=24.= _six thousand and eight hundred_] Contrast the numbers assigned to the northern tribes in verses 33 ff. It may be the idea of the Chronicler that the unanimous support of the southern tribes could be assumed, and that only chosen representatives of these tribes attended. But much more probably the multitudes of Zebulun (verse 33), etc. are simply due to his desire to magnify the share taken by the north, whilst the problem of the numerical contrast with Judah, etc. did not present itself to him as it does to us. ²⁵Of the children of Simeon, mighty men of valour for the war, seven thousand and one hundred. ²⁶Of the children of Levi four thousand and six hundred. =25.= _Simeon_] The most southerly of the tribes (iv. 24‒31). The tribes are mentioned in order from south to north. ²⁷And Jehoiada was the leader of _the house of_ Aaron, and with him were three thousand and seven hundred; =27.= _of_ the house of _Aaron_] Jehoiada was not high-priest, but leader of the warriors of the house of Aaron. He may be the same person as the father of Benaiah (xi. 22). Leader (Hebrew _nagīd_) is the title given to the “Ruler” of the Temple (ix. 11). ²⁸and Zadok, a young man mighty of valour, and of his father’s house twenty and two captains. =28.= _Zadok_] In xxvii. 17 he seems to occupy the position assigned to Jehoiada in verse 27. Perhaps he succeeded him. ²⁹And of the children of Benjamin, the brethren of Saul, three thousand: for hitherto the greatest part of them had kept¹ their allegiance to the house of Saul. ³⁰And of the children of Ephraim twenty thousand and eight hundred, mighty men of valour, famous men in their fathers’ houses. ¹ Hebrew _kept the charge of the house_. =29.= _hitherto_] i.e. up to the time referred to in 2 Samuel v. 1. ³¹And of the half tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, which were expressed by name, to come and make David king. =31.= _which were expressed by name_] Suggesting that a census list was kept, recording however not necessarily individuals but simply households. The phrase does not mean picked representatives. Note how the Chronicler skilfully lightens his statistics by some descriptive phrase: so also in verses 32 ff. ³²And of the children of Issachar, men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment. =32.= _that had understanding of the times_] Compare Esther i. 13, “which knew the times.” “Times” are “opportunities,” “vicissitudes” (compare xxix. 30), “experiences,” good or bad (compare Psalms xxxi. 15). The phrase means, therefore, “men of experience, having knowledge of the world.” Some suppose that the phrase refers to astrological skill (knowledge of auspicious “times and seasons”).