It is in keeping with the plan and spirit of the Chronicler that he should not fail to ascribe to David, who for all his piety was preeminently the warrior-king, the organisation on an immense scale of the military and civil forces of the land. In monthly “courses” the king is here said to be attended by officers and soldiers totalling 288, 000 men! The enumeration of David’s “mighty men” in chapter xi. 10 ff. is an utterly insufficient reason for supposing that the present chapter cannot also come from the Chronicler. It is suitable to his narrative, characteristic of his style, and, if further evidence be needed, it may be found in the tone of the references to the civil and military authorities in xxii. 17; xxiii. 2; xxviii. 1 ff., 21; xxix. 6 ff. ¹Now the children of Israel after their number, _to wit_, the heads of fathers’ _houses_ and the captains of thousands and of 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. =1.= _came in and went out_] Came on duty and went off duty; compare 2 Chronicles xxiii. 8. ²Over the first course for the first month was Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel: and in his course were twenty and four thousand. =2.= _Jashobeam_] Compare xi. 11, note. ³_He was_ of the children of Perez, the chief of all the captains of the host for the first month. =3.= _Perez_] For Perez, see ii. 4, 5. ⁴And over the course of the second month was Dodai the Ahohite, and his course; and Mikloth the ruler: and in his course were twenty and four thousand. =4.= _Dodai the Ahohite_] Read probably (compare xi. 12), “Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite.” _and his course; and Mikloth the ruler_] The words are corrupt and are omitted in the LXX. The original text is quite uncertain. A Benjamite called Mikloth is mentioned in viii. 32. ⁵The third captain of the host for the third month was Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada the priest¹, chief: and in his course were twenty and four thousand. ¹ Or, _chief minister_ See 2 Samuel viii. 18. =5.= _Benaiah_] Compare xi. 22 ff., xviii. 17. _Jehoiada the priest, chief_] “chief” refers to Benaiah. ⁶This is that Benaiah, who was the mighty man of the thirty, and over the thirty: and _of_ his course was Ammizabad his son. =6.= _the mighty man of the thirty, and over the thirty_] Compare xi. 25. 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. =7.= _Asahel_] compare xi. 26, note. ⁸The fifth captain for the fifth month was Shamhuth the Izrahite: and in his course were twenty and four thousand. =8.= _Shamhuth the Izrahite_] Perhaps to be identified with “Shammoth the Harorite” of xi. 27; see note there.