The Histories · Old Testament

1 Chronicles 27

1 Chronicles 27: the monthly courses, tribal princes and the king's stewards

General context

The chapter lists the captains of twelve courses that served the king month by month, each of 24,000 men: Jashobeam for the first month, Dodai with Mikloth for the second, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada for the third, with the note that this is the Benaiah "mighty among the thirty, and above the thirty", Asahel the brother of Joab "and Zebadiah his son after him" for the fourth, and so on through Heldai for the twelfth. The princes of the tribes follow, from Eliezer over Reuben to Azareel over Dan, including Zadok for the Aaronites and "Elihu, one of the brethren of David" for Judah. The narrator adds that David did not count those twenty and under, "because the Lord had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of the heavens", and that Joab began to number but did not finish, "because there fell wrath for it against Israel", so the number was not put in the chronicles of king David. Stewards are named over the king's treasures, storehouses, field work, vineyards, wine cellars, olive and sycomore trees, oil, herds in Sharon and the valleys, camels, asses and flocks. Finally the inner circle: Jonathan, David's uncle, a counsellor and scribe; Jehiel with the king's sons; Ahithophel the counsellor; Hushai the Archite the king's companion; after Ahithophel, Jehoiada and Abiathar; and Joab as general.

Cited passages: 1 Chronicles 27:1, 1 Chronicles 27:2, 1 Chronicles 27:4, 1 Chronicles 27:6, 1 Chronicles 27:7, 1 Chronicles 27:15, 1 Chronicles 27:16, 1 Chronicles 27:17, 1 Chronicles 27:18, 1 Chronicles 27:22, 1 Chronicles 27:23, 1 Chronicles 27:24, 1 Chronicles 27:25, 1 Chronicles 27:27, 1 Chronicles 27:30, 1 Chronicles 27:31, 1 Chronicles 27:32, 1 Chronicles 27:33, 1 Chronicles 27:34

1 Chronicles 27 (KJV)

¹Now 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.

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

³Of the children of Perez was the chief of all the captains of the host for the first month.

⁴And over the course of the second month was Dodai an Ahohite, and of his course was Mikloth also the ruler: in his course likewise were twenty and four thousand.

⁵The third captain of the host for the third month was Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, a chief priest: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.

⁶This is that Benaiah, who was mighty among the thirty, and above the thirty: and in his course was Ammizabad his son.

⁷The fourth captain for the fourth month was Asahel the brother of Joab, and Zebadiah his son after him: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.

⁸The fifth captain for the fifth month was Shamhuth the Izrahite: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.

⁹The sixth captain for the sixth month was Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.

¹⁰The seventh captain for the seventh month was Helez the Pelonite, of the children of Ephraim: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.

¹¹The eighth captain for the eighth month was Sibbecai the Hushathite, of the Zarhites: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.

¹²The ninth captain for the ninth month was Abi-ezer the Anetothite, of the Benjamites: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.

¹³The tenth captain for the tenth month was Maharai the Netophathite, of the Zarhites: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.

¹⁴The eleventh captain for the eleventh month was Benaiah the Pirathonite, of the children of Ephraim: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.

¹⁵The twelfth captain for the twelfth month was Heldai the Netophathite, of Othniel: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.

¹⁶Furthermore over the tribes of Israel: the ruler of the Reubenites was Eliezer the son of Zichri: of the Simeonites, Shephatiah the son of Maachah:

¹⁷Of the Levites, Hashabiah the son of Kemuel: of the Aaronites, Zadok:

¹⁸Of Judah, Elihu, one of the brethren of David: of Issachar, Omri the son of Michael:

¹⁹Of Zebulun, Ishmaiah the son of Obadiah: of Naphtali, Jerimoth the son of Azriel:

²⁰Of the children of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Azaziah: of the half tribe of Manasseh, Joel the son of Pedaiah:

²¹Of the half tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo the son of Zechariah: of Benjamin, Jaasiel the son of Abner:

²²Of Dan, Azareel the son of Jeroham. These were the princes of the tribes of Israel.

²³But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under: because the Lord had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of the heavens.

²⁴Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but he finished not, because there fell wrath for it against Israel; neither was the number put in the account of the chronicles of king David.

²⁵And over the king’s treasures was Azmaveth the son of Adiel: and over the storehouses in the fields, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the castles, was Jehonathan the son of Uzziah:

²⁶And over them that did the work of the field for tillage of the ground was Ezri the son of Chelub:

²⁷And over the vineyards was Shimei the Ramathite: over the increase of the vineyards for the wine cellars was Zabdi the Shiphmite:

²⁸And over the olive trees and the sycomore trees that were in the low plains was Baal-hanan the Gederite: and over the cellars of oil was Joash:

²⁹And over the herds that fed in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite: and over the herds that were in the valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai:

³⁰Over the camels also was Obil the Ishmaelite: and over the asses was Jehdeiah the Meronothite:

³¹And over the flocks was Jaziz the Hagerite. All these were the rulers of the substance which was king David’s.

³²Also Jonathan David’s uncle was a counsellor, a wise man, and a scribe: and Jehiel the son of Hachmoni was with the king’s sons:

³³And Ahithophel was the king’s counsellor: and Hushai the Archite was the king’s companion:

³⁴And after Ahithophel was Jehoiada the son of Benaiah, and Abiathar: and the general of the king’s army was Joab.

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Historical context

Many captains here also appear in the roll of chapter 11. The KJV calls Benaiah the son of Jehoiada "a chief priest" in verse 5; the text gives no other hint of a priestly role for him, and the wording is simply reported. Asahel's course passes to his son "after him" without explanation, and Chronicles never tells of Asahel's death. Judah's prince Elihu is called one of David's brethren, though chapter 2 listed Jesse's sons without an Elihu; the text does not reconcile the names. The tribal list omits Gad and Asher and includes both halves of Manasseh. The census note looks back to chapter 21, attributing the unfinished count to "wrath", and states that the figure was kept out of "the chronicles of king David", although chapter 21 reported totals. Two stewards are foreigners, Obil the Ishmaelite and Jaziz the Hagerite, the latter from a people the eastern tribes fought in chapter 5. Ahithophel and Hushai are named by office only; the phrase "after Ahithophel" implies a change the book does not narrate.

Cited passages: 1 Chronicles 27:5, 1 Chronicles 27:7, 1 Chronicles 27:18, 1 Chronicles 27:20, 1 Chronicles 27:21, 1 Chronicles 27:24, 1 Chronicles 21:5, 1 Chronicles 27:30, 1 Chronicles 27:31, 1 Chronicles 27:34

Literary context

Four registers make up the chapter: the army by month, the tribes by prince, the estate by steward, and the court by office. The first is the most rhythmic, with "twenty and four thousand" sounded thirteen times, a calendar turned into a roll call. The census note breaks the pattern in the middle, giving a reason from promise, the stars of heaven, and a reason from memory, the wrath of chapter 21, so that the book's own past interrupts its lists. The stewards' section is unusually concrete for Chronicles, vineyards, wine cellars, sycomore trees, camels, and it ends with the summary that all this was the king's. The last verses turn from property to persons and close on Joab, whose name has run through the book since the taking of Jebus. After the temple staff of chapters 23 to 26, this chapter lays out the kingdom that supports the house.

Cited passages: 1 Chronicles 27:9, 1 Chronicles 27:23, 1 Chronicles 27:24, 1 Chronicles 27:28, 1 Chronicles 27:31, 1 Chronicles 27:34

Key moments

Courses month by month (1 Chronicles 27:1). Twelve divisions of 24,000 serve the king in rotation through the year.
Benaiah above the thirty (1 Chronicles 27:6). The third captain is identified as the Benaiah of the mighty men.
Asahel and his son after him (1 Chronicles 27:7). Asahel's course passes to Zebadiah without explanation.
Princes of the tribes (1 Chronicles 27:22). The list of tribal rulers ends with Dan.
Like the stars of heaven (1 Chronicles 27:23). David does not count those under twenty because of the Lord's promise to multiply Israel.
The number left unrecorded (1 Chronicles 27:24). Joab's count is unfinished and kept out of the king's chronicles because of wrath.
Ahithophel and Hushai (1 Chronicles 27:33). The king's counsellor and companion are named among the inner circle.

For reflection

The narrator says the census total was left out of the king's chronicles because of the wrath it brought, yet this book has already printed the numbers. What does it mean to record something and also record that it should not have been kept?