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. read more
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. read more
The greatness of Jehoshaphat. I. JEHOSHAPHAT 'S NEIGHBOURS . 1 . Afraid of his greatness. As on the cities round Jacob and his sons when they fled from Shecham ( Genesis 35:5 ), the terror of Jehovah was on Jehoshaphat's neighbours. Regarding Jehoshaphat as under the protection of Heaven, they hesitated to try conclusions with him on the field of war. 2 . Solicitous of his favor. This some sought by means of gifts. The Philistines brought presents and silver of tribute,... read more
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 1 Chronicles 23:11 ); Hebrew, פקֻדָּתָם . 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" ( שָׂר ); in the... read more
The captains of thousands; Adnah the chief - literally, “princes of thousands, Adnah the prince.” The writer does not mean that Adnah (or Johohanan, 2 Chronicles 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 2 Chronicles 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... read more
The reign of Jehoshaphat (17:1-20:37)Jehoshaphat carried on the reform that Asa began, by destroying all the Baal shrines that remained in Judah (17:1-6; cf. 15:17). Positively, he educated the people in the law of God by forming an official group of instructors whom he sent around Judah’s towns and villages. The group consisted of civil leaders, priests and Levites (7-9). He also fortified Judah’s defences and enlarged its army, so that neighbouring countries feared to attack it... read more
three hundred thousand. So far from these numbers being exaggerated, they are a token of Jehovah's prospering grace. Jehoshaphat could muster 1,600,000; David, 1,300, 000. read more
NUMBERING OF JEHOSHAPHAT'S MIGHTY MEN OF WAR"And this was the numbering of them according to their fathers' houses: of Judah, the captains of thousands: Adnah the captain, and with him mighty men of valor three hundred thousand; and next to him Jehohanan the captain, and with him two hundred and fourscore thousand; and next to him Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself unto Jehovah, and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valor. And of Benjamin: Eliada a mighty man of... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Chronicles 17:10-19
We have here a further account of Jehoshaphat's great prosperity and the flourishing state of his kingdom. I. He had good interest in the neighbouring princes and nations. Though he was not perhaps so great a soldier as David (which might have made him their terror), nor so great a scholar as Solomon (which might have made him their oracle), yet the fear of the Lord fell so upon them (that is, God so influenced and governed their spirits) that they had all a reverence for him, 2 Chron. 17:10.... read more