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Topic:
Thoughts And Things Of The Bible -- Army
The Israelites marched out of Egypt in military order (Ex. 13:18,
"harnessed;" marg., "five in a rank"). Each tribe
formed a battalion, with its own banner and leader (Num. 2:2; 10:14). In
war the army was divided into thousands and hundreds under their several
captains (Num. 31:14), and also into families (Num. 2:34; 2 Chr. 25:5;
26:12). From the time of their entering the land of Canaan to the time
of the kings, the Israelites made little progress in military affairs,
although often engaged in warfare. The kings introduced the custom of
maintaining a bodyguard (the Gibborim; i.e., "heroes"), and
thus the nucleus of a standing army was formed. Saul had an army of
3,000 select warriors (1 Sam. 13:2; 14:52; 24:2). David also had a band
of soldiers around him (1 Sam. 23:13; 25:13). To this band he afterwards
added the Cherethites and the Pelethites (2 Sam. 15:18; 20:7). At first
the army consisted only of infantry (1 Sam. 4:10; 15:4), as the use of
horses was prohibited (Deut. 17:16); but chariots and horses were
afterwards added (2 Sam. 8:4; 1 Kings 10:26, 28, 29; 1 Kings 9:19). In 1
Kings 9:22 there is given a list of the various gradations of rank held
by those who composed the army. The equipment and maintenance of the
army were at the public expense (2 Sam. 17:28, 29; 1 Kings 4:27; 10:16,
17; Judg. 20:10). At the Exodus the number of males above twenty years
capable of bearing arms was 600,000 (Ex. 12:37). In David's time it
mounted to the number of 1,300,000 (2 Sam. 24:9).
I. Jewish ARMY.--Every man above 20 years of age was a soldier,
(Numbers 1:3) each tribe formed a regiment, with its own banner and its
own leader (Numbers 2:2; 10:14) their positions in the camp or on the
march were accurately fixed, Numb. 2; the whole army started and stopped
at a given signal, (Numbers 10:5,6) thus they came up out of Egypt ready
for the fight. (Exodus 13:18) On the approach of an enemy a conscription
was made from the general body, under the direction of a muster-master,
(20:5; 2 Kings 25:19) by whom also the officers were appointed. (20:9)
The army had then divided into thousands and hundreds under their
respective captains, (Numbers 31:14) and still further into families.
(Numbers 2:34; 2 Chronicles 25:5; 26:12) With the king arose the custom
of maintaining a body-guard, which formed the nucleus of a standing
army, and David's band of 600, (1 Samuel 23:13; 25:13) he retained after
he became king, and added the Cherethites and Pelethites. (2 Samuel
15:18; 20:7) David further organized a national militia, divided into
twelve regiments under their respective officers, each of which was
called out for one month in the year. (1 Chronicles 27:1)... It does not
appear that the system established by David was maintained by the kings
of Judah; but in Israel the proximity of the hostile kingdom of Syria
necessitated the maintenance of a standing army. The maintenance and
equipment of the soldiers at the public expense dated from the
establishment of a standing army. It is doubtful whether the soldier
ever received pay even under the kings.
II. Roman Empire ARMY.--The Roman army was divided into legions, the
number of which varied considerably (from 3000 to 6000), each under six
tribuni ("chief captains,") (Acts 21:31) who commanded by
turns. The legion was subdivided into ten cohorts ("band,")
(Acts 10:1) the cohort into three maniples, and the maniple into two
centuries, containing originally 100 men, as the name implies, but
subsequently from 50 to 100 men, according to the strength of the
legion. There were thus 60 centuries in a legion, each under the command
of a centurion. (Acts 10:1,22; Matthew 8:5; 27:54) In addition to the
legionary cohorts, independent cohorts of volunteers served under the
Roman standards. One of these cohorts was named the Italian, (Acts 10:1)
as consisting of volunteers from Italy. The headquarters of the Roman
forces in Judea were at Caesarea.
Derived from Easton's and Smith's Bible
Dictionaries
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