The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear shield and sword, and to shoot with bow, and skilful in war, were four and forty thousand seven hundred and threescore, that went out to the war.

They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows out of a bow, even of Saul's brethren of Benjamin.