Bringing this up again in its own thread (orig. comment was in another thread here) for maybe some more feedback. Fouts has an article arguing these numbers are hyperbolic as otherwise impossible. David M. Fouts, “A Defense of the Hyperbolic Interpretation of Large Numbers in the Old Testament,” The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 40 (1997): 377–388.
The 19th century Pulpit commentary says on 2 Chronicles 17:14, "The numbers of this and following four verses are not only absolutely unreliable, but in themselves impossible." The current day population of modern Jerusalem is under 900,000. To regularly house 1 million troops in quarters in ancient Jerusalem would seem to stretch what would be physically possible. I'm looking for alternatives, support or critic, of/to Fout's position. It is online here.
I'm trying to either expand a comment on David Dickson's statement from this number (that the city did house 1 million troops) or make a decision to omit it altogether as needlessly wading into the subject. Text and current note below.
"In the first place, he laments for three things. 1. That Jerusalem, that fair city where God dwelt, where there were lodgings for the ten hundred thousands of men in one night,12 is now made solitary, ...."
12. See 2 Chronicles 17:12–19. The number may be hyperbolic. See David M. Fouts, “A Defense of the Hyperbolic Interpretation of Large Numbers in the Old Testament,” The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 40 (1997): 377–388.
The 19th century Pulpit commentary says on 2 Chronicles 17:14, "The numbers of this and following four verses are not only absolutely unreliable, but in themselves impossible." The current day population of modern Jerusalem is under 900,000. To regularly house 1 million troops in quarters in ancient Jerusalem would seem to stretch what would be physically possible. I'm looking for alternatives, support or critic, of/to Fout's position. It is online here.
I'm trying to either expand a comment on David Dickson's statement from this number (that the city did house 1 million troops) or make a decision to omit it altogether as needlessly wading into the subject. Text and current note below.
"In the first place, he laments for three things. 1. That Jerusalem, that fair city where God dwelt, where there were lodgings for the ten hundred thousands of men in one night,12 is now made solitary, ...."
12. See 2 Chronicles 17:12–19. The number may be hyperbolic. See David M. Fouts, “A Defense of the Hyperbolic Interpretation of Large Numbers in the Old Testament,” The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 40 (1997): 377–388.