These verses return to the scene at Hebron when David was anointed king (1 Chronicles 11:1–3) and before he made Jerusalem his capital (1 Chronicles 11:4–9). They present evidence of the wholehearted support for David from every part of the nation by the tribal warriors, and especially at a time when there was still uncertainty in the north following Saul’s death. This gathering together of fighting men with their numbers complements the preceding list of troops who had already joined David after the death of Saul. What was once a trickle in the early days of David now becomes an overwhelming flood of support of armed men who are at his disposal, from Simeon in the south to Dan in the far north (1 Chronicles 12:25, 1 Chronicles 12:35). This list is another example of sources uniquely available to the Chronicler since no parallel exists in either the books of Samuel or Kings.
Taken at face value, the numbers of the men from the various tribes do appear to be very high. This has led commentators to speculate as to possible explanations, which will be touched on briefly.
The Hebrew word translated
thousand
may be a technical term referring to a military unit of considerably smaller size. In that case, 1 Chronicles 12:24 would read,men of Judah, carrying shield and spear, six units with eight hundred armed for war.
Alternatively, the Hebrew consonants translated
thousand
can also be read with other vowels (emended) to meanchiefs.
Thus, 1 Chronicles 12:24 would readsix chiefs with eight hundred armed for war.
Finally, the numbers could be figurative in nature in order to praise David’s forces (see 1 Chronicles 12:22).1 Hyperbole (exaggeration of numbers) cannot be ruled out (1 Chronicles 5:21, 1 Chronicles 22:14), but this does seem unlikely here.2
When we bear in mind the Chronicler’s use of army/camp of God
(1 Chronicles 12:22), the large figures may be hinting that there was something supernatural about it. Israel’s armies are the armies of the living God
(1 Samuel 17:26, 1 Samuel 17:36). The large numbers indicate the vastness of David’s army compared with the few who joined him earlier, and those most eager to join him are those who are furthest away.
William Barnes tallies the number of troops from north and south and emphasizes the huge difference between the two: Judah, Simeon, Levi, and Benjamin taken together amount to 25,200 warriors, and those of Zebulun, Naphtali, Dan, and Asher amount to 155,600.3 If Ephraim, Manasseh, Reuben, and Gad are added, the total for northern troops comes to 315,600, which is astonishing, since the northern tribes were mostly loyal to Saul (1 Chronicles 12:29, 1 Chronicles 12:31, 1 Chronicles 12:33). The total for north and south combined comes to 340,800. Yet compared to the numbers given in 2 Samuel 24:9 (800,000 valiant men in Israel who drew the sword),4 David’s army is relatively small. The conclusion may well be drawn that the high numbers are primarily theological and provide another example of the Chronicler’s all-Israel agenda.5
In addition, the significant difference in the tally of the northern tribes compared with the low numbers of especially Judah and Benjamin has been taken as evidence for the authenticity of the list. The Chronicler would naturally want to enhance the claims made for the southern tribes. Their low numbers, therefore, reflect a scrupulous honesty in recording the way it really was.6
The tribes are mentioned in order from south to north. Because of the Chronicler’s special interest in Judah, Levi, and Benjamin, they are mentioned first with the most southerly tribe Simeon, closely associated with Judah. What is striking are the figures for the most northerly tribes and the Transjordan. The low number of Benjaminites is probably due to protracted loyalty to Saul’s family (1 Chronicles 12:29). Though Dan is absent from the genealogies in 1 Chronicles 2:1–8:40, they are well represented on this occasion. The Chronicler is emphasizing that David had overwhelming military support even from the most distant parts of Israel.
23 These are the numbers of the divisions of the armed troops who came to David in Hebron to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him, according to the word of the LORD.