Now the children of Israel after their number, [to wit], the chief fathers and captains of thousands and 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.
Ver. 1. Now the children of Israel, &c.] David having in the four foregoing Chapter s taken order for the better settling of the sincere service of God in the temple that was to be built for his name; and so sought God's kingdom in the first place; prudently proceedeth here, before his death, to settle the militia of the kingdom. He well remembered, that himself was no sooner made king, but the Philistines came up to seek him. 2Sa 5:17 The like whereunto he knew might befall his son Solomon. And although he doubted not of the faithfulness of God's promises, yet knowing that his providence must also be served, and all good means used, he appointed twelve legions to be ever in readiness to serve upon all occasions for the security of the kingdom; each legion, consisting of twenty-four thousand valiant and expert soldiers, was to wait a month, and then to be relieved and succeeded by another, the whole year about. Thus the ancient Romans had many legions ever in arms; whence that answer of a certain philosopher to Adrian the emperor, who dared him to dispute, It is hard for a man to do his best against such an adversary as commanded thirty legions. The Chinese are said to have always a hundred thousand soldiers ready pressed for any service; but David had two hundred eighty and eight thousand.