King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And with them, by their generations, after the house of their fathers, [were] bands of soldiers for war, six and thirty thousand [men]: for they had many wives and sons.
Complete Jewish Bible:
With them, by their generations, in their fathers' clans, were army troops organized for war, 36,000 of them, because they had many women and children.
Berean Standard Bible:
Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah. All five of them were chiefs. In addition to them, according to their genealogy, they had 36,000 troops for battle, for they had many wives and children.
American Standard Version:
And with them, by their generations, after their fathers’ houses, were bands of the host for war, six and thirty thousand; for they had many wives and sons.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And with them, by their generations{H8435}, after the house{H1004} of their fathers{H1}, were bands{H1416} of soldiers{H6635} for war{H4421}, six{H8337} and thirty{H7970} thousand{H505} men: for they had many{H7235} wives{H802} and sons{H1121}.
Cross-References (KJV):
1 Chronicles 12:32
- And of the children of Issachar, [which were men] that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them [were] two hundred; and all their brethren [were] at their commandment.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for 1 Chronicles 7:4
1 Chronicles 7:4 is part of a larger section in the book that details the genealogies of the Israelite tribes, specifically focusing on the tribe of Issachar in this chapter. The verse highlights the military preparedness and the size of the fighting force within the tribe, noting that there were 36,000 men equipped for battle. This large number of soldiers is attributed to the fact that the men of Issachar had "many wives and sons," which was a sign of prosperity and numerous descendants in the ancient Near Eastern context.
The historical context of this verse is set during the period after the Israelites had settled in the Promised Land, and the Chronicler is writing to a post-exilic audience, emphasizing the strength and organization of the tribes during their peak. The Chronicler, writing much later than the events described, is concerned with recording the religious and social institutions of Israel, and the military "bands of soldiers" mentioned would have been essential for the defense and expansion of the tribe's territory.
The themes present in this verse include tribal identity, military organization, and the importance of lineage. It reflects the cultural value placed on large families as a source of communal strength and security. Additionally, it underscores the significance of maintaining a well-prepared military force to protect the tribe's interests and to fulfill its role within the larger nation of Israel. The mention of numerous wives and children also hints at the social structures and domestic arrangements of the time, which were quite different from modern norms.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H8435
There are 39 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: תּוֹלְדָה
Transliteration: tôwlᵉdâh
Pronunciation: to-led-aw'
Description: or תֹּלְדָה; from יָלַד; (plural only) descent, i.e. family; (figuratively) history; birth, generations. - Strong's Number: H1004
There are 1718 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בַּיִת
Transliteration: bayith
Pronunciation: bah'-yith
Description: probably from בָּנָה abbreviated; a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.); court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web, [phrase] within(-out). - Strong's Number: H1
There are 15773 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָב
Transliteration: ʼâb
Pronunciation: awb
Description: a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application; chief, (fore-) father(-less), [idiom] patrimony, principal. Compare names in 'Abi-'. - Strong's Number: H1416
There are 29 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: גְּדוּד
Transliteration: gᵉdûwd
Pronunciation: ghed-ood'
Description: from גָּדַד; a crowd (especially of soldiers); army, band (of men), company, troop (of robbers). - Strong's Number: H6635
There are 463 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: צָבָא
Transliteration: tsâbâʼ
Pronunciation: tsaw-baw'
Description: or (feminine) צְבָאָה; from צָבָא; a mass of persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized forwar (an army); by implication, a campaign, literally or figuratively (specifically, hardship, worship); appointed time, ([phrase]) army, ([phrase]) battle, company, host, service, soldiers, waiting upon, war(-fare). - Strong's Number: H4421
There are 308 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מִלְחָמָה
Transliteration: milchâmâh
Pronunciation: mil-khaw-maw'
Description: from לָחַם (in the sense of fighting); a battle (i.e. the engagement); generally, war (i.e. warfare); battle, fight(-ing), war(-rior). - Strong's Number: H8337
There are 203 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שֵׁשׁ
Transliteration: shêsh
Pronunciation: shaysh
Description: masculine שִׁשָּׁה; a primitive number; compare שׂוּשׂ; six (as an overplus beyond five or the fingers of the hand); as ord. sixth; six(-teen, -teenth), sixth. - Strong's Number: H7970
There are 164 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שְׁלוֹשִׁים
Transliteration: shᵉlôwshîym
Pronunciation: shel-o-sheem'
Description: or שְׁלֹשִׁים; multiple of שָׁלוֹשׁ; thirty; or (ordinal) thirtieth; thirty, thirtieth. Compare שָׁלִישׁ. - Strong's Number: H505
There are 496 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֶלֶף
Transliteration: ʼeleph
Pronunciation: eh'-lef
Description: prop, the same as אֶלֶף; hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand; thousand. - Strong's Number: H7235
There are 211 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רָבָה
Transliteration: râbâh
Pronunciation: raw-baw'
Description: a primitive root; to increase (in whatever respect); (bring in) abundance ([idiom] -antly), [phrase] archer (by mistake for רָבַב), be in authority, bring up, [idiom] continue, enlarge, excel, exceeding(-ly), be full of, (be, make) great(-er, -ly, [idiom] -ness), grow up, heap, increase, be long, (be, give, have, make, use) many (a time), (any, be, give, give the, have) more (in number), (ask, be, be so, gather, over, take, yield) much (greater, more), (make to) multiply, nourish, plenty(-eous), [idiom] process (of time), sore, store, thoroughly, very. - Strong's Number: H802
There are 729 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אִשָּׁה
Transliteration: ʼishshâh
Pronunciation: ish-shaw'
Description: feminine of אִישׁ or אֱנוֹשׁ; irregular plural, נָשִׁים;(used in the same wide sense as אֱנוֹשׁ); a woman; (adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English. - Strong's Number: H1121
There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בֵּן
Transliteration: bên
Pronunciation: bane
Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.