- thirty:
- Thirty-two thousand soldiers, exclusive of the thousand sent by the king of Maachah, are mentioned in the parallel passage ("And when the childrenª of Ammonª sawª° that¹ they stankª° before David,ª the childrenª of Ammonª sentª° and hiredª°¹ the Syriansª of Bethrehob,ª and the Syriansª of Zoba,ª twentyª thousandª footmen,ª and of kingª Maacahª a thousandª men,ª and of Ishtobª twelveªª thousandª men.ª" {2Sm 10:6}); but of chariots or cavalry there is no mention; and the number of chariots stated here is prodigious, and beyond all credibility. But as the word raichev denotes not only a chariot, but a rider (see "And he sawª° a chariotª [with] a coupleª of horsemen,ª a chariotª of asses,ª [and] a chariotª of camels;ª and he hearkenedª° diligentlyª with muchª heed:ª" {Isa 21:7}), it ought most probably to be rendered here, in a collective sense, cavalry; and then the number of troops will exactly agree with the passage in Samuel. It is probable that they were a kind of auxiliary troops who were usually mounted on horses, or in chariots, but who occasionally served as foot-soldiers.
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