John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 8. And when he numbered them at Bezek , etc.] Which was the place appointed to meet at, the same with that in ( Judges 1:4), (see Gill on “ Judges 1:4”) though some take the word to be an appellative, and not, the proper name of a place, and render it, “with a stone”; with which he numbered, taking a stone from each, and laying them on a heap, and then telling them f217 ; so Bizakion signifies little stones with the Greeks: or “with a fragment”; either of an earthen vessel, or of a stone, or of the branch of a tree they carried in their hands, and so the king’s servants numbered not the men, but the branches f219 : and the children of Israel were three hundred thousand men ; who came together on this occasion; these were of the eight tribes and a half on this side Jordan: and the men of Judah thirty thousand ; which tribe is mentioned distinctly, because a noble and warlike tribe, which usually first went up to battle; and though the number of them at this time assembled may seem comparatively small, yet this may easily be accounted for; because they bordered upon the Philistines, who watched every opportunity to take an advantage of them, and therefore could not leave their tribe destitute, but reserved a sufficient number to guard their coasts, and yet were desirous to testify their obedience to Saul, though chosen king out of another tribe, when they might have expected from prophecy that the dominion belonged to them.
Josephus has made a gross mistake in the numbers here, he makes the men of Israel to be 700,000, and the men of Judah 70,000, contrary to the text, the Targum, Syriac and Arabic versions; but the Septuagint comes pretty near him, which has 600,000 of the men of Israel, 70,000 of the men of Judah.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-11 - The first fruit of Saul's government was the rescue of Jabesh-gilea from the Ammonites. To save their lives, men will part with liberty and even consent to have their eyes put out; is it then no wisdom to part with that sin which is as dear to us as our right eye, rather tha to be cast into hell-fire? See the faith and confidence of Saul, and grounded thereon, his courage and resolution. See also his activity in this business. When the Spirit of the Lord comes upon men, it will make them expert, even without experience. When zeal for the glory of God and love for the brethren, urge men to earnest efforts, and when God is pleased to help, great effects may speedily be produced.
Original Hebrew ויפקדם6485 בבזק966 ויהיו1961 בני1121 ישׂראל3478 שׁלשׁ7969 מאות3967 אלף505 ואישׁ376 יהודה3063 שׁלשׁים7970 אלף׃505
