1 Chronicles 12:33 - Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

Bible Comments

Expert in war... Marshalling (or ordering) battle with all kinds of weapons of war, and falling into rank (la’adôr, forming in line) without a double heart. The expression “falling into rank” occurs only here and in 1 Chronicles 12:38. Nine MSS. read instead “ helping “ (la’zôr), and the LXX. and Vulg. so translate. The Syriac has “to make war with those who disputed the sovranty of David.” The phrase “falling into rank without a heart and a heart,” asserts the unwavering fidelity and resolute courage of these warriors of Zebulun (comp. Psalms 12:3, “a speech of smooth things with heart and heart they speak”; they think one thing and say another; are double-minded). The number of warriors assigned to Zebulun and Naphtali has been thought surprising, because these tribes “never played an important part in the history of Israel” (comp., however, Judges 5:18). The numbers here given are, at all events, not discordant with those of Numbers 1:31; Numbers 1:43; Numbers 26:27; Numbers 26:50.

1 Chronicles 12:33

33 Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expertk in war, with all instruments of war, fifty thousand, which could keep rank: they were not of double heart.