Army
The Israelites marched out of Egypt in military order (Ex 13:18, “harnessed;” marg., “five in a rank”). Each tribe formed a battalion, with its own banner and leader (Num 2:2; Num 10:14). In war the army was divided into thousands and hundreds under their several captains (Num 31:14), and also into families (Num 2:34; 2 Chr 25:5; 2 Chr 26:12). From the time of their entering the land of Canaan to the time of the kings, the Israelites made little progress in military affairs, although often engaged in warfare. The kings introduced the custom of maintaining a bodyguard (the Gibborim; i.e., “heroes”), and thus the nucleus of a standing army was formed. Saul had an army of 3,000 select warriors (1 Sam 13:2; 1 Sam 14:52; 1 Sam 24:2). David also had a band of soldiers around him (1 Sam 23:13; 1 Sam 25:13). To this band he afterwards added the Cherethites and the Pelethites (2 Sam 15:18; 2 Sam 20:7). At first the army consisted only of infantry (1 Sam 4:10; 1 Sam 15:4), as the use of horses was prohibited (Deut 17:16); but chariots and horses were afterwards added (2 Sam 8:4; 1 Kgs 10:26, 1 Kgs 10:28, 1 Kgs 10:29; 1 Kgs 9:19). In 1 Kgs 9:22 there is given a list of the various gradations of rank held by those who composed the army. The equipment and maintenance of the army were at the public expense (2 Sam 17:28, 2 Sam 17:29; 1 Kgs 4:27; 1 Kgs 10:16, 1 Kgs 10:17; Judg 20:10). At the Exodus the number of males above twenty years capable of bearing arms was 600,000 (Ex 12:37). In David’s time it mounted to the number of 1,300,000 (2 Sam 24:9).
From Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897), by Matthew George Easton.
