15 Bible Verses about Conscription

"Take a census of the entire Israeli community, numbering them by their tribes and by ancestral houses. List the names of every male one-by-one, from 20 years and upward. You and Aaron are to register everyone in Israel who is able to go to war, company by company.

Moses and Aaron gathered these men who had been mentioned by name. They assembled the entire community together during the second month. Then they recorded their ancestries, according to their tribes and ancestral houses, as well as the names of the men 20 years old and above individually, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. He numbered them in the Sinai desert.

"Take a census of the entire community of Israel from the age of 20 years and above, according to each ancestral tribe, counting everyone who is able to go out to war in Israel."

Deborah, a woman, prophet, and wife of Lappidoth, was herself judging Israel during that time. She regularly took her seat under the Palm Tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountainous region of Ephraim, where the Israelis would approach her for decisions. She sent word to Abinoam's son Barak from Kedesh-naphtali, summoning him. She asked him, "The LORD God of Israel has commanded you, hasn't he? He told you, "Go out, march to Mount Tabor, and take 10,000 men with you from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun. read more.
I will draw out Sisera, the commanding officer of Jabin's army, along with his chariots and troops, to the Kishon River, where I will drop him right into your hands.'"

Then Jerubbaal, also known as Gideon, got up early along with all of his soldiers. They encamped near the Harod Spring. The Midian encampment lay in the valley to their north, near the hill of Moreh. The LORD told Gideon, "You have too many soldiers with you for me to drop Midian into their hands, because Israel would become arrogant and say, "It was my own abilities that delivered me.' That's why you're to ask in full view of the soldiers, "Whoever is afraid or is trembling may go back from Mount Gilead and return home." So 22,000 soldiers left and 10,000 remained.read more.
"There are still too many soldiers," the LORD told Gideon. "Bring them down to the water and I'll refine them for you there. Therefore when I say to you, "This one will be going with you,' he'll go with you, but no one may go about whom I tell you, "This one won't be going with you.'" So he brought his soldiers down to the water, and the LORD told Gideon, "You are to cull out everyone who laps up water with his tongue like a dog from everyone who kneels to drink." The contingent of soldiers who lapped water with their hands to their mouths numbered 300 men, but everyone else kneeled to drink water. Then the LORD told Gideon, "I'm going to deliver you with the 300 soldiers who lapped by giving the Midianites into your control. Send everyone else back to their own homes." So the soldiers took provisions with them, along with their trumpets, and Gideon sent all the rest of the soldiers of Israel back to their own tents, but he retained the 300 men. And the Midian encampment was below him in the valley.

The day of the battle, the army from the descendants of Benjamin numbered 26,000 expert swordsmen from their cities, not including the inhabitants of Gibeah, who numbered 700 special forces soldiers. Out of all these soldiers, 700 of them were left-handed and each one could sling a stone at a hair and never miss. But the Israeli army not counting the tribe of Benjamin numbered 400,000 expert swordsmen, all of them battle-hardened soldiers.

Saul chose for himself 3,000 men from Israel. There were 2,000 with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, while 1,000 were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He had sent the rest of the people home.

There was intense fighting against the Philistines during Saul's entire reign, and whenever Saul discovered a strong or valiant warrior, he would enlist him for service.

The Israelis, according to the number of the leaders of their families, the officers of groups of thousands and groups of hundreds, and their leaders who served the king on behalf of the army divisions of 24,000 soldiers on duty month by month throughout the year, consisted of the following. Zabdiel's son Jashobeam was responsible for the first division of 24,000 soldiers for the first month. A descendant of Perez, he was chief of all the commanders of the army for the first month.read more.
Dodai the Ahohite was responsible for the division of the second month. Mikloth served as chief officer of his division, consisting of 24,000 soldiers. Jehoiada's son Benaiah the priest was commander of the third division for the third month, consisting of 24,000 soldiers. This was the same Benaiah who was one of the elite men of the Thirty and in command of the Thirty. His son Ammizabad was responsible for his division. Joab's brother Asahel was fourth for the fourth month, assisted by his son Zebadiah, with 24,000 soldiers in his division. The fifth commander for the fifth month was Shamhuth the Izrahite. His division consisted of 24,000 soldiers. Ikkesh's son Ira from Tekoa was sixth for the sixth month; there were 24,000 soldiers in his division. Helez the Pelonite, an Ephraimite, was seventh for the seventh month; 24,000 soldiers served in his division. Sibbecai the Hushathite, a Zerahite, was eighth for the eighth month; 24,000 soldiers served in his division. Abiezer from Anathoth, a descendant of Benjamin, was ninth for the ninth month; 24,000 soldiers served in his division. Mahari from Netophah, a Zerahite, was tenth for the tenth month; 24,000 soldiers served in his division. Benaiah from Pirathon, an Ephraimite, was eleventh for the eleventh month; 24,000 soldiers served in his division. Heldai the Netophathite, from Othniel, was twelfth for the twelfth month; 24,000 soldiers served in his division.

one overseer from the city who supervised the soldiers, five of the king's advisors who had been discovered in the city, the scribe who served the army captain who mustered the army of the land, and 60 men of the land who were discovered in the city.

From the city he arrested one of the officers who had been in charge of the troops, seven men from the king's personal advisors who were found in the city, the secretary of the commander of the army who mustered the people of the land, and 60 men of the people of the land who were found inside the city.

King Solomon conscripted laborers from throughout Israel. The work force numbered 30,000 men. He sent 10,000 men to Lebanon in shifts lasting one month. They worked one month in Lebanon for every two months they worked at home. Adoniram was placed in charge of the conscripted labor. Solomon also employed 70,000 heavy-lift workers and 80,000 stonecutters in the hill country.

So Solomon conscripted 70,000 men to do heavy work, 80,000 men to quarry in the hill country, and 3,600 to supervise them.

Here is a summary of the conscripted labor that King Solomon required to build the LORD's Temple, his royal palace, the terrace ramparts in the City of David, the wall of Jerusalem, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.

All of the survivors who remained living in the land but who were not Israelis (including Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites) were descendants of the nations whom the people of Israel had not eliminated. Solomon put them to work as conscripted laborers, which they continue to do to this day.