Bible Verses About Armies: Standing armies

Jehoshaphat grew great exceedingly; and he built in Judah castles and cities of store.

He had many works in the cities of Judah; and men of war, mighty men of valor, in Jerusalem.

This was the numbering of them according to their fathers’ houses: Of Judah, the captains of thousands: Adnah the captain, and with him mighty men of valor three hundred thousand;

and next to him Jehohanan the captain, and with him two hundred eighty thousand;

and next to him Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to the LORD; and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valor.

Of Benjamin: Eliada a mighty man of valor, and with him two hundred thousand armed with bow and shield;

and next to him Jehozabad and with him one hundred eighty thousand ready prepared for war.

These were those who waited on the king, besides those whom the king put in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.

Moreover Uzziah had an army of fighting men, who went out to war by bands, according to the number of their reckoning made by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king’s captains.

The whole number of the heads of fathers’ households, even the mighty men of valor, was two thousand and six hundred.

Under their hand was an army, three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred, who made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy.

Uzziah prepared for them, even for all the army, shields, and spears, and helmets, and coats of mail, and bows, and stones for slinging.

He made in Jerusalem engines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and on the battlements, with which to shoot arrows and great stones. His name spread far abroad; for he was marvelously helped, until he was strong.