Verse 12
The rest of this chapter, with the whole of the 28th, is wanting both in the Syriac and Arabic.
Verse 13
They cast lots - for every gate - None of these captains or their companies were permitted to choose which gate they would guard, but each took his appointment by lot.
Verse 15
The house of Asuppim - The house of the collections; the place where either the supplies of the porters, or the offerings made for the use of the priests and Levites, were laid up.
Verse 16
The gate Shallecheth - The gate of the projections: probably that through which all the offal of the temple was carried out.
Verse 17
Eastward were six Levites - It is supposed that there were more guards set at this eastern gate, because it was more frequented than the others. At each of the other gates were only four; at this, six.
Verse 20
The treasures of the house of God - Where the money was kept, which was to be expended in oblations for the temple. - Jarchi.
Verse 24
Shebuel the son of Gershom - "Shebuel, that is, Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, who returned to God [שבואל shebuel]. And David, seeing him expert in money matters, constituted him chief treasurer." - T.
Verse 27
The spoils won in battles did they dedicate - It seems these were intended for its repairs. This custom prevailed amongst almost all the people of the earth. All who acknowledged any supreme Being, believed that victory could only come through him; and therefore thought it quite rational to give him a share of the spoils. Proofs of this exist in all ancient histories: thus Virgil: -
Irruimus ferro, et divos, ipsumque vocamus
In partem praedamque Jovem.
Aen. iii., ver. 222. "With weapons we the welcome prey invade:
Then call the gods for partners of our feast,
And Jove himself, the chief invited guest."
Dryden.
On this passage Servius observes:
Ipsum vocamus. Ipsum regem deorum, cui de praeda debetur aliquid: nam Romanis moris fuit, ut bella gessuri de parte praedae aliquid numinibus pollicerentur: adeo ut Romae fuerit unum templum Jovis Praedatoris: non quod praedae praeest, sed quod ei ex praeda aliquid debeatur. "Jupiter himself, the king of the gods, to whom a portion of the prey was due: for it was a custom among the Romans, when entering on a war, to promise some part of the prey to their deities. And there was a temple at Rome dedicated to Jupiter Praedator, not because he presided over the prey, but because a part of the prey was due to him."
Verse 29
Outward business - Work done without the city; cutting of timber, hewing stones, ploughing the fields belonging to the sanctuary. - Jarchi.
Verse 30
In all the business of the Lord - Every thing that concerned ecclesiastical matters.
In the service of the king - Every thing that concerned civil affairs: see also [1Chr 26:32].
Thus courts of ecclesiastical and civil judicature were established in the land; and due care taken to preserve and insure the peace of the Church, and the safety of the state; without which the public welfare could neither be secured nor promoted. Whatever affects religion in any country, must affect the state or government of that country: true religion alone can dispose men to civil obedience. Therefore, it is the interest of every state to protect and encourage religion. It would certainly be ruinous to true religion, to make the state dependent on the Church; nor should the Church be dependent on the state. Let them mutually support each other; and let the state rule by the laws, and the Church live by the Bible.
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.
Verse 2
First course for the first month - Instead of mentioning first, second, third, etc., month, the Targum names them thus: First month, Nisan; second, Aiyar; third, Sivan; fourth, Tammuz; fifth, Ab; sixth, Elul; seventh, Tishri; eighth, Marchesvan; ninth, Cisleu; tenth, Tebeth; eleventh, Shebat; twelfth, Adar. No mention is made of a veadar or intercalary month.
Verse 5
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, a chief priest - Why should not this clause be read as it is in the Hebrew? "Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, a captain; and in his course," etc. Or, as the Targum has it, "The third captain of the host for the month Sivan was Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, who was constituted a chief." He is distinguished from Benaiah, the Pirathonite, who was over the eleventh month. Some think that the original word הכהן haccohen, which generally signifies priest, should be translated here a principal officer; so the margin has it. But, in the Old Testament, כהן cohen signifies both prince and priest; and translating it by the former removes the difficulty from this place, for we well know that Benaiah never was a priest.
Verse 7
Asahel the brother of Joab - This verse proves that the division and arrangement mentioned above were made before David was acknowledged king in Hebron; for Asahel, the brother of Joab, who was fourth captain, was slain by Abner, while Ishbosheth reigned over Israel at Mahanaim, [2Sam 2:19-23].
Verse 16
Over the tribes of Israel - In this enumeration there is no mention of the tribes of Asher and Gad. Probably the account of these has been lost from this register. These rulers appear to have been all honorary men, without pay, like the lords lieutenants of our counties.
Verse 24
Neither was the number put in the account - Joab did not return the whole number; probably the plague began before he had finished: or, he did not choose to give it in, as he had entered on this work with extreme reluctance; and he did not choose to tell the king how numerous they were.