tisíci a nad sty a jejich správci, kteří sloužili králi ve všech věcech skupin, přicházející a vycházející měsíc co měsíc, po všechny měsíce roku; jeden oddíl měl dvacet čtyři tisíc. 2Nad prvním oddílem v prvním měsíci byl Jášobeám, syn Zabdíelův; jeho oddíl měl dvacet čtyři tisíce. 3Byl ze synů Peresových, předákem nad všemi veliteli armády v prvním měsíci. 4Nad oddílem druhého měsíce byl Dódaj Achóchijský; Miklót byl vévodou jeho oddílu; jeho oddíl měl dvacet čtyři tisíce. 5Třetím velitelem armády v třetím měsíci byl Benajáš, syn vrchního kněze Jójady; jeho oddíl měl dvacet čtyři tisíce. 6To je ten Benajáš, hrdina mezi třiceti a nad třiceti; nad jeho oddílem byl jeho syn Amízábad. 7Čtvrtý ve čtvrtém měsíci byl Asáel, bratr Jóabův, a po něm jeho syn Zebadjáš; jeho oddíl měl dvacet čtyři tisíce. 8Pátý v pátém měsíci byl Šamhút Jizrachejský; jeho oddíl měl dvacet čtyři tisíce. 9Šestý v šestém měsíci byl Íra, syn Íkeše Tekójského; jeho oddíl měl dvacet čtyři tisíce. 10Sedmý v sedmém měsíci byl Cheles Pelónský ze synů Efrajimových; jeho oddíl měl dvacet čtyři tisíce. 11Osmý v osmém měsíci byl Sibekaj Chúšatský ze Zerachejců; jeho oddíl měl dvacet čtyři tisíce. 12Devátý v devátém měsíci byl Abíezer Anatótský z Benjamínovců; jeho oddíl měl dvacet čtyři tisíce. 13Desátý v desátém měsíci byl Mahraj Netófský ze Zerachejců; jeho oddíl měl dvacet čtyři tisíce. 14Jedenáctý v jedenáctém měsíci byl Benajáš Pireatónský ze synů Efrajimových; jeho oddíl měl dvacet čtyři tisíce. 15Dvanáctý ve dvanáctém měsíci byl Cheldaj Netófský z Otníela; jeho oddíl měl dvacet čtyři tisíce. 16Nad izraelskými kmeny byli: nad Rúbenovci byl vévodou Elíezer, syn Zikrího; nad Šimeónovci Šefatjáš, syn Maakův; 17nad Lévijci Chašabjáš, syn Kemúelův; nad Áronem Sádok; 18nad Judou Elíhú z Davidových bratrů; nad Isacharem Omrí, syn Michaelův; 19nad Zabulónem Jišmajáš, syn Obadjášův; nad Neftalím Jerímót, syn Azríelův; 20nad syny Efrajimovými Hóšea, syn Azazjášův; nad polovinou kmene Manasesova Jóel, syn Pedajášův; 21nad polovinou Manasesa v Gileádu Jidó, syn Zekarjášův; nad Benjamínem Jaasíel, syn Abnérův; 22nad Danem Azarel, syn Jerochámův. Toto jsou velitelé izraelských kmenů. 23David neuvedl počet dvacetiletých a mladších, neboť Hospodin řekl, že rozmnoží Izrael jako nebeské hvězdy. 24Jóab, syn Serújin, začal sčítat, ale nedokončil to, neboť kvůli tomu dopadlo na Izrael rozhořčení. A tak se počet nedostal do knihy Letopisů krále Davida. 25Nad královskými sklady byl Azmávet, syn Adíelův. Nad sklady v zemi — ve městech, na vesnicích a ve věžích byl Jónatan, syn Uzijášův. 26Nad venkovskými dělníky pro polní práci byl Ezrí, syn Kelúbův. 27Nad vinicemi byl Šimeí Rámatský; nad sklady vína, které jsou na vinicích, byl Zabdí Šifmejský. 28Nad olivovými háji a sykomorami, které jsou v Šefele, byl Baal-chanan Gederský. Nad sklady oleje byl Jóaš. 29Nad skotem pasoucím se v Šáronu byl Šitraj Šáronský. Nad skotem v údolích byl Šafat, syn Adlajův. 30Nad velbloudy byl Izmaelita Obíl. Nad oslicemi byl Jechdejáš Meronótský. 31Nad ovcemi byl Hagrejec Jazíz. Všichni tito byli předáky nad majetkem, který patřil králi Davidovi. 32Jónatan, Davidův strýc, zkušený to člověk, byl rádcem a písařem. Jechíel, syn Chachmóního, byl s královskými syny. 33Achítofel byl královým rádcem. Chúšaj Arkijský byl královým přítelem. 34Po Achítofelovi byl Jójada, syn Benajášův, a Ebjátar. Velitelem královy armády byl Jóab.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 TWELVE CAPTAINS FOR EVERY MONTH. (
1Chr 27:1-15)
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
1Chr 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 (
1Chr 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 Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel--(See on
1Chr 11:11;
2Sam 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" (
2Sam 23:9).
7 Asahel--This officer having been slain at the very beginning of David's reign [
2Sam 2:23], his name was probably given to this division in honor of his memory, and his son was invested with the command.
16 PRINCES OF THE TWELVE TRIBES. (
1Chr 27:16-24)
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 (
1Chr 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 (
1Sam 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 (
Gen 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 (
1Chr 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 Cćsarea 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.