John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 5. Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together , etc.] The inhabitants thereof: and made them captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, according to the houses of their fathers, throughout all Judah and Benjamin ; he divided the people, according to their families throughout his kingdom, into thousands and hundreds, and out of their respective families appointed captains over them: and he numbered them from twenty years old and above ; the usual age men were numbered at for war, to the fiftieth, according to Josephus; the Roman law obliged none to be soldiers after fifty, nor might any be dismissed before f87 ; the age of military men with the Romans was from seventeen to forty six, or, as some, forty five; but with the Persians from twenty as here to fifty f88 : and found them three hundred thousand choice men, able to go forth to war, that could handle spear and shield ; which shows that their number was greatly decreased since the times of Jehoshaphat, ( 2 Chronicles 17:14-18), occasioned by the wars under Jehoram, Ahaziah, and Joash; some copies of the Vulgate Latin have only 30,000.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-13 - Amaziah was no enemy to religion, but cool and indifferent friend. Man do what is good, but not with a perfect heart. Rashness makes work for repentance. But Amaziah's obedience to the command of God was to his honour. A firm belief of God's all-sufficiency to bear us out in ou duty, and to make up all the loss and damage was sustain in his service, will make his yoke very easy, and his burden very light. When we are called to part with any thing for God and our religion, i should satisfy us, that God is able to give us much more than this Convinced sinners, who have not true faith, always object to self-denying obedience. They are like Amaziah; they say, But what shal we do for the hundred talents? What shall we do if by keeping the sabbath holy we lose so many good customers? What shall we do withou this gain? What shall we do if we lose the friendship of the world Many endeavour to quiet their consciences by the pretence tha forbidden practices are necessary. The answer is, as here, The Lord i able to give thee much more than this. He makes up, even in this world for all that is given up for his sake.
Original Hebrew ויקבץ6908 אמציהו558 את853 יהודה3063 ויעמידם5975 לבית1004 אבות1 לשׂרי8269 האלפים505 ולשׂרי8269 המאות3967 לכל3605 יהודה3063 ובנימן1144 ויפקדם6485 למבן1121 עשׂרים6242 שׁנה8141 ומעלה4605 וימצאם4672 שׁלשׁ7969 מאות3967 אלף505 בחור970 יוצא3318 צבא6635 אחז270 רמח7420 וצנה׃6793
