1 Chronicles 27:16 - Meaning and Application

We have here an account of the princes of the tribes. Some of the old order set up by Moses in the wilderness was still kept in place, so each tribe had its prince or chief. It is likely that this continued all along, either by election or by inheritance in the same family. The men named here are those who held that office when this record was made.

Elihu, or Eliab, who was prince of Judah, was Jesse’s eldest son, and he came in a straight line from Nahshon and Salmon, who were princes of this tribe in Moses’ day. It is not clear whether these princes acted like military leaders, guiding the people in war, or like chief judges, presiding in law courts. Their power was likely much smaller now that all the tribes were united under one king, than it had been when they mostly acted on their own. Still, our religion calls us to be subject, not only to the king as supreme, but also to the rulers under him (1 Peter 2:13, 1 Peter 2:14), the princes who decree justice.

Benjamin’s prince was Jaaziel, Abner’s son, in 1 Chronicles 27:21. Though Abner had been David’s enemy and had opposed his rise to the throne, David did not oppose his son’s advancement. He may even have chosen him for this place of honor. That teaches us to repay evil with good.

There is also an account of the numbering of the people in 1 Chronicles 27:23, 1 Chronicles 27:24. When David ordered the people to be counted, he did not include those under twenty years old. He may have thought this would avoid any criticism that his action seemed to deny the promise that Israel would be too many to count. Yet that was only a weak excuse, because it had never been the custom to number those under twenty, and the promise mainly referred to the men able to serve.

David’s count, done in the pride of his heart, brought no real benefit. It was never finished properly, never made exact, and never kept as an official record. Joab was displeased with it and carried it out only partly. David was ashamed of it and wanted it forgotten, because wrath came upon Israel because of it. A good man cannot truly take pleasure in something he knows God is displeased with. He cannot build on what was gained by sin.

There is also mention of the officers of the court. Some were rulers over the king’s property, as they are called in 1 Chronicles 27:31. They supervised his fields, vineyards, olive groves, herds, camels, donkeys, and flocks. There are no officers here for display, ceremony, or pleasure, no master of the wardrobe, no master of ceremonies, no master of the horse, and no master of the hounds. Everything is for service, which fit the simple plainness of those times. David was a great soldier, a great scholar, and a great king, and yet he also managed his estate carefully. He kept much land in his own hands and stocked it, not for pleasure, but for profit, for the king himself is served by the field (Ecclesiastes 5:9). Rulers who want their people to work should set the example by working hard themselves.

Later, the poor of the land were considered good enough to be vine-dressers and farmers (2 Kings 25:12). But David placed his great men over these tasks. The king’s attendants were also men known for wisdom, because they were meant for conversation and counsel. His uncle, a wise man and a scribe, well trained in politics and well read in the Scriptures, served as his adviser in 1 Chronicles 27:32. Another man, who likely excelled in learning and good judgment, taught his children. Ahithophel, a very clever man, was also his adviser, while Hushai, an honest man, was his companion and trusted friend. He does not seem to have had many advisers, but the ones he had were men of real ability. Much of a ruler’s wisdom is shown in how he chooses his helpers.

Even so, David, with all these trusted relatives and advisers around him, valued his Bible above them all. “Your testimonies are my delight and my counselors” (Psalm 119:24).