Bible Commentaries

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, ^a which came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year, of every course [were] twenty and four thousand.

(a) Who executed their charge and office, which is meant by coming in and going out.

And over the course of the second month [was] Dodai an Ahohite, and of his course [was] Mikloth also the ^b ruler: in his course likewise [were] twenty and four thousand.

(b) That is, Dodais lieutenant.

Furthermore ^c over the tribes of Israel: the ruler of the Reubenites [was] Eliezer the son of Zichri: of the Simeonites, Shephatiah the son of Maachah:

(c) Meaning besides those twelve captains.

Of the ^d half [tribe] of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo the son of Zechariah: of Benjamin, Jaasiel the son of Abner:

(d) Which is beyond Jordan in respect to Judah, also one captain was over the Reubenites and the Gadites.

Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but he finished not, ^e because there fell wrath for it against Israel; neither was the number put in the account of the ^f chronicles of king David.

(e) The commandment of the king was abominable to Joab, (1 Chronicles 21:6).

(f) The Hebrews make both these books of Chronicles but one, and at this verse make the middle of the book concerning the number of verses.

Also Jonathan David's uncle was a counsellor, a wise man, and a ^g scribe: and Jehiel the son of Hachmoni [was] with the king's ^h sons:

(g) That is, a man learned in the word of God.

(h) To be their schoolmasters and teachers.

And ⁱ after Ahithophel [was] Jehoiada the son of Benaiah, and Abiathar: and the general of the king's army [was] Joab.

(i) After Ahithophel hanged himself, (2 Samuel 17:23), Jehoiada was made counsellor.