1 Chronicles 27 · Verse 1

1 Chronicles 27:1

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.

1 Chronicles 27:1, King James Version

1 Chronicles 27:1 in other translations

BSB	This is the list of the Israelites—the heads of families, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and their officers who served the king in every matter concerning the divisions on rotating military duty each month throughout the year. There were 24,000 men in each division:
WEB	Now the children of Israel after their number, the heads of fathers’ households and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and their officers who served the king in any matter of the divisions which came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year—of every division were twenty-four thousand.
ASV	Now the children of Israel after their number, to wit, the heads of fathers’ houses and the captains of thousands and of 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.
YLT	And the sons of Israel, after their number, heads of the fathers, and princes of the thousands and of the hundreds, and their officers, those serving the king in any matter of the courses, that are coming in and going out month by month, throughout all months of the year-- are in each course twenty and four thousand.
DARBY	And these are the children of Israel after their number, the chief fathers and captains of thousands and hundreds, and their officers that served the king in every matter of the divisions, which came in and went out month by month throughout the months of the year; in every division were twenty-four thousand.
BBE	Now the number of the children of Israel, that is, the heads of families, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and the men in authority who were servants of the king in anything to do with the divisions which came in and went out month by month through all the months of the year, in every division were twenty-four thousand.
Webster	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.

What does 1 Chronicles 27:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

1Ch 27:1-15. Twelve Captains for Every Month. 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 1Ch 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 (1Ch 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.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

An account of the twelve captains who were over the monthly course of twenty-four thousand men; each captain serving one month in turn, 1Chr 27:1. The names of the twelve, and the months in which they served, 1Chr 27:2-15. The names of the rulers of the twelve tribes, 1Chr 27:16-22. The reasons why the whole number of Israel and Judah had not been taken, 1Chr 27:23, 1Chr 27:24. The persons who were over the king's property, treasures, fields, flocks, etc., 1Chr 27:25-31. His officers of state, 1Chr 27:32-34. Verse 1 The chief fathers and captains of thousands - The patriarchs, chief generals, or generals of brigade. This enumeration is widely different from the preceding. In that, we have the orders and courses of the priests and the Levites in their ecclesiastical ministrations; in this, we have the account of the order of the civil service, that which related simply to the political state of the king and the kingdom. Twenty-four persons, chosen out of David's worthies, each of whom had a second, were placed over twenty-four thousand men, who all served a month in turn at a time; 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 twenty-four thousand, 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, when the exigency of the state required it, bring into the field twelve times twenty-four thousand, or two hundred and eighty-eight thousand fighting men, independently of the twelve thousand officers, which made in the whole an effective force of three hundred thousand 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. See Calmet.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Chronicles 27:1-15

In the kingdoms of this world readiness for war forms a security for peace; in like manner, nothing so much encourages Satan's assaults as to be unwatchful. So long as we stand armed with the whole armour of God, in the exercise of faith, and preparation of heart for the conflict, we shall certainly be safe, and probably enjoy inward peace.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

1 Chronicles 27:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וּבְנֵ֣יu.ve.Neiand [the] people ofH1121

יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל\׀Yis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478

לְֽמִסְפָּרָ֡םle.mis.pa.Ramto number theirH4557

רָאשֵׁ֣יra.Shei[the] heads ofH7218

הָאָב֣וֹתha.'a.Votthe fathersH1

וְשָׂרֵ֣יve.sa.Reiand [the] commanders ofH8269

הָֽאֲלָפִ֣ים\׀ha.'a.la.Fimthe thousandsH505

וְהַמֵּא֡וֹתve.ha.me.'otand the hundredsH3967

וְשֹׁטְרֵיהֶם֩ve.sho.te.rei.Hemand officials theirH7860

הַמְשָׁרְתִ֨יםham.sha.re.Timwho serveH8334

אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853

הַמֶּ֜לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428

לְכֹ֣ל\׀le.Kholto everyH3605

דְּבַ֣רde.Var<the> matter ofH1697

הַֽמַּחְלְק֗וֹתha.mach.le.Kotthe divisionsH4256

הַבָּאָ֤הha.ba.'Ahwhich comeH935

וְהַיֹּצֵאת֙ve.hai.yo.tzeTand which go outH3318

חֹ֣דֶשׁCho.deshmonthH2320

בְּחֹ֔דֶשׁbe.Cho.deshby monthH2320

לְכֹ֖לle.Kholto allH3605

חָדְשֵׁ֣יcha.de.Shei[the] months ofH2320

הַשָּׁנָ֑הha.sha.Nahthe yearH8141

הַֽמַּחֲלֹ֙קֶת֙ha.ma.cha.Lo.ketthe divisionH4256

הָֽאַחַ֔תha.'a.Chat<the> oneH259

עֶשְׂרִ֥ים'es.Rim[was] twentyH6242

וְאַרְבָּעָ֖הve.'ar.ba.'Ahand fourH702

אָֽלֶף\׃\ \ס'A.lefthousandH505

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Chronicles 27:1

1 Chronicles 28:1
And David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that ministered to the king by course, and the captains over the thousands, and captains over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possession of the king, and of his sons, with the officers, and with the mighty men, and with all the valiant men, unto Jerusalem.
1 Samuel 8:12
And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
2 Chronicles 17:12-19
And Jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly; and he built in Judah castles, and cities of store. And he had much business in the cities of Judah: and the men of war, mighty men of valour, were in Jerusalem. And these are the numbers of them according to the house of their fathers: Of Judah, the captains of thousands; Adnah the chief, and with him mighty men of valour three hundred thousand. And next to him was Jehohanan the captain, and with him two hundred and fourscore thousand. …
2 Chronicles 26:11-13
Moreover Uzziah had an host of fighting men, that went out to war by bands, according to the number of their account by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the ruler, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king’s captains. The whole number of the chief of the fathers of the mighty men of valour were two thousand and six hundred. And under their hand was an army, three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred, that made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy.
Micah 5:2
But thou, Beth–lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
1 Kings 4:27
And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon’s table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing.
1 Kings 5:14
And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses: a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home: and Adoniram was over the levy.
1 Chronicles 13:1
And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader.
1 Kings 4:7
And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision.
Exodus 18:25
And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
Deuteronomy 1:15
So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

1 The twelve captains for every several month.
16 The princes of the twelve tribes.
23 The numbering of the people is hindered.
25 David's several officers.

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.
13:1; Ex 18:25; De 1:15; 1Sa 8:12; Mic 5:2
served.
28:1; 2Ch 17:12-19; 26:11-13
any matter.
1Ki 5:14
month.
1Ki 4:7,27

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

1 Chronicles 27:1
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.
1 Chronicles 27:2
Over the first course for the first month was Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.

Read all of 1 Chronicles 27

1 Chronicles 27:1 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y LOS hijos de Israel según su número, á saber, príncipes de familias, tribunos, centuriones y oficiales de los que servían al rey en todos los negocios de las divisiones que entraban y salían cada mes en todos los meses del año, eran en cada división veinte y cuatro mil.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et ce sont ici les fils d’Israël, selon leur nombre, les chefs des pères, et les chefs de milliers et de centaines, et leurs intendants, qui servaient le roi dans toutes les affaires de leurs divisions, entrant et sortant, mois par mois, pendant tous les mois de l’année: chaque division de 24 000 hommes.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und die Kinder Israel, nach ihrer Zahl, die Häupter der Väter und die Obersten über tausend und über hundert, und ihre Vorsteher, die dem König dienten in allen Angelegenheiten der Abteilungen, der antretenden und der abtretenden, Monat für Monat, für alle Monate des Jahres; eine jede Abteilung zählte 24000 Mann.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Filii autem Israël secundum numerum suum, principes familiarum, tribuni, et centuriones, et præfecti, qui ministrabant regi juxta turmas suas, ingredientes et egredientes per singulos menses in anno, viginti quatuor millibus singuli præerant.