Reference: ARMIES
Watsons
ARMIES. In the reign of David, the Hebrews acquired such skill in the military art, together with such strength, as gave them a decided superiority over their competitors on the field of battle. David increased the standing army, which Saul had introduced. Solomon introduced cavalry into the military force of the nation, also chariots. Both cavalry and chariots were retained in the subsequent age; an age, in which military arms were improved in their construction, the science of fortification made advances, and large armies were mustered. From this period, till the time when the Hebrews became subject to the Assyrians and Chaldeans, but little improvement was made in the arts of war. The Maccabees, after the return of the Hebrews from the captivity, gave a new existence to the military art among them. But their descendants were under the necessity of submitting to the superior power of the Romans.
Whenever there was an immediate prospect of war, a levy was made by the genealogists, De 20:5-9. In the time of the kings, there was a head or ruler of the persons, that made the levy, denominated ?????, who kept an account of the number of the soldiers, but who is, nevertheless, to be distinguished from the generalissimo, ?????, 2Ch 26:11. Compare 2Sa 8:17; 20:25; 2Ch 18:16. After the levy was fully made out, the genealogists gave public notice, that the following persons might be excused, from military service, De 20:5-8:
1. Those who had built a house, and had not yet inhabited it.
2. Those who had planted a ???, that is, an olive or vine garden, and had not as yet tasted the fruit of it; an exemption, consequently, which extended through the first five years after such planting.
3. Those who had bargained for a spouse, but had not celebrated the nuptials; also those who had not as yet lived with their wife, for a year.
4. The faint-hearted, who would be likely to discourage others, and who, if they had gone into battle, where, in those early times, every thing depended on personal prowess, would only have fallen victims.
At the head of each rank or file of fifty, was the captain of fifty. The other divisions consisted of a hundred, a thousand, and ten thousand men, each one of which was headed by its appropriate commander. These divisions ranked in respect to each other according to their families, and were subject to the authority of the heads of those families, 2Ch 25:5; 26:12-13. The centurions, and chiliarchs or captains of thousands, were admitted into the councils of war, 1Ch 13:1-3; 1Sa 18:13. The leader of the whole army was denominated ??????????, the captain of the host. The genealogists, (in the English version, officers,) according to a law in De 20:9, had the right of appointing the persons who were to act as officers in the army; and they, undoubtedly, made it a point, in their selections, to choose those who are called heads of families. The practice of thus selecting military officers ceased under the kings. Some of them were then chosen by the king, and in other instances the office became permanent and hereditary in the heads of families. Both kings and generals had armour bearers, ??? ????. They were chosen from the bravest of the soldiery, and not only bore the arms of their masters, but were employed to give his commands to the subordinate captains, and were present at his side in the hour of peril, 1Sa 14:6; 17:7. The infantry, the cavalry, and the chariots of war were so arranged, as to make separate divisions of an army, Ex 14:6-7. The infantry were divided likewise into light-armed troops, ??????, and into spearmen, Ge 49:19; 1Sa 30:8,15,23; 2Sa 3:22; 4:2; 22:30; Ps 18:30; 2Ki 5:2; Ho 7:1. The light-armed infantry were furnished with a sling and javelin, with a bow, arrows, and quiver, and also, at least in latter times, with a buckler. They fought the enemy at a distance. The spearmen, on the contrary, who were armed with spears, swords, and shields, fought hand to hand, 1
Chronicles 12:24, 34; 2Ch 14:8; 17:17. The light-armed troops were commonly taken from the tribes of Ephraim and Benjamin, 2Ch 14:8; 17:17. Compare Ge 49:27; Ps 78:9.
The art of laying out an encampment appears to have been well understood in Egypt, long before the departure of the Hebrews from that country. It was there that Moses became acquainted with that mode of encamping, which, in the second chapter of Numbers, is prescribed to the Hebrews. In the encampment of the Israelites, it appears that the holy tabernacle occupied the centre. In reference to this circumstance, it may be remarked, that it is the common practice in the east, for the prince or leader of a tribe to have his tent pitched in the centre of the others; and it ought not to be forgotten, that God, whose tent or palace was the holy tabernacle, was the prince, the leader of the Hebrews. The tents nearest to the tabernacle were those of the Levites, whose business it was to watch it, in the manner of a Pretorian guard. The family of Gershom pitched to the west, that of Kehath to the south, that of Merari to the north. The priests occupied a position to the east, opposite to the entrance of the tabernacle, Nu 1:53; 3:21-38. At some distance to the east, were the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulon; on the south were those of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad; to the west were Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin; to the north, Dan, Asher, and Naphtali. The people were thus divided into four bodies, three tribes to a division; each of which divisions had its separate standard, ???. Each of the large family associations likewise, of which the different tribes were composed, had a separate standard, termed, in contradistinction from the other, ???; and every Hebrew was obliged to number himself with his particular division, and follow his appropriate standard. Of military standards, there were,
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Reuben, you are my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power.
Judah is a lion's whelp. My son, you have gone up from the prey. He stooped, he crouched like a lion; and like a lioness, who shall rouse him?
Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that bites the horse's heels, so that its rider shall fall backward.
Gad, raiders shall attack him, and he shall attack their heel.
Joseph is a fruitful son, a fruitful son by a well, whose branches run over the wall.
Benjamin is a wolf that tears in pieces. In the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.
And he made his chariot ready, and took his people with him. And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them.
But the Levites shall pitch around the tabernacle of testimony, so that there may be no wrath upon the congregation of the sons of Israel. And the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony.
Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites. These are the families of the Gershonites. Those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward; those numbered of them were seven thousand, five hundred. read more. The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward. And the ruler of the house of the father of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael. And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, and its covering, and the veil for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the hangings of the court, and the veil for the door of the court which is by the tabernacle and by the altar all around, and the cords of it, for all the service of it. And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izeharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites. These were the families of the Kohathites. In number, all the males, from a month old and upward, were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary. The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward. And the ruler of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the lampstand, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the veil, and all the service of it. And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the leaders of the Levites, having the oversight of the ones who keep the charge of the sanctuary. Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites. These are the families of Merari. And those numbered of them, according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred. And the ruler of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They pitched on the side of the tabernacle northward. And the office and charge of the sons of Merari were the boards of the tabernacle, and its bars, and its pillars, and its sockets, and its vessels, and all its service, and the pillars of the court all around, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords. And those who camp before the tabernacle toward the east, before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the sons of Israel. And the stranger that comes near shall die.
And if you go to war in your land against the enemy who fights against you, then you shall blow with the trumpets. And you shall be remembered before Jehovah your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies. Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, you shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. And they shall be to you for a memorial before Jehovah. I am Jehovah your God.
And Jehovah said to Moses, Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole. And it shall be when everyone that is bitten, when he looks upon it, he shall live. And Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole. And it happened that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked upon the serpent of brass, he lived.
And it shall be, when you come near to the battle, the priest shall go up and speak to the people,
And the officers shall speak to the people saying, Who is the man that has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it.
And the officers shall speak to the people saying, Who is the man that has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it. And who is the man that has planted a vineyard and has not used its fruits? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man use its fruits.
And who is the man that has planted a vineyard and has not used its fruits? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man use its fruits. And who is the man that has become engaged to a wife and has not taken her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man take her.
And who is the man that has become engaged to a wife and has not taken her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man take her. And the officers shall speak further to the people, and they shall say, Who is the man that is fearful and faint-hearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest his brothers' heart faint as well as his heart.
And the officers shall speak further to the people, and they shall say, Who is the man that is fearful and faint-hearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest his brothers' heart faint as well as his heart. And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking to the people, they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.
And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking to the people, they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.
And Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised ones. It may be that Jehovah will work for us. For there is no restraint to Jehovah, to save by many or by few.
And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam. And his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And the shield bearer went in front of him.
And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests. And Seraiah was the scribe.
And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself and enter into the battle. But you put on your robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle. But the king of Syria commanded his thirty-two commanders of the chariots, saying, Do not fight with small nor great, but with the king of Israel. read more. And it happened when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out. And it happened when the commanders of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. And a man drew a bow in his simplicity and struck the king of Israel between the joints and the breastplate. And he said to the driver of his chariot, Turn your hand and carry me out of the army, for I am wounded.
And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, with every leader. And David said to all the congregation of Israel, If it is good to you, and if it has broken forth from Jehovah our God, let us send to our brothers, those remaining in all the lands of Israel, and with them to the priests and Levites in their cities that they be gathered to us. read more. And let us bring again the ark of our God to us. For we did not inquire at it in the days of Saul.
And Asa had an army which bore bucklers and spears, three hundred thousand out of Judah. And out of Benjamin there were two hundred and eighty thousand who bore shields and drew bows; all these mighty men of valor.
And from Benjamin was Eliada, a mighty man of valor, and with him two hundred thousand men armed with bow and shield.
And Amaziah gathered Judah and made them commanders over thousands and commanders over hundreds, according to the houses of the fathers, for all Judah and Benjamin. And he numbered them from twenty years old and above, and found them three hundred thousand choice men, able to go forth to war, that could handle spear and shield.
And, Uzziah had an army making war, going out to war by troops, according to the number of their oversight by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the ruler, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king's leaders. The whole number of the heads of the fathers of the mighty men of power was two thousand and six hundred. read more. And under their hand was an army of three hundred and seven thousand, five hundred, that made war with mighty power to help the king against the enemy.
As for God, His way is perfect; the Word of Jehovah is tried; He is a shield to all those who trust in Him.
The sons of Ephraim, armed shooters of bows, turned back in the day of battle.
Your people shall be willing in the day of Your power, in holy adornment from the womb of the morning: You have the dew of Your youth.
And He will lift up a banner to distant nations, and will hiss to them from the ends of the earth; and behold, they shall come with swift speed.
Lift up a banner on a bare mountain, exalt the voice to them, shake the hand, so that they may go into the gates of the nobles.
All people of the world and dwellers on the earth, you will see as one lifts up a banner on the peaks. And you will hear as the blowing of a trumpet.
Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink; arise, rulers. Anoint the shield.
One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five you shall flee, until you are left as a pole on the top of a mountain, and as a sign on a hill.
So says the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations, and have set up My banner to the people; and they shall bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.
Pass! Pass through the gates; prepare the way of the people. Raise up! Raise up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a banner for the peoples. Behold, Jehovah has sent a message to the end of the earth, Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your salvation comes. Behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. read more. And they will call them, The Holy People, The Redeemed of Jehovah; and you will be called, Sought Out, a city not forsaken.
Set up the banner toward Zion; flee for safety and do not wait; for I will bring evil from the north, and a great ruin.
How long shall I see the banner and hear the sound of the ram's horn?
Set in order the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle. Harness the horses, and horsemen get up. Yea, stand with helmets, polish the spears; put on body armor.
And I will send aliens to Babylon who will sift her and will empty her land. For in the day of trouble they shall be against her all around.
Set up the banner on the walls of Babylon; make the watch strong; set up the watchmen; prepare the ambushes. For Jehovah has both planned and done that which He spoke against the people of Babylon.
Set up a banner in the land; blow a trumpet among the nations; prepare the nations against her. Call the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz together against her; set a commander against her. Cause the horses to come up as the rough locusts.
Your sail was of fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt, an ensign for you; violet and purple from the coasts of Elishah was your covering.
When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was uncovered, and the wickedness of Samaria. For they have worked falsehood. And the thief comes in, the troop of robbers plunders outside.