Now the children of Israel according to their number, the heads of the fathers' houses and captains of thousands and hundreds, and their officers that served the king in any matter of the divisions, who came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year, of every division were twenty and four thousand.
Read Chapter 27
Douay Rheims 1609
AD 1609
Abram, this is (c) Abraham.
(c) For Mystery sake God changed his name to Abraham. (Gen. 17)
Now. This list is entirely of a political nature. It seems to have been made before David had obtained the throne of Israel, (ver. 7.) though perhaps the monthly division did not comprise 24,000, before that time. This regulation was very excellent, and enabled the king to have an army of 300,000 men, at a short notice. It was not attended with any material inconvenience to the people, as none were on service above a month.
Hands. Commanders in chief.
Captains. Twenty-four in number, with 240 centurions under them.
Officers. Hebrew shot rim. Septuagint, "scribes "whose employment is not well ascertained. They perhaps acted as commissaries, or kept an account of the king's troops, and reviewed them. (Calmet)
Septuagint, "and scribes serving the people, and the king's orders respecting the divisions, both coming in and going out, monthly, throughout the year. One division comprised 24,000 men.
