Now the children of Israel after their number, the heads of fathers' [houses] and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and their officers who served the king, in any matter of the divisions which came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year--of every division were twenty-four thousand.
The commanders were "men of extraordinary personal activity, strength and valor, reminding us of the heroes of King Arthur or Charlemagne, except that the armor of the feudal chieftains gave them their superiority, while in the forces of David, it was main strength of body and dauntless fortitude of mind."[1]