27:1 The twelve captains for every several month;
27:16 The princes of the twelve tribes;
27:23 The numbering of the people is hindered;
27:25 David's several officers. Verse 1the chief fathersThe 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.captains1 Chronicles 13:1; Exodus 18:25; Deuteronomy 1:15; 1 Samuel 8:12; Micah 5:2 served1 Chronicles 28:1; 2 Chronicles 17:12-19, 26:11-13 any matter1 Kings 5:14 month4:7, 4:27ReciprocalNumbers 1:4 - General; 1 Chronicles 7:2 - whose number; 29:6 - the chief; 2 Chronicles 1:2 - to the captains; 25:5 - captains over thousands Verse 2Jashobeam1 Chronicles 11:11; 2 Samuel 23:8, Adino the Eznite

Verse 3PerezGenesis 38:29; Numbers 26:20, Pharezthe chiefGenesis 49:8-10; Numbers 7:12, 10:14Reciprocal2 Chronicles 32:6 - he set captains Verse 4Dodai1 Chronicles 11:12; 2 Samuel 23:9, DodoReciprocal24:15 - the Lord Verse 5BenaiahOr, "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 priestor, principal officer, 4:5Reciprocal2 Samuel 23:20 - Benaiah; 1 Kings 1:8 - Zadok; 1 Chronicles 11:22 - Benaiah Verse 6mighty1 Chronicles 11:22-25; 2 Samuel 22:20-23, 23:20-23Reciprocal23:23 - more honourable; 1 Kings 1:8 - Zadok Verse 7Asahel1 Chronicles 11:26; 2 Samuel 2:18-23, 23:24

Verse 8ShamhuthIf 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, 26:29; 2 Samuel 23:25, Shammah the Harodite

Verse 9Ira1 Chronicles 11:28; 2 Samuel 23:26

Verse 10Helez1 Chronicles 11:27 Pelonite2 Samuel 23:26, Paltite

Verse 11Sibbecai1 Chronicles 11:29; 2 Samuel 21:18 ZarhitesNumbers 26:20Reciprocal1 Chronicles 27:13 - Zarhites Verse 12Anetothite1 Chronicles 11:28, Antothite, 2 Samuel 23:27, AnethothiteReciprocalPsalm 68:27 - little Verse 13Maharai1 Chronicles 11:30; 2 Samuel 23:28 Zarhites1 Chronicles 27:11

Verse 14Benaiah1 Chronicles 11:31; 2 Samuel 23:30

Verse 15Heldai1 Chronicles 11:30, Heled, 2 Samuel 23:29, HelebOthniel1 Chronicles 4:13; Judges 3:9

Verse 16FurthermoreThese persons, called "princes of the tribes," in 1 Chronicles 27:22, and 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.ReciprocalGenesis 35:22 - Now the sons; Exodus 1:1 - General; Numbers 1:16 - the renowned Verse 17Hashabiah1 Chronicles 26:30 of the Aaronites12:27, 12:28, 24:4, 24:31Reciprocal1 Kings 4:2 - Azariah Verse 18ElihuIf Elihu be not a mistake for Eliab, it is probable that he was called by both names. 1 Samuel 16:6, 17:13, 17:29, EliabReciprocal1 Chronicles 2:13 - Eliab; 2 Chronicles 11:18 - Eliab Verse 21Iddo1 Kings 4:14 Abner1 Samuel 14:50, 14:51; 2 Samuel 3:27, 3:37

Verse 22Reciprocal1 Chronicles 27:16 - Furthermore Verse 23David took notIt 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 twentyNumbers 1:18 he would increaseGenesis 15:5; Habakkuk 3:1ReciprocalGenesis 13:16 - General; Numbers 1:2 - Take ye the sum; Deuteronomy 1:10 - your God; 2 Samuel 24:1 - number; 24:9 - eight hundred thousand; 1 Kings 3:8 - cannot; 1 Chronicles 7:2 - whose number; 21:2 - bring; 21:5 - a thousand; Nehemiah 9:23 - multipliedst; Psalm 80:9 - and it Verse 24began to number1 Chronicles 21:1-17; 2 Samuel 24:1-15 was the number putHeb. ascended the numberReciprocalExodus 30:12 - no plague; Numbers 1:2 - Take ye the sum; 16:46 - there is wrath; 2 Samuel 24:9 - eight hundred thousand; 1 Kings 3:8 - cannot; 14:19 - book; 1 Chronicles 7:2 - whose number; 21:2 - bring; Psalm 80:9 - and it Verse 25the king's2 Kings 18:15; 2 Chronicles 16:2 the storehousesGenesis 41:48; Exodus 1:11; 2 Chronicles 26:10; Jeremiah 41:8Reciprocal1 Chronicles 28:1 - the captains of the companies; 29:6 - the rulers; 2 Chronicles 17:13 - much business; 32:27 - treasuries; Proverbs 24:4 - General; Isaiah 22:15 - treasurer Verse 26Reciprocal2 Chronicles 26:10 - he had much; Ecclesiastes 5:9 - the king Verse 27the increase of the vineyardsHeb. that which was of the vineyardsReciprocalGenesis 40:2 - the chief of the butlers; Ecclesiastes 2:4 - I planted Verse 28And over1 Kings 4:7 the sycamore treesThe Hebrew shikmin, Syriac shekmo, and Arabic jummeez, is the συκομορος, or sycomore, of the Greeks, so called from συκος, a fig-tree, and μορος 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." 20:27Reciprocal2 Chronicles 9:27 - the sycamore; Psalm 78:47 - sycamore; Luke 19:4 - a sycamore Verse 29Sharon1 Chronicles 5:16; Isaiah 65:10ReciprocalGenesis 47:6 - rulers; 1 Samuel 21:7 - herdmen; 2 Chronicles 32:29 - possessions; Proverbs 27:23 - diligent; Ecclesiastes 2:7 - also Verse 30the camelsJob 1:3 the IshmaeliteGenesis 47:6

Verse 31Reciprocal1 Chronicles 5:10 - the Hagarites Verse 32uncle2 Samuel 13:3, 21:21, nephewscribeor, secretaryson of Hachmoni[H2453], or, Hachmonite, 1 Chronicles 11:11Reciprocal2 Samuel 23:8 - General; 1 Chronicles 28:1 - and of his sons Verse 33Ahithophel2 Samuel 15:12, 16:23, 17:23 Hushai15:32, 15:37, 16:16 companion16:17; Psalm 55:13; Zechariah 13:7ReciprocalJoshua 16:2 - Archi; 2 Samuel 23:34 - Eliam; 1 Kings 4:5 - the king's Verse 34Abiathar1 Kings 1:7 the general1 Chronicles 11:6Reciprocal2 Samuel 23:34 - Eliam