2 Chronicles 17:14

(14) And these . . . their fathers.—And this is their muster (or census), according to their father-houses (clans), 1Ch_24:3. The warriors were marshalled in the army according to clans, so that men of the same stock fought side by side with their kindred. Perhaps in the original document this heading was followed by a much more detailed scheme of names and divisions than that which the text presents.

Of Judah.—To Judah (belonged) captains of thousands, viz., the three enumerated in 2Ch_17:14-16 : Adnah, Jehohanan, and Amasiah. They were the principal officers, or generals, of the entire forces of Judah.

Adnah the chief—To wit, the captain Adnah. That Adnah was commander-in-chief is implied by his being named first, and his corps being the largest.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ch 17:14 And these [are] the numbers of them according to the house of their fathers: Of Judah, the captains of thousands; Adnah the chief, and with him mighty men of valour three hundred thousand.

Ver. 14. Three hundred thousand.] These were under his command and at hand, to come whensoever the king would.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Hebrew, in his hand.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

HIS GREATNESS, CAPTAINS, AND ARMIES. (Ch2 17:12-19)

these are the numbers--The warriors were arranged in the army according to their fathers houses. The army of Jehoshaphat, commanded by five great generals and consisting of five unequal divisions, comprised one million one hundred and sixty thousand men, without including those who garrisoned the fortresses. No monarch, since the time of Solomon, equalled Jehoshaphat in the extent of his revenue, in the strength of his fortifications, and in the number of his troops.

Next: 2 Chronicles Chapter 18

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 14. Adnah, the chief] He was generalissimo of all this host. These are the numbers of the five battalions: under Adnah, three hundred thousand; Jehohanan, two hundred and eighty thousand, Amasiah, two hundred thousand; Eliada, two hundred thousand; Jehozabad, one hundred and eighty thousand; in all, one million one hundred and sixty thousand.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

14. these are the numbers of them] R.V. this was the numbering of them.

the house of their fathers] R.V. their fathers’ houses.

Adnah the chief] R.V. Adnah the captain; cp. 2Ch_17:15, Jehohanan the captain.

14–19 (no parallel in 1 Kin.). The Number of Jehoshaphat’s Army

The numbers here given, if they are to be literally understood, must be pronounced impossibly high, especially since they are represented as exclusive of the garrisons in Judah, and perhaps as representing the forces stationed in Jerusalem itself (2Ch_17:13). Cp. note on 2Ch_14:8.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And these are the numbers of them, according to the house of their fathers,.... Both of the tribe of Judah and of Benjamin: and first

of Judah, the captains of thousands; some had 1000 men under them, and some one hundred:

Adnah the chief; he was the principal commander or general of them:

and with him mighty men of valour, three hundred thousand; such a number was under his command.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The captains of thousands; Adnah the chief - literally, “princes of thousands, Adnah the prince.” The writer does not mean that Adnah (or Johohanan, 2Ch 17:15) was in any way superior to the other “princes,” but only that he was one of them.

Three hundred thousand - This number. and those which follow in 2Ch 17:15-18, have been with good reason regarded as corrupt by most critics. For:

(1) They imply a minimum population of 1,480 to the square mile, which is more than three times greater than that of any country in the known world (circa 1880’s).

(2) they produce a total just double that of the next largest estimate of the military force of Judah, the 580, 000 of 2Ch 14:8.

(3) they are professedly a statement, not of the whole military force, but of the force maintained at Jerusalem (2Ch 17:13; compare 2Ch 17:19).

It is probable that the original numbers have been lost, and that the loss was suppplied by a scribe, who took 2Ch 14:8 as his basis.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

CHAPTER XVII.

Ednas was the chief of the five generals, who had under their command 1,160,000, (C.) besides the garrison soldiers, v. 19. H. --- So great power and riches had not been seen in Juda since the days of Solomon. C. --- They were not all on duty at the same time, but were able to bear arms (M.) when called out.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

14. Three hundred thousand — The numbers in this verse and the four verses following are generally regarded as corrupt. “They imply,” observes the writer last quoted, “a minimum population of 1480 to the square mile, which is more than three times greater than that of any country in the known world. It is probable that the original numbers have been lost, and the loss supplied by a scribe who took 2Ch_14:8, as his basis.”

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

This verse, with the following four, gives us the names of five captains, chiefs, princes, or military officers for the kingdom"s service, with the numbers of the troops they severally commanded. The numbers of them (see note under; (1Ch_23:11) Hebrew, The better English rendering to carry at once the signification would be, The muster of them, etc. The captains the chief, In both cases the Hebrew is the familiar word for" prince" (rc); in the former without article, in the latter with article. The numbers of this and following four verses are not only absolutely unreliable, but in themselves impossible. According to the house of their fathers; i.e. the quotation is drawn from an army catalogue, arranged carefully by fathers" houses. (Num_1:18, Num_1:22, etc.)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

three hundred thousand

(See Scofield "1Co 10:8").

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

These were their divisions listed by the name of their fathers' houses

This can be stated in active form. AT: "The divisions by the name of their fathers' houses were as follows" (See: Active or Passive)

the commanders of thousands

The phrase "commander of thousands" is probably an official title for a military officer. Possible meanings are 1) the word "thousands" represent the exact amount of soldiers that these commanders led. AT: "the commanders of 1,000 soldiers" or 2) the word translated as "thousands" does not represent an exact number, but is the name of a large military division. AT: "the commanders of large military divisions" (See: Numbers)

Adnah ... Jehohanan ... Amasiah son of Zichri

(See: How to Translate Names)

300,000 ... 280,000 ... 200,000

"three hundred thousand ... two hundred and eighty thousand ... two hundred thousand" (See: Numbers)

translationWords

ancestor

house

commander

servant

Yahweh

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.