“Now the children of Israel after their number, to wit, the chief fathers and captains of thousands and hundreds, and their officers that served the king in any matter of the courses, which came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year, of every course were twenty and four thousand.”
King James Version (KJV)
27:1 Officers - The standing militia of Israel as it was settledunder their several officers. Of courses - In all the business whereinthe king had occasion for these persons who were to attend him by turns.Came in, &c. - who being armed and mustered, and to wait upon the king, atJerusalem or other places, as the king should see fit. By this ordernear three hundred thousand of his people were instructed and exercised inthe use of their arms, and fitted for the defence of their king and kingdomwhen it should be needful, and in the mean time sufficient provision wasmade against any sudden tumults or irruptions of enemies. And this monthlycourse was contrived that the burden of it might be easy and equallydistributed among the people.