Matthew Poole and continuators on 1 Samuel 13:5

5 ¶ And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand charets , and six thousand horsmen, and people as the s[illegible: 1+ letters]nd which is on the sea shore in multitude, and they came up and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth-aven.

This number seems incredible to Infidels. To whom it may be sufficient to reply, That it is far more rational to acknowledge a mistake in him that Copied out the Sacred Text in such Numeral or Historical passages, wherein the Doctrine of Faith and Good Life is not directly concerned, than upon such a pretence to question the Truth and Divinity of the Holy Scriptures, which are so fully Attested, and evidently Demonstrated. And the mistake is not great in the Hebrew, Schalosh for Schelishim; and so indeed those two Ancient Translators, the Syriack and Arabick Translate it, and are supposed to have read in their Hebrew Copies, Three thousand. Nor is it necessary that all these should be Military Charets, but many of them might be for Carriage of things belonging to so great an Army; For such a distinction of Charets we find, Exod. 14. 7. But there is no need of this Reply. Charets here may very well be put for the Men that rode upon them, and Fought out of them, by a Figure called a Metonymy, of the Subject for the Adjunct; or the thing containing, for the thing contained in it, than which none more frequent. In the very same manner, and by the very same Figure, the Basket is put for the Meat in it, Deut. 28. 5, 17. the Wilderness, for the wild Beasts of the Wilderness, Psal. 29. 8. the Nest, for the Birds in it, Deut. 32. 11. the Cup, for the Drink in it, Ier. 49. 12. 1 Cor. 10. 21. And, to come more closely to the point, an Horse is put for an Horse-load of Wares laid upon it, 1 King. 10. 28. and an Asse of Bread, is put for an Asse load of Bread, both in the Hebrew Text of 1 Sam. 16. 20. and in an Ancient Greek Poet. And, yet nearer, the word Charets, is manifestly put, either for the Horses belonging to them; or rather, for the Men that Fought out of them, as 2 Sam. 10. 18. where it is said in the Hebrew, that David slew Seven hundred Charets; that is, Seven thousand Men, which Fought in Charets, as it is explained, 1 Chron. 19. 18. and 1 King. 20. 21. where Ahab is said to smite Horses and Charets; and 1 Chron. 18. 4. and Psal. 76. 6. where the Charet and Horse (i. e. the Men that Ride and Fight in Charets, or upon Horses) are said to be cast into a dead sleep: and Ezek. 39. 20. where it is said, ye shall be filled at my Table with Horses and Charets (i. e. with Men belonging to the Charets, for surely the Charets of Iron had been very improper Food), with mighty Men, &c. And let any cavilling Infidel produce a Wise reason, why it may not, and ought not to be so understood here also? Add to all this, that the Philistines were not alone in this expedition, but had the help of the Canaanites, and the Tyrians, as is very credible, both from Ecclesiast. 40. 20. and from the Nature of the thing. If it be further inquired, Why the Philistines should raise so great an Army at this time▪ The Answer is Obvious; That not onely their Old and Formidable Enemy Samuel was yet alive, but a New Enemy was risen, even King Saul, who was lately Confirmed in his Kingdom, and had been flushed with his good success against the Ammonites, and was likely to grow more and more potent, if not timely prevented; and they thought that now the Israelitish affairs were come to some Consistency, being put into the hands of a King; and therefore they thought fit once for all to put forth all their strength to suppress the Israelites, and to prevent that ruin which otherwise threatned them.

Marginal references: Josh. 7. 2. and 18. 12, 13.