2 Chronicles 17:14

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 valor, and with him two hundred thousand armed with bow and shield; and next to him Jehozabad, and with him a hundred and fourscore thousand ready prepared for war. These were they that waited on the king, besides those whom the king put in fortified cities throughout all Judah."

This represented a standing army of 1,160,000 men, besides the garrisons in the fortified cities; and this goes a long way to explaining why the Arabians and the Philistines brought tribute to Jehoshaphat. In ancient times, as in our own day, peace frequently depended upon the strength of those who desired it.

We should ignore the screams of "exaggeration"[3] which mark the writings of radical critics. Pagan rulers of that era reported even larger armies than this; and until the critics can prove that those were exaggerated reports, they should let these alone. Besides that, we have already noted that the very word from which thousand is translated is disputed as to its exact meaning.