---
title: "1 Chronicles 27 - Study King James Bible with commentary critical and explanatory on the whole bible"
description: "Read 1 Chronicles 27 with commentary critical and explanatory on the whole bible commentary. 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"
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url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/1-chronicles/27"
---

[ Read](/kjv/1-chronicles/27)[ Commentary](/study/1-chronicles/27)[ Interlinear](/interlinear/1-chronicles/27) Audio

 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* Abi-ezer 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.*

 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 sycomore 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.
 
[1 Chronicles 26](/study/1-chronicles/26) [1 Chronicles 28](/study/1-chronicles/28)

## Commentary

 To verse 1
 
**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 [1 Chronicles 27:7](/kjv/1-chronicles/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 ([1 Chronicles 27:7](/kjv/1-chronicles/27/7)- :). 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.

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