2 Chronicles 13:3 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Even four hundred thousand chosen men— Houbigant thinks the numbers right in this and the 17th verse. Dr. Kennicott observes upon them as follows: "It is probable, that the Hebrew numbers may have been anciently expressed by marks, analogous to our common figures; for, indeed, several numbers seem greatly corrupted from the addition or subtraction of a cypher; and the numbers of this very passage, instead of 400,000, and 800,000, and 500,000, were probably at first 40,000, 80,000 and 50,000. On a particular examination of the Latin or Vulgate version, it appears that the number of chosen men here slain, which the Vulgate of Clement's edition in 1592 determines to be 500,000, the Vulgate of Sextus, printed two years before, determined to be only 50,000; and the two preceding numbers in the edition of Sextus are 40,000, and 80,000, and that of Clement 400,000 and 800,000. As to different printed editions, out of fifty-two different editions from the year 1462 to 1592, thirty-one contained the lesser number: and out of fifty-one manuscript copies, twenty-three in the Bodleian library, four in the library of Dean Aldrich, and two in that of Exeter College, contain the less number, or else are corrupted irregularly, varying only one or two numbers." Dissert. vol. i. p. 532. vol. ii. 197-221-564.