Armies

ARMIES. The Lord, in Scripture, assumes the name of God of Hosts. The יהוה צבאות Cant. ii. 7. Jer. iii. 19, &c. 1 Sam. xv. 4. Jer. vi. 3.Hebrew word Zebaoth, which signifies Armies, is often understood to mean flocks of Sheep; and in several places of the Sacred Books Armies are compared to flocks. Saul made a review of his Army as of a flock of Sheep¹. Jeremiah, speaking of the Assyrian Army, says it shall come before Sion like a flock under the conduct of its Shepherd. The Hebrew Nation, in infinite many places is called the Army of the Lord, because God was looked upon as their Head and General It was he who named the Captains of their Armies, who ordained war and peace; his Priests were with them, they founded the trumpet, and gave the signal of battle. Their wars likewise were generally attended with prodigies.

The Armies of Israel were not composed of regular Troops kept in pay; the whole Nation consisted of fighting men, ready to march against the Enemy, as soon as either necessity or the orders of God required it. The Army expected no other reward besides the glory of conquering, nor any other salary than the spoils taken from the Enemy, which were divided by the chief Officers. Every one furnished himself with Arms and Provisions, and their Wars were generally but of a short duration. They fought on foot, and there were no horse in their Armies till the reign of Solomon. David is the first who had regular Troops; his successors for the most part had none but the militia, excepting their body guards, which were not very numerous.

When they were ready to give battle, proclamation was made at the head of Deut. xx. 5.every battalion, in the terms following, “What man is there that hath built a new house and hath not dedicated it? “let him go and return to his house, lest “he die in the battle, and another man “dedicate it. And what man is he that “hath planted a vineyard and hath not “yet eaten of it? let him also go and “return unto his house, lest he die in the “battle, and another man eat of it. “And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? “let him go and return unto his house, “lest he die in the battle, and another “man take her. What man is there that “is fearful and faint-hearted? let him go “and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint as well as his heart.”

At the same time the Priest put himself at the head of the Army, and said to the people, “Hear, O Israel, thou art this “day to give thine Enemy battle; fear “not, neither be dismayed, nor give “ground, for the Lord thy God is in the “midst of thee, to fight for thee, and to “deliver thee out of the hands of thine “Enemies.

The Ark of God was generally borne in the Army; it was not once out of the Camp of Israel during the whole time of their travelling in the Wilderness. Joshua ordered it to be carried almost always with him in the several Wars which he made against the Canaanites. The Israelites being put to flight by the Philistines in the 1 Sam. iv. 4, 5.time of Eli the High Priest, they sent for the Ark, upon the coming whereof they were filled with joy, and terror was spread throughout the Camp of the Philistines. David commanded it to be carried to the siege of Rabbah, before which the Army of 2 Sam. xi. 11. xv. 24.Israel then lay; and this Prince being compell’d to fly before his Son Absalom, the High Priest Zadok brought the Ark to him, but David ordered it to be carried back to Jerusalem. The Israelites of the ten Tribes, in imitation of those of Judah, carried their golden Calves with them, them in their Camp, and the Philistines 1 Chron. xiv. 12. 2 Chron. xiii. 8.their Idols.

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