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Military Commanders and Divisions

27 This is the list of Israelite generals and captains,[a] and their officers, who served the king by supervising the army divisions that were on duty each month of the year. Each division served for one month and had 24,000 troops.

Jashobeam son of Zabdiel was commander of the first division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the first month. He was a descendant of Perez and was in charge of all the army officers for the first month.

Dodai, a descendant of Ahoah, was commander of the second division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the second month. Mikloth was his chief officer.

Benaiah son of Jehoiada the priest was commander of the third division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the third month. This was the Benaiah who commanded David’s elite military group known as the Thirty. His son Ammizabad was his chief officer.

Asahel, the brother of Joab, was commander of the fourth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the fourth month. Asahel was succeeded by his son Zebadiah.

Shammah[b] the Izrahite was commander of the fifth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the fifth month.

Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa was commander of the sixth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the sixth month.

10 Helez, a descendant of Ephraim from Pelon, was commander of the seventh division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the seventh month.

11 Sibbecai, a descendant of Zerah from Hushah, was commander of the eighth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the eighth month.

12 Abiezer from Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin was commander of the ninth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the ninth month.

13 Maharai, a descendant of Zerah from Netophah, was commander of the tenth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the tenth month.

14 Benaiah from Pirathon in Ephraim was commander of the eleventh division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the eleventh month.

15 Heled,[c] a descendant of Othniel from Netophah, was commander of the twelfth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the twelfth month.

Leaders of the Tribes

16 The following were the tribes of Israel and their leaders:

TribeLeader
ReubenEliezer son of Zicri
SimeonShephatiah son of Maacah
17 LeviHashabiah son of Kemuel
Aaron (the priests)Zadok
18 JudahElihu (a brother of David)
IssacharOmri son of Michael
19 ZebulunIshmaiah son of Obadiah
NaphtaliJeremoth son of Azriel
20 EphraimHoshea son of Azaziah
Manasseh (west)Joel son of Pedaiah
21 Manasseh in Gilead (east)Iddo son of Zechariah
BenjaminJaasiel son of Abner
22 DanAzarel son of Jeroham

These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel.

23 When David took his census, he did not count those who were younger than twenty years of age, because the Lord had promised to make the Israelites as numerous as the stars in heaven. 24 Joab son of Zeruiah began the census but never finished it because[d] the anger of God fell on Israel. The total number was never recorded in King David’s official records.

Officials of David’s Kingdom

25 Azmaveth son of Adiel was in charge of the palace treasuries.

Jonathan son of Uzziah was in charge of the regional treasuries throughout the towns, villages, and fortresses of Israel.

26 Ezri son of Kelub was in charge of the field workers who farmed the king’s lands.

27 Shimei from Ramah was in charge of the king’s vineyards.

Zabdi from Shepham was responsible for the grapes and the supplies of wine.

28 Baal-hanan from Geder was in charge of the king’s olive groves and sycamore-fig trees in the foothills of Judah.[e]

Joash was responsible for the supplies of olive oil.

29 Shitrai from Sharon was in charge of the cattle on the Sharon Plain.

Shaphat son of Adlai was responsible for the cattle in the valleys.

30 Obil the Ishmaelite was in charge of the camels.

Jehdeiah from Meronoth was in charge of the donkeys.

31 Jaziz the Hagrite was in charge of the king’s flocks of sheep and goats.

All these officials were overseers of King David’s property.

32 Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a wise counselor to the king, a man of great insight, and a scribe. Jehiel the Hacmonite was responsible for teaching the king’s sons. 33 Ahithophel was the royal adviser. Hushai the Arkite was the king’s friend. 34 Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada son of Benaiah and by Abiathar. Joab was commander of the king’s army.

Footnotes

  1. 27:1 Hebrew commanders of thousands and of hundreds.
  2. 27:8 Hebrew Shamhuth, a variant spelling of Shammah; compare 11:27 and 2 Sam 23:25.
  3. 27:15 Hebrew Heldai, a variant spelling of Heled; compare 11:30 and 2 Sam 23:29.
  4. 27:24 Or never finished it, and yet.
  5. 27:28 Hebrew the Shephelah.

Military Divisions

27 And as for the number of the Israelites,[a] the heads of families,[b] the commanders of thousands and hundreds, and their officials who serve the king in all matters of the working groups that came and went, month by month, throughout all the months of the year, each working group: twenty-four thousand.

Over the first working group for the first month: Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel. And he was over his working group of twenty-four thousand. From the sons of Perez who was the chief of the commanders of the armies for the first month. And over the working groups of the second month: Dodai the Ahohite and his working group, and Mikloth the commander. And he was over his working group of twenty-four thousand. The third commander of the army for the third month was Benaiah son of Jehoiada the chief priest. And he was over his working group of twenty-four thousand. This was Benaiah who was a mighty warrior of thirty, and over the thirty and his working group was Ammizabad his son. The fourth, for the fourth month, was Asahel the brother of Joab and his son Zebadiah after him. And he was over his working group of twenty-four thousand. The fifth, for the fifth month, the commander was Shamhuth the Izrahite. And he was over his working group of twenty-four thousand. The sixth, for the sixth month, was Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite. And he was over his working group of twenty-four thousand. 10 The seventh, for the seventh month, was Helez the Pelonite, from the sons of Ephraim. And he was over his working group of twenty-four thousand. 11 The eighth, for the eighth month, was Sibbecai the Hushathite of the Zerahites. And he was over his working group of twenty-four thousand. 12 The ninth, for the ninth month, was Abiezer the Anathothite of the Benjamites. And he was over his working group of twenty-four thousand. 13 The tenth, for the tenth month, was Maharai the Netophathite of the Zerahites. And he was over his working group of twenty-four thousand. 14 The eleventh, for the eleventh month, was Benaiah the Pirathonite from the sons of Ephraim. And he was over his working group of twenty-four thousand. 15 The twelfth, for the twelfth month, was Heldai the Netophathite, of Othniel. And he was over his working group of twenty-four thousand.

Leaders of the Tribes and Other High Ranking Officials

16 And over the tribes of Israel, for the Reubenites: the commander was Eliezer the son of Zikri. For the Simeonites: Shephatiah the son of Maacah. 17 For Levi: Hashabiah the son of Kemuel. For Aaron, Zadok. 18 For Judah: Elihu, from the brothers of David. For Issachar: Omri the son of Michael. 19 For Zebulun: Ishmaiah the son of Obadiah. For Naphtali: Jerimoth the son of Azriel. 20 For the Ephraimites: Hoshea the son of Azaziah. For the half-tribe of Manasseh: Joel the son of Pedaiah. 21 For the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead: Iddo the son of Zechariah. For Benjamin: Jaasiel son of Abner. 22 For Dan: Azarel the son of Jeroham. These were the commanders of the tribes of Israel. 23 And David did not take a census of those twenty years old or under[c] because Yahweh promised[d] to make Israel more numerous than the stars of heaven. 24 Joab the son of Zeruiah began to count, but he did not finish. But wrath came upon Israel concerning this, and the number was not included in the chronicles[e] of King David.

25 And over the treasury rooms of the king was Azmaveth the son of Adiel. And over the treasuries in the country, in the cities, in the unwalled villages, and in the towers was Jonathan the son of Uzziah. 26 And over those who did the work in the field to till the soil was Ezri the son of Kelub. 27 And over the vineyards was Shemei the Ramathite. And over the produce in the vineyards for the storehouses of the wine was Zabdi the Shiphmite. 28 And over the olive trees and the sycamore trees that were in the Shephelah was Baal-Hanan the Gederite. And over the treasury houses of olive oil was Joash. 29 And over the cattle pastured in the Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite. And over the cattle in the valley was Shaphat the son of Adlai. 30 And over the camels was Obil the Ishmaelite. And over the female donkeys was Jehdeiah the Meronothite.[f] And over the sheep was Jaziz the Hagrite. 31 All of these were officials of the property of King David.

32 And Jehonathan the uncle of David was an adviser, a man of insight, and he was a scribe. And Jehiel the son of Hachmoni was with the sons of the king. 33 And Ahithophel was an adviser to the king, and Hushai the Arkite was a friend of the king.

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

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 27:1 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  2. 1 Chronicles 27:1 Literally “fathers”
  3. 1 Chronicles 27:23 Literally “take up their count from a son of twenty years and to less”
  4. 1 Chronicles 27:23 Or “said”
  5. 1 Chronicles 27:24 Literally “in the numbering of the words of the days”
  6. 1 Chronicles 27:30 1 Chronicles 27:31 begins here in the Hebrew Bible