John Gill Commentary 1 Chronicles 27

Now the children of Israel after their number
Not the whole body of the people, but the militia of the nation; for after the account of the division of the priests and Levites into courses, follows an account of the militia of the nation, being divided also into monthly courses; which, though done in the beginning of David's reign, as Kimchi and Jarchi observe, yet is here related; and that it was so soon is clear from the instance of Asahel, who was killed while David was king in Hebron, (1 Chronicles 27:7) to wit,

the chief fathers ;
the chief men in the tribes, the princes of them, not the natural fathers of the soldiers in each course, as a learned man suggests ^F9 : since it can never be thought that such a number sprung from those as made a course of 24,000; for they are distinct from the captains and officers after mentioned, under which the soldiers were; besides, why should they be called "chief fathers?" these, no doubt, were the general officers or princes, under which the captains and inferior officers were:

and captains of thousands and hundreds ;
in the several tribes:

and their officers ;
that were under them:

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 ;

By which it appears that the militia of the kingdom was divided into twelve courses, which served each month by turns; when one went out another came in; by which means the king was well supported and guarded, and had an army at once at command upon any insurrection or war that might arise; and each course serving but one month in a year, it was no great burden upon them, even if they maintained themselves, since they were at leisure, the other eleven months, to attend to their business; and especially if it was, as Jarchi observes, that not the poor but the rich were selected for this service:

of every course were twenty and four thousand ;
so that the twelve courses amounted to 288,000 men.

FOOTNOTES:

• F9: Delaney's Life of King David, vol. 1. p. 319.

The month Nisan, sometimes called Abib, which was March: was Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel; the first and chief of David's worthies, (1 Chronicles 11:11) and in his course were twenty and four thousand; and so in all the following ones; this man was of the posterity of Perez, or Pharez, a son of Judah, and so had the preference and command of all the captains of the army for that month.

Dodai an Ahohite; the same with Dodo, (1 Chronicles 11:12) was over the course of the second month, the month Ziv, sometimes called Jiar, or April; and his lieutenant or successor was Mikloth.

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, a chief priest; or rather a prince, a principal officer, was general of the army for the third month, Sivan, or May; the same was mighty among the thirty, and even above them, for he was among the three mighty, (1 Chronicles 11:22, 1 Chronicles 11:24) and Ammizabad his son succeeded him, or was his deputy, when otherwise employed: though led by our version here, and following the Jewish writers, I have called Benaiah a priest, (See Gill on 1 Kings 2:31), yet I am now rather of opinion that he was not one; for though priests might bear arms on some occasions, yet it is not likely that one should be in a constant military office, and especially general of an army; and besides, this man was of Kabzeel, a city in the tribe of Judah, which is not mentioned among the Levitical cities, see (2 Samuel 23:20, Joshua 15:21).

Asahel the brother of Joab was over the course for the fourth month, Tammuz, or June, and who being slain by Abner, his son Zebadiah succeeded him.

Shamhuth, the same with Shammah, (2 Samuel 23:11) and Shammoth, (1 Chronicles 11:27) was captain for the fifth month, Ab, or July.

Ira the son of Ikkesh, the Tekoite, was over the course of the sixth month, Elul, or August, see (1 Chronicles 11:28).

Helez the Pelonite was captain for the seventh month, Tisri, or September, see (1 Chronicles 11:27).

The captain for the eighth month, Marchesvan, sometimes called Bul, or October, was Sibbecai the Hushathite, of the Zarbites, of the posterity of Zerah, a son of Judah in the line of Hushah, (1 Chronicles 4:4, 11:29).

The captain of the course for the ninth month, Cisleu, or November was Abiezer, of Anethoth, in the tribe of Benjamin, see (1 Chronicles 11:28).

Maharai, of Netophah, in the tribe of Judah, and of the posterity of Zerah, was over the course for the tenth month, Tebet, or December, see (1 Chronicles 11:30).

And the captain for the eleventh month, Sheber, or January, was Benaiah, of Pirathon, in the tribe of Ephraim, see (1 Chronicles 11:31).

And over the course for the twelfth month, Adar, or February, was Heldai the Netophathite, the same with Heled, (1 Chronicles 11:30) and who was of the posterity of Othniel, the first judge in Israel, (Judges 1:13, 3:9).

(See Gill on 1 Chronicles 27:2)

(See Gill on 1 Chronicles 27:2)

(See Gill on 1 Chronicles 27:2)