1 Chronicles 27

This chapter shows how King David organized his kingdom. It lists twelve army divisions that served one month each, the leaders of the tribes, the managers of the royal farms and herds, and the king’s close advisers. It also recalls the census that brought God’s wrath, and why its total was never recorded.

1 Chronicles 27:1

David set up a citizen army on a monthly rotation. Each month one division of 24,000 men served the king, then went home while the next took over. Twelve months made 288,000 men, and no one was kept in service all year. Leaders of families, thousands and hundreds ran the system.

BSA: divisions (“sections, courses”): The word suggests an ordered schedule of turns, like the courses of priests, so the whole nation shared the duty. served (“ministered to”): Military duty is pictured as service to the king, not just fighting.

Hebrew: מַחְלְקוֹת (machloqot, H4256) — “divisions, shares, orders.” The Hebrew word means something divided into portions. It is also used for the priests’ and Levites’ turns of service, so the army was arranged with the same order.

See also: 1 Chronicles 24:1.

1 Chronicles 27:2-3

The first month’s division was led by Jashobeam, from the line of Perez, a son of Judah. He was also chief over all twelve commanders. Chronicles earlier names him first among David’s mighty men, so the top post went to a proven warrior.

BSA: Jashobeam (“a brave warrior”): His name stands at the head of the list because courage had already been proved in battle.

See also: 1 Chronicles 11:11.

1 Chronicles 27:4

Dodai led the second month’s division, with Mikloth as its leader. Dodai was from Ahoah, a family in Benjamin. His son Eleazar was one of the mighty men. Both names appear here, which suggests a veteran commander and an officer who directly led the men.

See also: 1 Chronicles 11:12.

1 Chronicles 27:5-6

Benaiah, a priest’s son, commanded the third month. He was a famous champion who rose to lead the Thirty, an elite band of warriors. His son Ammizabad ran the division for him. A priestly family here produced a fighter whom God used.

BSA: mighty (“a gibbor, a champion”): The word marks a man known for strength and bravery, a hero of the nation.

Hebrew: גִּבּוֹר (gibbor, H1368) — “mighty man, champion.” It is the usual Hebrew word for a hero or warrior of proven strength. The chapter calls Benaiah this to show why he held such a high post.

See also: 2 Samuel 23:20-23.

1 Chronicles 27:7

The fourth division went to Asahel, Joab’s brother, though Asahel had been killed long before. His son Zebadiah led in his place. His name still stood on the list, and the post passed to his son. The kingdom honored the dead man and kept the arrangement running.

See also: 2 Samuel 2:18-23.

1 Chronicles 27:8-15

Eight more commanders follow, one for each month from the fifth to the twelfth, each with 24,000 men. They come from many towns and tribes: Judah, Ephraim, Benjamin and others. Many are also listed among David’s mighty men. David chose proven men from across the land, not just from his own circle.

BSA: Othniel (“lion of God, a judge of Israel”): Heldai came from the family of Othniel, Israel’s first judge, so a famous line of deliverers reached into David’s day.

See also: 2 Samuel 23:24-39; Judges 3:9.

1 Chronicles 27:16-22

Each tribe had a chief officer. Levi and Aaron’s priestly line are named separately, with Zadok over Aaron’s house, and Manasseh is split into two halves. The list does not name Gad or Asher. In this way every tribe, even the priests, had someone answering to the king.

BSA: Zadok (“meaning righteous, a high priest in Israel”): His name means righteous, and he served as a trusted priest alongside the king. half-tribes (“a division, a part of the whole”): Manasseh lived on both sides of the Jordan, so two leaders served the one tribe.

1 Chronicles 27:23

David left the men of twenty and under out of his count. The reason given is God’s promise to make Israel as many as the stars. Numbering them would seem to measure what only God could finish. The verse points back to the promise to Abraham.

BSA: stars (“celestial bodies, heavenly hosts”): The picture is of a number too great for anyone to count. make (“multiply, increase”): The growth of Israel was God’s work, something he promised to bring about.

See also: Genesis 15:5; Genesis 22:17.

1 Chronicles 27:24

Joab started the census but stopped. God’s wrath fell on Israel because of it, and the total was left out of the king’s official records. David’s count of the people became a sad memory rather than a matter of pride. The full story appears in 1 Chronicles 21.

BSA: wrath (“anger, divine displeasure”): God was displeased, and the people suffered along with the king. census (“registration, counting of people”): The fault lay in the counting itself, which put trust in numbers rather than in God.

Hebrew: קֶצֶף (qetsef, H7110) — “wrath, fury.” This word describes a sharp outburst of anger. It shows that the census was a serious matter before God.

See also: 1 Chronicles 21:1-7; 2 Samuel 24:1-17.

1 Chronicles 27:25

Next the chapter turns to David’s property. Azmaveth looked after the treasures stored in the royal city. Jonathan oversaw the storehouses scattered across the country, in towns, villages and strongholds. A king needs people who guard what has been entrusted to him.

BSA: storehouses (“treasures, depositories”): These were places where the king’s wealth and supplies were kept safe.

1 Chronicles 27:26

Ezri was over the field laborers who worked the soil. The crops fed the court, the army and the household. Plain, steady work on the land stands in the royal record next to the deeds of warriors.

BSA: tilled (“cultivated, worked”): The word speaks of steady, careful labor on the ground, season after season.

1 Chronicles 27:27

Shimei managed the vineyards, and Zabdi managed what came out of them, stored in the wine vats. Two men shared the job, one for growing the vines and one for the harvest and storage. Grapes and wine were a main part of the ancient diet and economy.

BSA: vineyards (“gardens for growing vines and crops”): The word points to cultivated ground where vines were tended and harvested.

1 Chronicles 27:28

Baal-hanan watched over the olive and sycamore trees in the western foothills, and Joash kept the stores of olive oil. Oil was used for food, lamps and anointing. These trees grew in the warm lowlands, a fruitful region for the king’s estate.

BSA: foothills (“lowlands, Shephelah”): The Shephelah is the rolling country between the coast and the hills, good land for olives and figs. sycamore (“fig”): This tree bears a fig-like fruit and grew widely in the lowlands.

See also: 1 Kings 10:27.

1 Chronicles 27:29

Shitrai oversaw the cattle grazing on the plain of Sharon along the coast. Shaphat oversaw the herds in the valleys. David’s herds fed on the lush pastures, and each area had its own manager.

BSA: Sharon (“a plain in Palestine”): Sharon is the broad coastal plain, rich grazing land.

1 Chronicles 27:30-31

Obil the Ishmaelite looked after the camels, Jehdeiah the donkeys, and Jaziz the Hagrite the flocks. Two of the three came from desert peoples who knew animals well. All of them handled the king’s property, which Chronicles lists carefully. Skilled foreigners served in Israel’s royal household.

BSA: camels (“used for riding or carrying loads”): Camels moved goods and people across long, dry distances. flocks (“sheep and goats, or the king’s livestock”): The word covers the whole range of small livestock the king owned.

Hebrew: רְכוּשׁ (rekhush, H7399) — “property, possessions, goods.” The word means what a person has gathered and owns, such as livestock and goods. It shows the whole estate as David’s to manage.

1 Chronicles 27:32

David’s uncle Jonathan advised the king. He is called a man of insight and a scribe, meaning he could read, write and judge matters wisely. Jehiel looked after the king’s sons. Good counsel and care for the king’s children both mattered.

BSA: insight (“understanding, discernment”): His advice came from seeing deeply into matters, not just from rank. counselor (“to advise, give guidance”): A counselor’s job was to guide the king by wise advice.

Hebrew: יוֹעֵץ (yoets, H3289) — “counselor, adviser.” The word describes one who gives advice and plans. Kings in Israel relied on such men to help them decide matters.

1 Chronicles 27:33-34

Ahithophel was the king’s counselor and Hushai his friend. Later Ahithophel sided with Absalom’s revolt, and Hushai’s counsel helped defeat his plans. Jehoiada and Abiathar followed him. Joab remained head of the army. The chapter closes with the people nearest the king, whose loyalty mattered.

BSA: friend (“neighbor, companion”): Hushai was the king’s close companion, someone David could trust personally. succeeded (“followed, came after”): Other men took Ahithophel’s place after his death.

See also: 2 Samuel 15:31-37; 2 Samuel 17:14; 2 Samuel 17:23.