📖WEB · 1 Chronicles 27:14
What does 1 Chronicles 27:14 mean?
"The eleventh captain for the eleventh month was Benaiah the Pirathonite, of the children of Ephraim: and in his division were twenty-four thousand."
— 1 Chronicles 27:14 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
The eighth captain for the eighth month was Sibbecai the Hushathite, of the Zerahites: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.
The ninth captain for the ninth month was Abiezer the Anathothite, of the Benjamites: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.
The tenth captain for the tenth month was Maharai the Netophathite, of the Zerahites: and in his division were Twenty-four thousand.
The eleventh captain for the eleventh month was Benaiah the Pirathonite, of the children of Ephraim: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.
The twelfth captain for the twelfth month was Heldai the Netophathite, of Othniel: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.
Furthermore over the tribes of Israel: of the Reubenites was Eliezer the son of Zichri the ruler; of the Simeonites, Shephatiah the son of Maacah;
of Levi, Hashabiah the son of Kemuel; of Aaron, Zadok;
Explanation
1 Chronicles 27:14 identifies one member of a military roster: Benaiah the Pirathonite (not to be confused with the more famous Benaiah son of Jehoiada who led David's mighty men). This Benaiah came from the tribe of Ephraim and was appointed as the commanding officer over the eleventh division of David's army, a division of 24,000 men who served during the eleventh month of the year.
The context of this verse is a larger administrative record found in 1 Chronicles 27, which describes how King David organized his kingdom for governance and defense. Rather than maintaining one large standing army year-round, David divided his forces into twelve divisions of 24,000 men each, with each division rotating into active duty one month per year. This system allowed Israel to maintain a large trained militia (288,000 men total) without the economic burden of keeping everyone under arms simultaneously. Each division had its own commander, and this verse simply records who led the unit responsible for the eleventh month. The Chronicler, likely writing after the Babylonian exile, included these administrative details to preserve Israel's history and to portray David as a wise, organized king who established enduring structures for the nation's security and worship.
Theologically, this verse reflects the biblical value placed on order, stewardship, and preparedness. Even in listing names and numbers that seem mundane, Scripture affirms that faithful leadership involves practical wisdom — organizing resources, del
Compare translations
Go deeper with ScriptureCompanion AI
Ask questions about any verse, follow reading plans, write personal prayers, and track your daily habit — all grounded in verified scripture text.