The fifth captain for the fifth month was Shamhuth the Izrahite: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.
The verse belongs to the closing chapters of 1 Chronicles, which set forth the establishment of worship under David, his preparations for building the temple, and Solomon's accession to the throne under God's blessing. It stands in a list that divides Israel's year into twelve months, each month having its appointed captain and a course of twenty-four thousand men. That twelvefold order of captains and courses shows a twelve-month year.
The months of the list are linked with new moons, for the Hebrew word for month also means new moon. The monthly divisions form the regular army, with its captains listed in 1 Chronicles 27:1-15. This regular force may explain the difference between the army totals in 2 Samuel 24:9 and 1 Chronicles 21:5, as it may have been included in the Chronicles count but not in Samuel's.
The verse belongs to the closing chapters of 1 Chronicles, which set forth the establishment of worship under David, his preparations for building the temple, and Solomon's accession to the throne under God's blessing. It stands in a list that divides Israel's year into twelve months, each month having its appointed captain and a course of twenty-four thousand men. That twelvefold order of captains and courses shows a twelve-month year.
The months of the list are linked with new moons, for the Hebrew word for month also means new moon. The monthly divisions form the regular army, with its captains listed in 1 Chronicles 27:1-15. This regular force may explain the difference between the army totals in 2 Samuel 24:9 and 1 Chronicles 21:5, as it may have been included in the Chronicles count but not in Samuel's.