David’s twelve monthly military divisions - each 24,000 men strong - reveal the organized infrastructure beneath Israel’s golden age of kingdom governance.

Full sung version coming soon.

Lyrics

Now the children of Israel after their number The heads of the fathers’ houses and the captains of thousands And of hundreds and their officers that served the king

In any matter of the courses which came in and went out Month by month throughout all the months of the year Each course being twenty-four thousand Over the first course for the first month was Jashobeam

And in his course were twenty-four thousand He was a descendant of Perez and was chief of all the captains Of the army for the first month Over the course of the second month was Dodai An Ahohite and of his course were twenty-four thousand

The third captain of the army for the third month was Benaiah The son of Jehoiada the priest, a chief And in his course were twenty-four thousand

The fourth captain for the fourth month was Asahel The brother of Joab and Zebadiah his son after him And in his course were twenty-four thousand

The fifth captain for the fifth month was Shamhuth The Izrahite and in his course were twenty-four thousand The sixth captain for the sixth month was Ira The son of Ikkesh the Tekoite

And the seventh captain for the seventh month was Helez The Pelonite of the children of Ephraim And the eighth captain for the eighth month was Sibbecai The Hushathite of the Zarhites

The ninth captain for the ninth month was Abiezer The Anethothite of Benjamin And the tenth captain for the tenth month was Maharai The Netophathite

The commanders appointed Each course set The months ordered The kingdom held

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1 Chronicles 27 sung by Psalm Selah. The whole Bible, one chapter at a time.

Published 2026-05-22 · Last updated 2026-06-06
Written by Reid Wender, Editorial Director at Psalmody Press