Bible Commentaries
1 Chronicles 27

Introduction

Overview

1 Chronicles 27:1, The twelve captains for every several month; 1 Chronicles 27:16, The princes of the twelve tribes; 1 Chronicles 27:23, The numbering of the people is hindered; 1 Chronicles 27:25, David’s several officers.

Verse 1

the chief fathers: The patriarchs, chief generals, or generals of brigade. This enumeration is widely different from that of the preceding. In that, we have the order and course of the priests and Levites, in their ecclesiastical ministrations: in this, we have the account of the order of the civil service, what related simply to the political state of the king and kingdom. Twenty-four persons, chosen out of David's worthies, each of whom had a second, were placed over 24,000 men, who all served a month at a time, in turn; and this was the whole of their service during the year, after which they attended to their own affairs. Thus the king had always on foot a regular force of 24,000, who served without expense to him or the state, and were not oppressed by the service, which took up only a twelfth part of their time; and by this plan he could, at any time, bring into the field 12 times 24,000 or 288,000 fighting men, independently of the 12,000 officers, which made in the whole an effective force of 300,000 soldiers; and all these men were prepared, disciplined, and ready at a call, without the smallest expense to the state or the king. These were, properly speaking, the militia of the Israelitish kingdom.

captains: 1 Chronicles 13:1, Exodus 18:25, Deuteronomy 1:15, 1 Samuel 8:12, Micah 5:2

served: 1 Chronicles 28:1, 2 Chronicles 17:12-19, 2 Chronicles 26:11-13

any matter: 1 Kings 5:14

month: 1 Kings 4:7, 1 Kings 4:27

Reciprocal: Numbers 1:4 - General 1 Chronicles 7:2 - whose number 1 Chronicles 29:6 - the chief 2 Chronicles 1:2 - to the captains 2 Chronicles 25:5 - captains over thousands

Verse 2

Jashobeam: 1 Chronicles 11:11, 2 Samuel 23:8, Adino the Eznite

Verse 3

Perez: Genesis 38:29, Numbers 26:20, Pharez

the chief: Genesis 49:8-10, Numbers 7:12, Numbers 10:14

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 32:6 - he set captains

Verse 4

Dodai: 1 Chronicles 11:12, 2 Samuel 23:9, Dodo

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 24:15 - the Lord

Verse 5

Benaiah: Or, "Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada the chief priest:" it was Jehoiada, and not Benaiah, who was a priest. 1 Chronicles 18:17, 1 Kings 4:4

chief priest: or, principal officer, 1 Kings 4:5

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 23:20 - Benaiah 1 Kings 1:8 - Zadok 1 Chronicles 11:22 - Benaiah

Verse 6

mighty: 1 Chronicles 11:22-25, 2 Samuel 22:20-23, 2 Samuel 23:20-23

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 23:23 - more honourable 1 Kings 1:8 - Zadok

Verse 7

Asahel: 1 Chronicles 11:26, 2 Samuel 2:18-23, 2 Samuel 23:24

Verse 8

Shamhuth: If this person was the same as Shammoth the Hararite, or Shammah the Harodite, it is probable that he took the denomination Izrahite, from one of his progenitors of the name Izrah, and derived the other from the place of his residence. 1 Chronicles 11:27, Shammoth the Hararite, 1 Chronicles 26:29, 2 Samuel 23:25, Shammah the Harodite

Verse 9

Ira: 1 Chronicles 11:28, 2 Samuel 23:26

Verse 10

Helez: 1 Chronicles 11:27

Pelonite: 2 Samuel 23:26, Paltite

Verse 11

Sibbecai: 1 Chronicles 11:29, 2 Samuel 21:18

Zarhites: Numbers 26:20

Reciprocal: 1 Chronicles 27:13 - Zarhites

Verse 12

Anetothite: 1 Chronicles 11:28, Antothite, 2 Samuel 23:27, Anethothite

Reciprocal: Psalms 68:27 - little

Verse 13

Maharai: 1 Chronicles 11:30, 2 Samuel 23:28

Zarhites: 1 Chronicles 27:11

Verse 14

Benaiah: 1 Chronicles 11:31, 2 Samuel 23:30

Verse 15

Heldai: 1 Chronicles 11:30, Heled, 2 Samuel 23:29, Heleb

Othniel: 1 Chronicles 4:13, Judges 3:9

Verse 16

Furthermore: These persons, called "princes of the tribes," in 1 Chronicles 27:22, and 1 Chronicles 28:1, appear to have been civil rulers over their several tribes, and honorary men, without pay, not unlike the lords lieutenants of our counties. In this enumeration there is no mention of the tribes of Gad and Asher, probably because they were joined to the neighbouring tribes; or perhaps, the account of these has been lost from the register.

Reciprocal: Genesis 35:22 - Now the sons Exodus 1:1 - General Numbers 1:16 - the renowned

Verse 17

Hashabiah: 1 Chronicles 26:30

of the Aaronites: 1 Chronicles 12:27, 1 Chronicles 12:28, 1 Chronicles 24:4, 1 Chronicles 24:31

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 4:2 - Azariah

Verse 18

Elihu: If Elihu be not a mistake for Eliab, it is probable that he was called by both names. 1 Samuel 16:6, 1 Samuel 17:13, 1 Samuel 17:29, Eliab

Reciprocal: 1 Chronicles 2:13 - Eliab 2 Chronicles 11:18 - Eliab

Verse 21

Iddo: 1 Kings 4:14

Abner: 1 Samuel 14:50, 1 Samuel 14:51, 2 Samuel 3:27, 2 Samuel 3:37

Verse 22

Reciprocal: 1 Chronicles 27:16 - Furthermore

Verse 23

David took not: It seems probable, from this passage, that Joab began, by David's order, to number the children, as well as adults, but was prevented from finishing the account, probably because the plague had begun. The numbering of the effective men might have been deemed a political expedient; but pride and ostentation alone could dictate the numbering of minors and infants, especially as God had pronounced the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, innumerable.

from twenty: Numbers 1:18

he would increase: Genesis 15:5, Hebrews 11:12

Reciprocal: Genesis 13:16 - General Numbers 1:2 - Take ye the sum Deuteronomy 1:10 - your God 2 Samuel 24:1 - number 2 Samuel 24:9 - eight hundred thousand 1 Kings 3:8 - cannot 1 Chronicles 7:2 - whose number 1 Chronicles 21:2 - bring 1 Chronicles 21:5 - a thousand Nehemiah 9:23 - multipliedst Psalms 80:9 - and it

Verse 24

began to number: 1 Chronicles 21:1-17, 2 Samuel 24:1-15

was the number put: Heb. ascended the number

Reciprocal: Exodus 30:12 - no plague Numbers 1:2 - Take ye the sum Numbers 16:46 - there is wrath 2 Samuel 24:9 - eight hundred thousand 1 Kings 3:8 - cannot 1 Kings 14:19 - book 1 Chronicles 7:2 - whose number 1 Chronicles 21:2 - bring Psalms 80:9 - and it

Verse 25

the king's: 2 Kings 18:15, 2 Chronicles 16:2

the storehouses: Genesis 41:48, Exodus 1:11, 2 Chronicles 26:10, Jeremiah 41:8

Reciprocal: 1 Chronicles 28:1 - the captains of the companies 1 Chronicles 29:6 - the rulers 2 Chronicles 17:13 - much business 2 Chronicles 32:27 - treasuries Proverbs 24:4 - General Isaiah 22:15 - treasurer

Verse 26

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 26:10 - he had much Ecclesiastes 5:9 - the king

Verse 27

the increase of the vineyards: Heb. that which was of the vineyards

Reciprocal: Genesis 40:2 - the chief of the butlers Ecclesiastes 2:4 - I planted

Verse 28

And over: 1 Kings 4:7

the sycamore trees: The Hebrew shikmin, Syriac shekmo, and Arabic jummeez, is the ףץךןלןסןע, or sycomore, of the Greeks, so called from ףץךןע, a fig-tree, and לןסןע a mulberry- tree, because it resembles the latter in its leaves, and the former in its fruits. "The sycamore," says Mr. Norden, "is of the height of a beech, and bears its fruit in a manner quite different from other trees: it has them on the trunk itself, which shoots out little sprigs, in form of grape stalks, at the end of which grow the fruit close to one another, almost like a cluster of grapes. The tree is always green, and bears fruit several times in the year, without observing any certain seasons; for I have seen some sycamores that have given fruit two months after others. The fruit has the figure and smell of real figs, but is inferior to them in the taste, having a disgusting sweetness. Its colour is a yellow, inclining to an ochre, shadowed by a flesh colour. In the inside it resembles the common figs, excepting that it has a blackish colouring with yellow spots. This sort of tree is pretty common in Egypt; the people, for the greater part, live on its fruit, and think themselves well regaled when they have a piece of bread, a couple of sycamore figs, and a pitcher of water." 1 Kings 20:27

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 9:27 - the sycamore Psalms 78:47 - sycamore Luke 19:4 - a sycamore

Verse 29

Sharon: 1 Chronicles 5:16, Isaiah 65:10

Reciprocal: Genesis 47:6 - rulers 1 Samuel 21:7 - herdmen 2 Chronicles 32:29 - possessions Proverbs 27:23 - diligent Ecclesiastes 2:7 - also

Verse 30

the camels: Job 1:3

the Ishmaelite: Genesis 47:6

Verse 31

Reciprocal: 1 Chronicles 5:10 - the Hagarites

Verse 32

uncle: 2 Samuel 13:3, 2 Samuel 21:21, nephew

scribe: or, secretary

son of Hachmoni: [Strong's H2453], or, Hachmonite, 1 Chronicles 11:11

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 23:8 - General 1 Chronicles 28:1 - and of his sons

Verse 33

Ahithophel: 2 Samuel 15:12, 2 Samuel 16:23, 2 Samuel 17:23

Hushai: 2 Samuel 15:32, 2 Samuel 15:37, 2 Samuel 16:16

companion: 2 Samuel 16:17, Psalms 55:13, Zechariah 13:7

Reciprocal: Joshua 16:2 - Archi 2 Samuel 23:34 - Eliam 1 Kings 4:5 - the king's

Verse 34

Abiathar: 1 Kings 1:7

the general: 1 Chronicles 11:6

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 23:34 - Eliam